An increasingly tense geopolitical backdrop knocked European stocks on Tuesday, while the pound continued to struggle ahead of Wednesday's UK inflation print.The FTSE 100 index ended down 10.30 points, 0.1%, at 8,099.02. The FTSE 250 rose 32.21 points, 0.2%, at 20,427.62, and the AIM All-Share faded 3.32 points, 0.5%, at 724.23.The Cboe UK 100 ended flat at 814.55, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.1% to 17,

Underlying earnings up 18%Core product lines in growthDistribution wins with major retailersUnloved cosmetics company Revolution Beauty (REVB:AIM) swung from pre-tax profits of £400,000 to a £10.9 million loss after a one-off stock provision during a transitional half to August 2024.Why then, did shares in the beauty retailer rise 2% to 13.9p today (19 November)?Well, the company highlighted enc

Stocks in Europe were mixed on Monday midday amid more staffing announcements by incoming US president Donald Trump, while the gold price continued to climb.'The FTSE 100 ticked higher on Monday, helped by a decent showing for resources and financial stocks,' commented AJ Bell's Russ Mould.Meanwhile in Europe, the eurozone's trade surplus with the rest of the world grew significantly in September,

Better-than-feared second quarterNew recovery strategy unveiled£40 million-cost saving initiativeQuintessentially British luxury brand Burberry (BRBY) topped the FTSE 250 leader board on 14 November, the out-of-fashion firm's shares rallying 14% to 835p as its second-quarter results beat gloomy expectations and new boss Joshua Schulman unveiled a turnaround strategy.A rumoured bid target for Ital

Now we have had the Budget, I think this may alter my retirement planning strategy. The significant IHT (inheritance tax) pensions advantage has now gone (or will within two years). I am 74, have around £1.5 million in SIPPs largely untouched. I have fixed protection 2014, and my tax-free cash limit is £375,000 less £25,000 taken in 2024.In view of IHT advantages of pension (until the Budget) I

Shares expects upcoming third-quarter results (19 November) from Walmart (WMT:NYSE) to confirm the world's biggest retailer continued to gorge on US market share and grow internationally in the three months to the end of October.Given its sheer scale, Walmart has been able to push back against inflation, keep costs low and pass on the savings to price-sensitive shoppers and bargain-hunting upper i

Stamp duty changes announced in the Budget mean that from April 2025 buyers will face higher costs when buying a home ? with first-time buyers hit the hardest.The ending of a temporary stamp duty cut means that the tax will rise next year. This measure, originally introduced by former prime minister Liz Truss to boost the housing market, will end on 31 March 2025. The most significant impact will

Motor insurance remains toughOn track to make £100 million cost savingsAround 550 job cutsInsurer Direct Line (DLG) said it plans to cut around 550 jobs as part of a series of initiatives aimed at simplifying the business and delivering at least £100 million of cost savings by the end of 2025.While third quarter gross written premiums fell amid 'challenging' conditions in motor insurance, CEO Ad

Stocks ended a mixed bag in London on Thursday, amid a number of central bank decisions, and following the US presidential election.In the UK, the Bank of England said it would not cut interest rates 'too quickly or too much' after lowering rates by 25 basis points. The US Federal Reserve is expected to follow suit later in the day.The FTSE 100 index closed down 25.94 points, or 0.3%, at 8,140.74.

Group revenue down 8% to £2.7 billionTotal ITV Studios revenue down 20% to £1.21 billionAdditional £20 million net cost savings in 2024Shares in ITV (ITV) fell more than 8% to 66p in morning trading as the free-to-air broadcaster said group revenue fell 8% at £2.7 billion in the nine months to 30 September.Total ITV Studios revenue was down 20% to £1.21 billion impacted by the expected phasin

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced an astonishing £40 billion of tax rises in her maiden budget, and yet, despite that, there will be relief in some quarters that things didn't turn out worse.Capital gains tax is one of the areas where the Reeves' raid was not as bad as feared, as there had been speculation she would bring capital gains tax rates into line with income tax, with the top rate risin

London's FTSE 100 closed lower on Tuesday, underperforming European peers, as index heavyweight AstraZeneca held back the large-cap benchmark.Eyes now turn stateside, hours before the closing of polls across the US - where Donald Trump and Kamala Harris lock horns in the presidential election.The FTSE 100 index closed down 11.85 points, or 0.1%, at 8,172.39. The FTSE 250 ended down 91.25 points, 0

Stock prices in London were mostly higher at midday Tuesday as US voters are choosing their next president, as data showed UK service sector growth softened but outperformed its flash reading in October.The S&P Global UK services purchasing managers' index declined to 52.0 points in October from 52.4 in September, but beat the flash score of 51.8 points. The PMI composite output index fell to 51.8

Full-year profit ahead of expectationsSpecial dividend of 2p per shareNew growth initiatives outlinedUK news wholesaler Smiths News (SNWS) was the second largest gainer in the FTSE All-Share on 5 November, the shares rising as much as 13% after the company delivered better than expected full-year results and announced a special dividend of 2p per share.The shares are up 18% year-to-date compared w

Shares up 9% to £51.08Reckitt's baby formula business Mead Johnson clearedMead Johnson bought by Reckitt in 2017Shares in Reckitt Benckiser (RKT) skyrocketed on Friday morning after its US baby formula business Mead Johnson was cleared of liability in a US trial linking the consumer goods group's premature-baby formula Enfamil to bowel disease.A state court in St Louis, Missouri on 31 October rej

Full-year guidance reducedChina to remain a dragStronger margin gains from 2025Smith & Nephew (SN.) sank to the bottom of the FTSE 100 index, falling 13% to a new six-month low of 956.78p after the knee and hip implants maker lowered full-year revenue growth guidance on China headwinds.The shares are down around 11% for the year, compared with a 5% gain for the blue-chip FTSE 100 index. CEO

Paul's very first taste of investing came when his employer, aerospace and defence company Rolls Royce (RR.), introduced an employee share scheme which gave him what seemed to be a low-risk way of getting exposure to its shares.It seemed low risk, explains Paul, because the scheme allowed employees to save a monthly or four weekly amount for five years and at the end of the period the savings and

Marks & Spencer's (MKS) stock is up the best part of 80% over one year and has rallied 40% year-to-date, driven by positive momentum in both food and clothing and a recent return to the dividend trail which has attracted income seekers.This suggests the British retail institution will need to deliver a positive outlook and/or another profit upgrade alongside its first-half results (6 November) if

Personal thresholds to rise from 2028Capital gains and carried interest tax to riseEmployers' NI bill to rise significantlyIn terms of lowering expectations among the business community, the Labour party did a good job heading into today's autumn statement by letting slip potentially negative information such as the intention to raise employers' NI (National Insurance) contributions and a hike in

Q3 profit plunges 30%Weak refining margins and oil trading weighBuybacks rate maintainedOil major BP (BP.) delivered a better-than-feared drop in profits for the third quarter to September and said it will keep the rate of its share buyback programme unchanged at $1.75 billion (£1.35 billion) over the next three months.Nevertheless, the energy major's shares were marked down 1% to 395p with inves