Oil prices are back at levels last seen in January thanks to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. This is an unpredictable and fast-moving situation which could have implications for the performance of the FTSE 100, inflation and much more besides. Prior to the exchange of missiles between the two countries, oil was trading at multi-year lows thanks to concerns over global demand as...

Stocks finished mostly lower on Friday in London, while oil prices surged upwards, after Israel launched dozens of air strikes against Iran's nuclear programme and Iran promised a 'bitter and painful' response. Elsewhere, easing concerns about the US economy caused the Michigan consumer sentiment index reading to improve significantly. The FTSE 100 index closed down 34.29 points, 0.4%, at...

JPMorgan Claverhouse Investment Trust (JCH) 760p Market cap: £419.9 million Investors seeking to inflation-proof portfolios and tap into the re-rating potential of the undervalued UK equity market, with further Bank of England rate cuts among the catalysts, should consider putting to money to work with JPMorgan Claverhouse (JCH). This UK Equity Income sector mainstay boasts a 52-year track...

London's FTSE 100 perked up on Friday and found its best level since 'liberation day', as the tariff de-escalation between the US and China continues to boost investor risk appetite. The FTSE 100 index rose 50.81 points, 0.6%, at 8,684.56. It had earlier hit its best level since late-March. The FTSE 250 rose 127.50 points, 0.6%, at 20,972.26, and the AIM All-Share added 1.96 points, 0.3%, at...

The FTSE 100 pushed higher on Friday, supported by some of the index's heavyweights trading higher, while geopolitical tensions remain in focus, as talks between Moscow and Kyiv got going. The FTSE 100 index was up 58.09 points, 0.7%, at 8,691.84. It is up around 1.5% so far this week and spiked as high as 8,696.99 points on Friday, its best level since late March. 'The FTSE 100 continued its...

According to the latest Dividend Monitor report from Computershare, which looks after the share registers of 900 companies, total UK corporate dividend payments fell 4.6% or £700 million in the first quarter of this year to £14 billion. The decline was mainly due to lower one-off special dividends and a handful of large cuts from firms such as Burberry (BRBY) and Vodafone (VOD), which halved...

If speculation about a BP (BP.) and Shell (SHEL) merger were a bowl of rice it would surely give you a monster bout of food poisoning given the number of times it has been reheated. But BP has rarely looked so vulnerable, so it's not a huge surprise to see rumours of Shell swooping in gather a head of steam. That vulnerability and a diminished valuation are one of the key reasons to think a...

London's FTSE 100 rounded off a strong week with another gain, with hope on the tariff front and a stronger-than-forecast US jobs report boosting investor morale. The FTSE 100 index ended up 99.55 points, 1.2%, at 8,596.35. The FTSE 250 rose 105.54 points, 0.5%, at 20,240.51, and the AIM All-Share climbed 7.77 points, 1.1%, at 707.75. For the week, the FTSE 100 added 2.2%, the 250s rose 3.2%...

Q1 earnings top forecasts 14 quarters of at least $3 billion in buybacks But net debt ticks higher Shell (SHEL) and BP (BP.) are both finding life difficult at the moment due to slumping commodity prices, a weak outlook for oil markets and the uncertainties stoked by the US Administration's trade tariffs. Shares in the former bounced 3.5% to £25.15 in early dealings on 2 May after the energy...

Together, BP (BP.) and Shell (SHEL) accounted for more than 10% of the FTSE 100 index at the end of the first quarter, meaning their fortunes matter to anyone with exposure to the UK market through a tracker fund. Both firms are finding life difficult thanks to slumping commodity prices, although BP gave investors a rare bit of good news on 14 April as it unveiled a major oil discovery at its...

Bad weather in Australia hits LNG Oil and gas prices under pressureShell failing to fire on all cylindersThe impact of Donald Trump's new tariffs on energy prices and a cut to LNG (liquefied natural gas) volumes and natural gas production guidance conspired to send shares in Shell (SHEL) sharply lower on 7 April.The FTSE 100 energy giant pinned the blame for the LNG output downgrade on the...

Helge Lund to step downSuccession process underwayCEO Auchincloss feeling the heatBP (BP.) shares cheapened 2.9% to 389p in early dealings after the oil major said chair Helge Lund will step down 'in due course', news that arrived just weeks after the FTSE 100 group announced a pivot away from green energy.London-headquartered BP has kick-started a succession process to select a new chair to...

Stocks in London closed higher on Tuesday, boosted by stronger American markets while higher metal prices pushed up Anglo American and Antofagsta.The FTSE 100 index closed up 25.79 points, 0.3%, at 8,663.80. The FTSE 250 rose 58.78 points, 0.3%, at 19,981.21, and the AIM All-Share climbed 4.32 points, 0.6%, at 693.44.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.2% at 866.14, the Cboe UK 250 closed 0.3% higher...

Cost-cutting target raisedInvestment spend trimmedBigger buybacks and dividendsEnergy giant Shell (SHEL) released a statement ahead of today's Capital Markets Day outlining how it intended to 'strengthen its commitment to value creation' while maintaining a focus on performance, discipline and simplification.Investors liked what they read, sending the shares up 50p or 1.8% to a new six-month...

Blue chip stock prices in London and Paris opened higher on Tuesday, as investors await US house price index data.The FTSE 100 index opened up 24.40 points, 0.3%, at 8,664.22. The FTSE 250 improved 69.80 points, 0.4%, at 19,992.23, and the AIM All-Share was 3.98 points higher, 0.6%, at 693.00.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 867.61, the Cboe UK 250 was 0.2% higher at 17,437.22, and the Cboe...

Part of being a successful leader of a public company is managing expectations ? setting achievable targets which you can tick off and, by doing so, build credibility with the market.The under-pressure boss of oil and gas outfit BP (BP.) Murray Auchincloss will have been aware he needed to make a splash during a big strategy event on 26 February but telling the Financial Times he wants to get...

It already felt like a day of destiny, postponed so chief executive Murray Auchincloss could undergo an undisclosed medical procedure, but the stakes have been raised ahead of BP's (BP.) strategy day on 26 February.News US activist investor Elliott has joined the share register has got the share price moving in the right direction for the first time in a while, but has also ratcheted up the...

Auchincloss under pressureHedge fund expected to push for changeBoardroom shake-up, asset sales a possibilityBP (BP.) shares rallied 6% to a six-month high of 458.4p on reports feared activist Elliott Investment Management has built a stake in the oil major, which has underperformed rivals Shell (SHEL) and TotalEnergies (TTE:EPA) over the past five years.The US hedge fund's intervention stoked...

London stocks climbed on Thursday, with the FTSE 100 reaching a new high, driven by strong performances from gold miners and upbeat corporate earnings, while investors also assessed weak economic data from the US and eurozone.The FTSE 100 index ended up 89.07 points, 1.0%, at 8,646.88. It had earlier set a new intra-day high of 8,655.19.The FTSE 250 ended up 245.37 points, 1.2%, at 20,802.07,...

The market is alive with chatter about a mega-merger in the mining space after the revelation of a failed coupling between Rio Tinto (RIO) and Glencore (GLEN). That's understandable for several reasons, but recent history shows flirtations between corporate giants often go unconsummated.Having covered the oil and gas sector for nearly 20 years, I have seen the topic of a combination...