The FTSE 100 in London underperformed against its peers in Paris and Frankfurt, but Centrica on the FTSE 100 edged up after warning of 'concerningly low' UK gas storage levels during the ongoing cold snap.The FTSE 100 index was down 32.62 points, 0.4%, at 8,287.82. The FTSE 250 was down 135.35 points, 0.7%, at 19,869.79, and the AIM All-Share lost 0.64 of a point, 0.1%, at 719.32.The Cboe UK 100 w

Fund lags for fourth consecutive yearSecond-best performing fund since inceptionApple shares sold after successful re-ratingGlobal equity fund Fundsmith (FUND:B41YBW7) delivered a total return of 8.9% in 2024, undershooting the 20.8% gain in the MSCI World index for the fourth consecutive year, resulting in the popular fund slipping behind the index on a five-year annualised basis.Eponymous founde

Stock prices in London were mixed on Thursday morning, with the FTSE 100 edging higher, despite retailers Tesco and M&S falling after festive trading updates.The FTSE 100 index opened up 11.69 points, 0.1%, at 8,262.72. The FTSE 250 was down 118.85 points, 0.6%, at 19,833.39, and the AIM All-Share lost 0.63 of a point, 0.1%, at 719.48.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 827.88, the Cboe UK 250 lost 0.6

London's FTSE 100 ended lower on Friday, as a sharp sell-off in alcohol makers, spurred by US calls for cancer warning labels on alcoholic beverages, weighed on the index alongside weak housebuilders, despite gains in oil majors Shell and BP and a bright start on Wall Street.The FTSE 100 index ended down 36.11 points, 0.4%, at 8,223.98. The FTSE 250 fell 48.83 points, 0.2%, at 20,591.40. But the A

London's blue chip index was slightly in the red on Friday midday, while US markets are expected to open higher after a weak start on Wall Street on Thursday.The FTSE 100 index traded down 4.69 points, 0.1%, at 8,255.40. The FTSE 250 was down 48.37 points, 0.2%, at 20,591.86, and the AIM All-Share was up just 0.19 of a point at 723.54.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 827.28, the Cboe UK 250 was 0.

Equities in Europe declined on Monday, in holiday-thinned trade, while declines in New York were more dramatic, with tech stocks bearing the brunt.The FTSE 100 index ended down 28.77 points, 0.4%, at 8,121.01. The FTSE 250 shed 84.10 points, 0.4%, at 20,404.55, and the AIM All-Share lost 0.89 of a point, 0.1%, at 714.23.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.2% at 814.55, the Cboe UK 250 fell 0.4% at 17,858

Next year should prove a sweet one for Treatt (TET) and its shareholders. The extracts-to-ingredients supplier has the recipe for long-term growth and many of the hallmarks of a high-quality company including an unwavering focus on innovation, strong cash generation and double-digit returns on both equity and capital employed.Well-placed to profit as its end-markets recover from an unhelpful spell

Anyone who has walked past a building site in the UK recently might well have seen Kier (KIE) branding on it. This infrastructure and construction services outfit is actively at work on more than 400 developments across the UK. Having emerged from a difficult period with much stronger foundations, this improvement is not yet reflected in its current valuation, but we think that will change through

UK takeovers moved up a gear in 2024 as predators targeted bigger companies. The average value of deals was £1.07 billion, nearly three times higher than the £390 million average in 2023. In total, there were £49 billion worth of recommended bids versus £17.2 billion last year.A bounty of unloved or underappreciated companies were swept off their feet, signalling the UK market as being 'on sal

Strange as it may sound, the pandemic turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the auction industry as it forced firms to join the 21st century and offer an online service.Whereas previously many small auction houses were limited to the number of buyers they could accommodate due to lack of physical space, today they can not only tap into their local market but a whole army of online punters at

Few doubt that 2025 will be another huge year for AI, but when looking for interesting investment opportunities, investors can sometimes allow details to obscure the bigger picture. In our view, Alphabet (GOOG:NASDAQ) remains an outstanding growth business with strong AI levers to pull, currently trading a large discount to other 'Magnificent Seven' stocks.This valuation gap will, we believe, narr

Move will incur one-off cost of £1.2 millionShares fall 12% year-to-dateFull year trading expected to be in lineShares in Zotefoams (ZTF) fell over 7% to 300p in morning trading as the speciality materials maker said it will be winding down the operations of its MuCell business unit which includes its mono-material barrier packaging company ReZorce.ReZorce uses proprietary microcellular foaming t

Predicting what will happen to the global economy and markets over the next 12 months is hard enough at the best of times, but with Trump's election victory on 5 November that job has become even more difficult.As Deutsche Bank's head of global economics and thematics Jim Reid put it, the outlook is no longer 'business as usual' which opens up a much wider range of potential outcomes for the globa

The UK stock market has performed robustly over the past year, with several companies standing out significantly. In this article, we will examine the top-performing large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap stocks of 2024, dissected across four different market valuation categories.£5 BILLION+ MARKET CAPAfter a stellar 2023, aeronautical engineer Rolls-Royce (RR.) has once again rallied hard during 2024

FTSE mining stocks on Wednesday were boosted by an uptick in gold prices while the Nasdaq Composite hit an all-time high, topping 20,000 for the first time.A jump in the gold price boosted Endeavour Mining and Fresnillo, while Lloyds Banking Group climbed as the Supreme Court agreed to an appeal brought by motor finance companies regarding car loans.The FTSE 100 index closed up 21.26 points, 0.3%,

European blue-chips traded higher heading to Wednesday afternoon, but trade lacked conviction, typifying a recently uninspiring run for the FTSE 100.'After a good start to the year, the UK index has stubbornly remained in a small trading range since June,' AJ Bell analyst Dan Coatsworth commented.The FTSE 100 index traded up 9.07 points, 0.1%, at 8,289.43. The FTSE 250 was down just 10.15 points a

Blue-chip stocks in London, Paris and Frankfurt opened lower on Wednesday ahead of a Canadian interest rate decision and consumer price index inflation data from the US.The FTSE 100 index traded down 27.16 points, 0.3%, at 8,253.20. The FTSE 250 was down 79.67 points, 0.4%, at 20,894.27, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.58 of a point, 0.1%, at 736.99.The Cboe UK 100 was 0.4% lower at 828.28, the C

Silicon Valley giant Intel (INTC:NASDAQ) is facing more upheaval after announcing the unexpected retirement of chief executive officer, Pat Gelsinger. Effective immediately, the decision marks a significant shakeup for the chip maker as it grapples with ongoing challenges and competitive pressures in the semiconductor industry.Gelsinger returned to Intel in February 2021, having previously been it

London's FTSE 100 held modest gains around midday on Monday but there were mixed fortunes elsewhere in Europe, as the DAX 40 hit a new high while the CAC 40 faltered.The FTSE 100 index rose 13.07 points, 0.2%, to 8,300.37. The FTSE 250 slipped just 6.30 points at 20,765.27, and the AIM All-Share added only 0.18 of a point at 732.67.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 833.95, the Cboe UK 250 lost 0.1% a

Blue-chips in Europe traded slightly lower in a tepid open on Friday, ahead of eurozone data later and an abbreviated session in New York.The FTSE 100 index fell 8.73 points, 0.1%, at 8,272.49. It is up some 2.0% so far this month.The FTSE 250 rose 32.01 points, 0.2%, at 20,794.79, and the AIM All-Share added 0.94 of a point, 0.1%, at 731.85.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 831.08, the Cboe UK 250