The sweeping tariffs unveiled by president Donald Trump on 2 April 2025, dubbed 'Liberation Day' by the administration, have significantly impacted financial markets, seemingly disrupting decades of economic norms, at least in the short term. We discuss the details and initial market reaction elsewhere in this magazine and it's only natural as an investor to be somewhat shaken by these...

The end of the tax year is now just a couple of weeks away so if you want to make use of any remaining ISA allowance your window to do so is rapidly closing.In this article the Shares team has put its collective heads together to identify a quintet of funds which we think are worthy of inclusion as part of a diversified portfolio. Some of these names may already be familiar but others are...

Soft UK economic figures did little to deter a market uplift on Friday, as Asian stocks are boosted on hopes of consumer spending stimulus.The FTSE 100 index traded up 59.66 points, 0.7%, at 8,600.72. The FTSE 250 was up 175.56 points, 0.9%, at 19,863.93, and the AIM All-Share was up 5.86 points, 0.9%, at 685.32.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.7% at 859.45, the Cboe UK 250 was up 1.0% at 17,326.55,...

Mixed annual resultsQ4 like-for-likes disappointEssential Home sale on trackReckitt Benckiser's (RKT) shares rallied 2.6% to £53.22 after the consumer and household goods giant reported better-than-expected full-year margins and reiterated its bold plans to restructure and simplify the business.This more than compensated for worse-than-expected fourth quarter sales from the Durex-to-Mucinex...

Stocks in London, Paris and Frankfurt made a slow start to the day on Friday morning, while FTSE 100-listed grocer Sainsbury's fell despite celebrating a bumper Christmas period.The FTSE 100 index opened down just 0.55 of a point at 8,319.14. The FTSE 250 was up just 9.28 points at 20,014.42, and the AIM All-Share lost only 0.23 of a point to sit at 719.76.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at...

The FTSE 100 in London opened higher on Friday, eating into some of its post-UK budget weakness, while the pound gained some lost ground.Eyes turn state side later, with US jobs data to come, before the Federal Reserve decision next week, and a presidential election on Tuesday.Closer to home, Reckitt shares jumped on a favourable US legal ruling on infant formula. Airlines struggled as oil...

Q3 like-for-likes down 0.5%Robust performance from health brandsOperational separation on trackReckitt Benckiser's (RKT) shares bounced up 3.3% to £49.20, extending their recent rally off of five-year lows, after the consumer goods goliath's third quarter sales beat subdued expectations.An organic sales decline of 0.5% proved better than the 1.8% drop called for by consensus, as a beat from...

Homecare brands on the blockAirwick and Cillit Bang no longer coreSale could raise around £6 billionConsumer and household goods group Reckitt Benckiser (RKT) is pushing ahead with the sale of its homecare brands according to press reports.The news was applauded by shareholders, with the shares gaining as much as 150p or 3% to a three-month high of £47.60 in early trading. SIX BILLION...

There is a phrase in business ? 'shrink to greatness' ? meaning companies selling or demerging assets and focusing on what they do best.You might call it streamlining, others might say it is an admission that the previous strategy did not work and the company was too bloated.This trend is firmly in motion across the UK stock market with nine companies in the FTSE 100 either in the middle of...

With the UK economy seemingly headed for a 'soft landing' and interest rates set to fall at some point this year, more adventurous investors will be looking to add a little more risk to their portfolios.Given the UK market, and the mid-cap space in particular, is widely acknowledged to be cheap, the passive option would be to buy a mid-cap ETF (exchange-traded fund) such as the iShares FTSE...

From being one of the hottest properties in the market pre-pandemic, and having had a 'good crisis' as it were thanks to its hygiene division, global personal and household products group Reckitt Benckiser (RKT) now finds itself in the investment equivalent of the bargain bin.Shares in the Nurofen-to-Airwick-maker hit a new 10-year low this week after investors reacted badly to a US court...

Shares fall on read-across from US verdictLiabilities could total up to $1.5 billionNews muddies potential unit saleShares in hygiene, health and nutrition products powerhouse Reckitt Benckiser (RKT) sank as much as 10% to around £40.40, their lowest level since 2013 after a US jury found Abbot Laboratories' (ABT:NYSE) specialised infant formula caused an Illinois girl to develop a dangerous...

Business simplification plan unveiledHome care and nutrition brands up for saleFull year sales guidance cutShares in Reckitt Benckiser (RKT) rallied 4% to £45.86 after the consumer goods powerhouse unveiled plans to sell a raft of non-core homecare brands and said it was reviewing options for its troubled infant formula business.In a similar strategy to many of its rivals including Unilever...

Miners dragged the FTSE 100 into the red on Tuesday, as stocks in London finished the session lower at the close.The FTSE 100 index closed down 31.41 points, 0.4%, at 8,167.37. The FTSE 250 ended down 47.19 points, 0.2%, at 21,091.49, and the AIM All-Share closed down 3.07 points, 0.4%, at 780.17.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.5% at 814.73, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 0.5% at 18,388.59, and the...

Return to positive like-for-like growthFull year guidance reiteratedLitigation worries cloud the outlookConsumer goods powerhouse Reckitt Benckiser (RTK) topped the FTSE gaining almost 5% to £14.44 after revealing better than expected first quarter like-for-like sales and confirming full year profit targets.The shares are down 18% year to date compared with a 5% gain in the FTSE 100 index...

It has been a rough few years for shareholders in hygiene, health and nutrition products powerhouse Reckitt Benckiser (RKT) with the stock down 30% on a five-year view.The FTSE 100 company flourished during the pandemic, which heightened hygiene awareness and boosted sales of its Dettol and Lysol disinfection brands, but demand then normalised and the shares have sold-off on growth...

Broad-based growth delivered in 2023Slow first quarter expected£500 million buyback launchedShares in Haleon (HLN) were marked 6% higher to 332.1p on Thursday after the consumer health colossus reported a robust finish to 2023, with fourth quarter organic sales growth of 7%, and said it will allocate £500 million to share buybacks in 2024.Despite competitive market conditions, the FTSE 100...

Organic growth turns negativeShares fall to post-pandemic low£4 billion wiped off market capAfter missing market forecasts for third-quarter sales last October, FTSE 100 household and personal goods group Reckitt Benckiser (RKT) reported an even more disappointing set of fourth-quarter results with like-for-like sales in negative territory.The shares slumped as much as 10% to £52.54, their...

Stocks in London opened lower on Wednesday morning, amid steep falls for St James?s Place and Reckitt Benckiser, ahead of key US data.The FTSE 100 index opened down 15.96 points, 0.2%, at 7,667.06. The FTSE 250 was down 74.73 points, 0.4%, at 19,087.93, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.18 points, 0.2%, at 743.47.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 767.49, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.5% at...

As we approach the end of the year it is an opportune moment to shine a light on some of this year's least-loved stocks.Rather than look at the stocks which have lost the most, we have collected together those trading at or near their lows for the year along with those with the fewest friends in the analyst community and those which the hedge fund community thinks are outright shorts.If we...