Market speculation ITV might demergeITV has made no commentYear-to-date ITV shares have gained 11%Shares in ITV (ITV) were nearly 9% higher at 71p in morning trading as rumours circulated of potential suitors for the free-to-air-broadcaster.According to Sky News, a number of possible bidders for part or all ITV have emerged including a European broadcaster France's Groupe TF1 and CVC Capital Partn

Stock prices in London softened from earlier highs but market sentiment was still positive heading into Monday afternoon after Donald Trump picked hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as his US Treasury pick.The FTSE 100 index added 15.72 points, 0.2%, at 8,277.80. The FTSE 250 rose 15.80 points, 0.1%, at 20,597.49, and the AIM All-Share rose just 0.31 of a point to 732.51.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2%

Stock prices in Europe opened in the green on Monday as Donald Trump picked hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as the next US Treasury secretary, a 'clear nod' to New York equity markets.Bookending the FTSE 100, meanwhile, were two retail names. JD Sports added 3.5%, recovering after slumped 16% on Thursday and losing another 2.1% on Friday. B&Q owner Kingfisher plunged 11% after trimming the top en

Equities in London powered higher on Friday, ending the week on a strong note, but sterling fell flat on less-than-stellar UK data.The euro, meanwhile, hurtled closer to dollar parity as eurozone data was similarly tepid.The FTSE 100 index jumped 112.81 points, 1.4%, at 8,262.08. The FTSE 250 climbed 231.77 points, 1.1%, at 20,581.69, and the AIM All-Share gained 6.38 points, 0.8%, at 732.20.For t

London's stocks were mostly higher at Friday midday amid gloomy economic data which could boost expectations for interest rate cuts.The FTSE 100 index rose 52.48 points, 0.6%, at 8,201.52. The FTSE 250 climbed 170.72 points, 0.8%, at 20,520.41, and the AIM All-Share gained 4.33 points, 0.6%, at 730.07.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 824.79, the Cboe UK 250 was up 1.1% at 17,998.02, and the Cboe Sma

European equities shrugged off a poor UK retail sales reading, tepid German data and underwhelming purchasing managers' index surveys from the continent to push higher on Friday.Rising global tensions remained a theme, keeping oil prices at lofty territory.The FTSE 100 index added 55.41 points, 0.7%, at 8,204.68. The FTSE 250 rose 120.58 points, 0.6%, at 20,470.50, and the AIM All-Share rose 3.92

Trading environment 'volatile'Weak Q3 growthBillion pound club admission may have to waitTrainers-to-tracksuits seller JD Sports Fashion (JD.) now expects year-to-January 2025 pre-tax profits will be at the lower end of its original £955 million to £1.035 billion guidance range, disappointing news that sent the shares tumbling 16% to a two-year low of 95.2p.The global footwear seller had been on

Share price drifts as investors take a breatherAge of AI in full steam, states CEO Jensen HuangExpect analyst upgrades to flood inWhichever way you look at it, Nvidia's (NVDA:NASDAQ) Q3 earnings crushed it, surging past forecasts while continuing to demonstrate remarkable growth across its key business segments. 'The numbers speak for themselves', said AJ Bell investment analyst Dan Coatsworth. 'N

If it seems as though each week brings news of yet another takeover offer for a UK firm, the actual figures from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) are quite mind-boggling.Aside from the number of listed companies being bought, either by 'inward' investors or domestic buyers, hundreds of privately-owned firms are being snapped up every quarter.If you are in a position where a company you own

With the 'sugar rush' of the US elections fading, attention turned back to the state of the global economy last week with a couple of data points worth mentioning.UK third-quarter GDP came in short of expectations due to poorer manufacturing output, prompting a good deal of hand-wringing and laments that the nation was 'stagnating' due to restrictive interest rates.For our money, however, the IEA

A year after fast-fashion sensation Shein was first thought to have filed registration papers for a UK IPO, reports suggest the company is targeting the first quarter of 2025 for a London float that could value the business at £50 billion.Shein's position as a fast-growing retailer expanding across multiple geographies and taking market share from established players ? it is no coincidence that t

SDI (SDI:AIM) 58pMarket cap: £60.6 millionThe past couple of years have seen many a growth grenade tossed at SDI (SDI:AIM) yet the company has stuck to its largely successful knitting and we expect its fortunes to significantly improve through 2025. A casual glance at the share price chart might put a quick end to investors' research into this small cap business, but that's a mistake, in our view

To date, a small, exclusive club of UK retailers have exceeded £1 billion in annual profits, a high street elite that includes Tesco (TSCO), Marks & Spencer (MKS) and Kingfisher (KGF). Some may view this £1 billion figure as merely symbolic, but breaching this barrier is no mean feat and demonstrates a retailer has a lasting place in consumers' affections and the scale to win in a competitive ma

Organic revenue growth over 20%Budget creates more opportunitiesCEO confident of full-year outcomeSpecialist business services group FRP Advisory (FRP:AIM) delivered a strong first-half update with chief executive Geoff Rowley saying he was 'confident' in meeting market expectations for the full year.The shares climbed 9p or 6% to a new 12-month high of 155p, topping their October peak. STR

Stock prices in London were in the red at midday Tuesday as eurozone consumer prices were confirmed to have risen as expected in October, while global geopolitical tensions rose.Ukraine is utilising its new ability to hit Russia with US missiles, reportedly prompting stocks to fall as investors lose their appetites for risk.Investors are also starting to scale back expectations for interest rate c

Stocks in London saw a mixed start to the week on Monday, as housebuilders and the property sector weighed on mid-caps, while rising commodity prices lifted large-caps.The FTSE 100 index rose 45.71 points, 0.6%, at 8,109.32. The FTSE 250 declined 81.23 points, 0.4%, at 20,395.41, and the AIM All-Share climbed 0.41 of a point, 0.1%, at 727.55.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.5% at 814.60, the Cboe UK 250

AstraZeneca CEO buys 20,000 sharesTravis Perkins CEO buys 249, 218 sharesASOS director buys £430,135 sharesPascal Soriot, CEO of pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca (AZN) has bought 20,000 shares at £102 for a total value of £2.04 million on 15 November.Soriot's purchase comes after the pharmaceutical giant delivered earnings ahead of consensus forecasts and raised its outlook on 14 November.Over t

Stocks in London edged lower on Friday, while equities in New York dropped in early trade following some hawkish comments from the chair of the US Federal Reserve.The FTSE 100 index lost 7.58 points, 0.1%, at 8,063.61. The FTSE 250 declined 46.17 points, 0.2%, at 20,476.64, and the AIM All-Share gave back 2.24 points, 0.3%, at 727.14.For the week, the FTSE 100 slipped 0.1%, the FTSE 250 declined 0

Shares in London posted modest gains around midday on Friday despite weaker-than-expected third quarter economic growth figures.In the third quarter, UK GDP edged up 0.1%, missing the 0.2% consensus, and slowing from 0.5% seen between April and June, according to the Office for National Statistics.Industrial production also missed forecasts and the trade deficit widened, although construction outp

Palm oil price up 40%'Significant' boost to profitabilityFurther acquisitions on the agendaShares in MP Evans (MPE:AIM) cultivated a 7.5% rise to £10 in early dealings, marking a new two year high, after the Indonesia-based sustainable palm oil producer upgraded year-to-December 2024 profit guidance off the back of surging palm oil prices, which have risen some 40% year-to-date.A more favourable