Jansen reportedly plotting takeoverConsolidation opportunity in fragmented US marketTurnaround potential at TerminixPest control and hygiene giant Rentokil Initial (RTO) topped the FTSE 100 leader board on Monday, with shares in the 'royal rat-catcher' scurrying 10% higher to 492.6p following weekend reports it is a bid target for private equity.According to The Times, former BT (BT.A) CEO Philip

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America[1]. It comprises 60% of the MSCI Latin America index,[2] and has four of the region's five largest companies. It is the highest weighting in the Bl

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Marketing material.A lot has been said about the concentration in the US markets, but investors in European markets have also been focused on a handful of companies. These 'Granolas' may be more diversified than the technology-focused Magnificent Seven ? and not as expensive ? but the focus on them suggests investors remain nervous about branching out. However, there

Alphabet and Tesla to kick-start 'Magnificent Seven' reportsBull market 'broadening not rotating' say analystsInvestors spooked recently by semiconductor restriction commentsUS quarterly earnings will hit top gear this week and investors should be watching closely. Will big tech corporate results put a stopper in the recent stock price declines that have cooled this year's US markets rally?The S&P

The FTSE 100 started the week on the front foot, seemingly unfazed by President Joe Biden's decision to bow out of the re-election race, although the travel sector stalled after a Ryanair warning.The FTSE 100 index traded up 30.98 points, or 0.4%, at 8,186.70. The FTSE 250 was up 55.40 points, 0.3%, at 21,123.08, while the AIM All-Share was up just 0.29 of a point at 784.42.The Cboe UK 100 was up

European markets ended in the red on Friday, after the fallout from a global IT outage sapped risk appetite.The FTSE 100 index ended down 49.17 points, 0.6%, at 8,155.72. The FTSE 250 ended down 166.48 points, or 0.8%, at 21,067.68, and the AIM All-Share fell 3.54 points, 0.5%, at 784.13.For the week, the FTSE 100 fell 1.2%, the FTSE 250 shed 0.6% and the AIM gave back 0.3%.The Cboe UK 100 ended d

Stock prices in London were lower at midday Friday, as investors grappled with a large IT outage on a global scale that affected a plethora of businesses and trade.Companies around the world reported technical issues, with planes grounded, trains disrupted, and television and radio broadcasters taken offline, while Microsoft Corp said it was taking mitigating actions after service issues.As AJ Bel

The FTSE 100 was in the green on Friday morning, while other stocks were mostly downbeat amid gloomy UK retail sales data and a global IT outage.Companies around the world reported technical issues, with planes grounded, trains disrupted, and television and radio broadcasters taken offline. According to Sky News, Berlin Airport has halted all flights until 0900 BST, while Microsoft Corp said it wa

Stocks in London ended higher on Thursday, with promising updates sending retailers Frasers and Dunelm higher, while in mainland Europe, the European Central Bank took centre-stage as it opted to leave rates unmoved.The conviction remains that the ECB will cut at its September meeting, however. In the UK, signs of a softer labour market aided Bank of England rate cut expectations.The FTSE 100 inde

Stock prices in London were in the green at midday, as investors awaited the next interest rate call from the European Central Bank, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted leaders from across Europe at a summit.The FTSE 100 index was up 59.33 points, or 0.7%, at 8,246.78. The FTSE 250 was up 151.37 points, or 0.7%, at 21,244.71, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.77 points, or 0.4%, at 789.57.The

Sales rise on volume growthEarnings to top estimatesCEO optimistic for coming yearHomewares retailer Dunelm (DNLM) demonstrated once again how resilient its business is against a challenging consumer backdrop by posting an increase in sales and earnings slightly above expectations for the year to the end of June.The shares, which had been trading down on the year, added 75p or 7% to £11.80 taking

London stocks outperformed its European peers on Thursday morning, as investors await a key interest rate decision by the European Central Bank.The FTSE 100 index opened 78.02, or 1.0%, at 8,266.64. The FTSE 250 was up 54.31 points, or 0.3%, at 21,147.65, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.63 points, or 0.2%, at 788.43.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.8% at 824.37, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.3% at 18,435.38, an

They say a week is a long time in politics, but even a day can be a long time in the markets as we found out on Tuesday.After last week's lower-than-expected June US inflation print, traders loaded up on bets the Federal Reserve would start lowing interest rates to the point where a 25 basis point or 0.25% cut in September was fully priced-in by Friday's close.When, on Monday, Fed chair Jerome Pow

A new market is opening up for retail investors, and it may be coming to a broker near you soon. Traditionally the preserve of institutional investors, T-bills offer investors a secure way of storing money in the short term while getting a return in line with current interest rates. So what are T-bills exactly and how do they work?WHAT ARE T-BILLS?T-bills are basically short-dated government bonds

A major development in retail investing in recent years is the increased availability of vehicles which simply look to track the performance of a market. Thanks to their low cost, these passive funds have proved very popular and drawn money away from actively managed funds, where a professional stock picker makes the investment decisions.In this article we flesh out what active and passive investi

So far, China's Year of the Dragon hasn't brought investors a great deal of prosperity with the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 index of Chinese shares up by less than 3% against a 15% gain for the FTSE World Index.Recent data also suggests the economy is slowing with second-quarter GDP (gross domestic product) only rising by 4.7%, its slowest pace for five quarters and well below economists' forecasts

In an effort to encourage more companies to float on the London Stock Exchange, and presumably encourage more people to invest in them, the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) has unveiled a new listing regime which comes into force at the end of July.The rules ? described by the FCA as 'Big Bang 2.0' in a nod to the reforms of the mid-1980s ? are weighty, running to nearly 200 pages, and we at Shar

Funds can often be in vogue with investors thanks to a big-name manager or a past reputation, but just how well-earned is the popularity of the UK's most popular funds and investment trusts?In this article we've taken a look at the performance of a select group of funds which regularly feature among the most bought and most widely-held in the market to judge whether they are truly delivering the g

GYM Group (GYM) 137.8pMarket Cap: £219.8 millionShares in low-cost, no-contract gym operator The Gym Group (GYM) are languishing 55% below pre-pandemic levels despite the firm seeing a recovery in site profitability and growing its estate by 40% since 2019.In recent months the business has got itself back in shape and appears to be building strong growth momentum with like-for-like sales up 9%

I am 72 and retired. I am aware that if I die after my 75th birthday my Pension Pot would be taxed as income by my beneficiaries (wife and children).As this would no doubt incur some 40% liability, would it make sense to draw from the SIPP up to my 20% income tax limit in the next 3 years rather than use other savings such as ISA's to live off?I have every intention of spending enough not to fall