Blue chip stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt were in the green at Wednesday midday, while British pub operator JD Wetherspoon was down a notch as it warned on higher costs amid an incoming increase in national insurance contributions for UK employers.The UK Chancellor is unlikely to be celebrating after public sector net borrowing rose to £17.81 billion in December, far outpacing FXStree

Stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt were higher at midday Tuesday, with London's FTSE 100 up slightly despite oil major BP losing ground as it eyes lower production figures.Meanwhile in the UK, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will move to reassure turbulent markets amid high government borrowing costs as she faces a grilling from MPs later today.The UK chancellor will answer questions in the Hous

Fourth-quarter retail revenue up 17.5%Average basket value up by 1% to £122.09Shares gain 9% to 296pShares in Ocado (OCDO) gained as much as 10% in early trading after the company said fourth-quarter retail revenue grew by 17.5% to £715.8 million.Ocado retail is a joint venture between Ocado group and Marks & Spencer (MKS).The online grocery retailer was reporting a trading statement for the 13

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

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

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) sells £306 million sharesSainsbury's shares fall nearly 5%Year-to-date Sainsbury's shares are down 7%Sainsbury's (SBRY) shares fell nearly 5% to 275p after the supermarket group said its biggest shareholder, the QIA (Qatar Investment Authority), had sold £306 million worth of shares at 280p each, a discount of around 3% to the prior closing price.Prior to the sal

HVIVO (HVO:AIM) 28.2pMarket cap: £191.9 millionFluCamp does not sound like much fun for volunteers, but for leading CRO (contract research organisation) HVIVO (HVO:AIM) it represents a flagship service which is attracting growing interest from big pharma and biotechnology companies.The company is at the forefront of HCTs (human challenge trials), a fast-growing niche within the large CRO industry

Stock markets across the globe have just emerged from a short, sharp shock, with the sell-off on 5 August one of the worst days in years as investors mull the frightening thought that the US economy is slowing and could be sent spinning into recession.Combined with the impact of the unwinding in the yen 'carry trade' discussed in this explainer and some stretched valuations and you had the recipe

Stocks in London fell back on Wednesday, despite a jump in flagship retailer Marks & Spencer, as hot inflation figures dealt a blow to hopes for a June interest rate cut.Over in the US, focus will be on the latest batch of Federal Reserve meeting minutes, as well as earnings from chipmaker Nvidia.The FTSE 100 index traded down 28.02 points, 0.3%, at 8,388.43. The FTSE 250 was down 39.56 points, 0.

The UK stock market has enjoyed quite the ride this year, with the FTSE 100 keeping pace with the S&P 500 in the US and hitting new record highs. It is certainly helping to raise the profile of what has been an unloved part of the investment universe ? however, investors often overlook one of the UK?s key attributes.You might think having a rich pool of takeover targets on cheap valuations is why

Premier Foods (PFD) 159.6pMarket cap: £1.39 billion Ownership of some of Britain?s best-loved brands including Mr. Kipling, Batchelors and Bisto, appetising growth potential and a transformed financial position that should support double-digit dividend growth are reasons to buy cooking sauces, cakes and custards maker Premier Foods (PFD). Admittedly, the stock has already rallied 350% over the pa

The persistently high interest rate environment means companies are under pressure to cut costs and jobs are an obvious target. While they can cut their workforce through redundancies or slash the wage bill through shorter or fewer shifts, others might already be operating with a skeleton crew and cannot pare back any further.It is against this scenario that higher wages are adding to companies? p

Investors in London were not deterred by continuing concerns of higher for longer US interest rates, as stocks were up heading into the afternoon.The FTSE 100 index was 14.38 points higher, 0.2%, at 7,862.37. The FTSE 250 was up 63.75 points, 0.3%, at 19,403.89. The AIM All-Share was up 0.59 of a point, 0.1%, at 743.71.The Cboe UK 100 was a touch higher at 785.28, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.1% at 16

A classic example of a superb business with staying power, The Coca-Cola Company (KO:NYSE) is blessed with iconic brands spearheaded by Coca-Cola or ?Coke?, the world?s most recognised soft drink synonymous with its red cans.Coca-Cola?s brands resonate with consumers around the world, making the New York-listed group?s products the beverage of choice for billions when at home or on the move.Powerf

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREAuthorBen RitchieInvestment Manager, Dunedin Income Growth Investment TrustEuropean equities have struggled to keep pace with their US counterparts for a few years. However, historically low European valuations mean we could be at an inflection point.But will market participants take notice? Or will capital remain highly concentrated in the US, where only a handful of

Revenue miss and soggy guidanceStock slumps more than 9% after-hoursOnline advertising recovery is splittingSocial media platform Pinterest (PINS:NYSE) lost nearly 10% of its value in after-hours trading overnight as it became the latest in a run of internet stocks that bank on online advertising to spook the market.Pinterest, a sort of visual discovery engine for finding ideas like recipes, home

Custodian and Abrdn Property Income combineDeal values API at a 29% premium?More of the same? for CustodianHaving banged the drum repeatedly on how cheap the UK listed property sector is in terms of discounts to NAV (net asset value), we?re not surprised to see more insider buying with Custodian Property Income REIT (CREI) snapping up Abrdn Property Income (API) in an all-share deal.Shares in Cust

Lots of people think of giving cash or gift vouchers as Christmas presents, but other financial gifts are often overlooked. People can give cash into savings accounts, contributions to investment accounts or even gift shares directly. We'll look at some gifting options and how they stack up.1. Premium bondsThere's a lot going for premium bonds: you can save as little as £25; they are government-b

Retailer Marks & Spencer (MKS) is the gift that keeps on giving. Its share price is up 162% since October 2022, dividends are back after a four-year absence, and analysts keep finding reasons to upgrade earnings forecasts. In fact, the analyst consensus earnings estimate has increased 11 times this year, according to Stockopedia data.Earnings growth is a key driver for share price growth so it mak

Stock prices in London opened in the green on Monday, ahead of a US government funding deadline and key inflation data, as insurer Phoenix rose after upgrading its cash generation targets.The FTSE 100 index opened up 48.40 points, 0.7%, at 7,408.95. The FTSE 250 was up 27.17 points, 0.2%, at 17,880.26, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.1 of a point at 701.02.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.7% at 739.62, t