Q2 guidance very weak versus consensusMicron stock plunges 15% after-hoursAnalysts say HBM story 'remains intact'Missing forecasts seldom goes down well with investors and soggy guidance is usually equally unsavoury to markets, so it comes as little surprise that Micron Technology's (MU:NASDAQ) soft outlook sparked a hefty stock reaction.Shares in the memory chipmaker plunged 15% overnight after s

In the first part of a three-part series featuring opinions and ideas from some of the UK's leading fund managers, we asked which stocks have surprised them the most over the course of the 2024 and why.While it was hard to avoid the influence of AI (artificial intelligence) on portfolios, the breadth of responses was surprising and goes to show how skilled stock-pickers can turn up gems in parts o

What a mixed year this has turned out to be for Shares' best ideas for 2024.That our one star turn stock was an annuities and lifetime mortgage specialist, even if it was 'screamingly cheap at its current price', as we originally noted, and the supposedly exciting tech growth picks have been dull-to-dismal, might make you hark back to school days studies of Christopher Hill's The World Turned Upsi

Stock prices in Europe opened in the red on Tuesday as the FTSE 100 faded amid a softer start for miners.Mining firms climbed on Monday amid hopes of a China economic bounce back next year, but returned some progress on Tuesday. Anglo American was 2.2% lower, Glencore fell 2.1% and Antofagasta lost 2.0%.The FTSE 100 index traded down 38.21 points, 0.5%, at 8,313.87. The FTSE 250 was up 87.63 point

Spare a thought for Laszlo Hanyecz. You may not have heard of him, but in 2010 he spent 10,000 Bitcoins on two pizzas, in one of the first ever 'real world' crypto transactions. The market value of those Bitcoins is now $950 million. Hanyecz is pretty stoic about it, but deep down he must know that no amount of melted cheese can make up for the vast fortune he might have had. Hanyecz, a computer p

London's stock indices closed higher on Wednesday, contrasting with broader European declines, with confidence from easing bond yields lifting housebuilders over the session.The FTSE 100 index rose 16.14 points, 0.2%, at 8,274.75. The FTSE 250 climbed 32.98 points, 0.2%, at 20,601.63, and the AIM All-Share firmed 0.81 of a point, 0.1%, at 731.40.The Cboe UK 100 advanced 0.1% at 831.73, the Cboe UK

Texas-headquartered Dell Technologies (DELL:NYSE) stock has been making strides since the end of the summer and investors will be anticipating a strong end to 2024 as its AI servers business ramps up activity. Next week's quarterly earnings are a potential test of this confidence.Dell is already a key manufacturer in tech infrastructure and that edge is being sharpened by strong demand for next ge

Stocks in London were in the green at midday on Monday, with NatWest on the up after buying back government shares.'The FTSE 100 broke its losing streak to trade higher on Monday with healthcare and financial stocks doing much of the heavy lifting. There was wider optimism across Europe as stocks recovered from a rocky week,' said AJ Bell's Russ Mould.The FTSE 100 index was up 64.00 points, 0.8%,

There was a certain degree of investor bemusement last month when shares in US electricity generation company Constellation Energy (CEG:NASDAQ) soared on news technology giant Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ) had signed a 20-year power purchase agreement.This was no ordinary deal, however, as it paves the way for the restart of Three Mile Island 1 ? not the reactor which famously melted down in 1979, but a

SharkNinja (SN:NYSE) $89.10Gain to date: 82%Market cap: £1.5 billionWe flagged SharkNinja's (SN:NYSE) attractions at $49 in December 2023 and the cleaning and cooking appliance maker's stock has since rocketed on the delivery of strong growth and upgrades. The share price recently peaked at $111 before a third quarter results-induced correction, though our 'buy' call remains 82% in the money.Ri

Profits up 17.2%Tasty growth in foodInternational sales down 10.3%Marks & Spencer (MKS) reported a forecast-beating jump in half-year profits as the retail bellwether's turnaround continues to gain traction, sending shares in the FTSE 100 company up 8% to a five-year high of 414p.With its dependable food and revitalised clothing and home divisions both gobbling up market share and Marks & Spencer'

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 prices

Stocks in London were mostly lower at Friday midday, while the FTSE 250 turned to the red after Close Brothers shares fell as it announced it will appeal a court judgement to the UK Supreme Court.The FTSE 100 index traded down 10.40 points, 0.1%, at 8,258.98. The FTSE 250 was down 15.67 points, or 0.1%, at 20,774.88, and the AIM All-Share shed 1.80 points, 0.3%, at 723.85.The Cboe UK 100 was down

Chip maker tops analyst estimates on revenue and earningsStock seen rising 4%, according to pre-market dataElectric vehicles in China helping offset soft industrials demandThere's been plenty for investors to think about around the chips space after ASML's (ASML:AMS) shock bookings miss rocked the sector. TSMC (2330:TPE), the world's biggest contract chip manufacturer, has subsequently offered a b

European stocks traded in the red at midday on Tuesday as doubts increased as to the pace of rate cuts across the pond.The FTSE 100 index traded down 57.38 points, 0.7%, at 8,260.86. The FTSE 250 was down 93.94 points, or 0.5%, at 20,812.66, and the AIM All-Share was down 3.70 points, 0.5%, at 731.25.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.8% at 826.88, the Cboe UK 250 fell 0.4% to 18,385.87, and the Cboe Smal

Stock prices were mixed in London at Friday midday as investors digested better than expected UK retail sales data, and a deceleration in China's economic growth.The FTSE 100 index was down 20.69 points, or 0.3%, at 8,364.44. The FTSE 250 was up 52.59 points, or 0.3%, at 21,153.51, and the AIM All-Share was flat at 742.40.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 837.57, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.3% at 18,7

4imprint (FOUR) £50.80Market cap: £1.43 billionWe think the sell-off in shares of 4imprint (FOUR) since the direct marketer of promotional products released its first-half trading update in August presents a good opportunity to buy into a high-growth, cash-generative business at an attractive price.The firm is one of the leading players in the $25 billion-a-year North American promotional market

Over the long haul, small-caps have historically outperformed large caps, fuelling the research highlighting the so-called 'small-cap effect' ? the idea that smaller companies offer higher risk-adjusted returns than larger ones. Unfortunately, the higher interest rate environment of recent years has proved tough for the stock market's small fry, who've spent more than a decade lagging more sizeabl

Shares in Nike (NKE:NYSE) surged on Wall Street after the world's biggest sportswear company announced (19 September) that Elliott Hill was coming out of retirement to take over as chief executive amidst slowing revenue growth, intense competition from Adidas (ADS:ETR), On Running and Hoka and concerns about the success of its pivot to direct-to-consumer sales. First quarter results on 1 October w

Shares in Sheffield-based FTSE 250 building products firm SIG (SHI) hit their lowest level since the pandemic this month, bringing year-to-date losses to almost 40%. In its interim trading update the company revealed sales in May and June were below forecasts, having failed to recover from the downturn of the first four months of the year, and said it was 'cautious' in calling a second-half recove