Stocks in Europe were higher before a eurozone rate decision on Thursday, while US equities are called to open in the green despite tech earnings that received mixed reviews.The FTSE 100 index added 37.09 points, 0.4%, at 8,594.90. The FTSE 250 was up 174.66 points, 0.9%, at 20,734.36, and the AIM All-Share added 5.22 points, 0.7%, at 717.41.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.5% at 861.67, the Cboe UK 250 r

Stock futures point to 4% declinesResults solid across the boardAnalysts/fund managers throw support behind firmIt's often the case that share prices react less to figures reported than the tone of the commentary and steer of what markets can expect down the line, and so it's the case with Microsoft's (MSFT:NASDAQ) latest earnings.Stock futures point to a 4% decline (to $424.80) when Wall Street r

Stock prices in Europe opened higher on Thursday morning, before a European Central Bank decision which is expected to be a 25 basis point cut.The ECB decision follows what was deemed a hawkish hold by the Federal Reserve overnight.The FTSE 100 index added 11.86 points, 0.1%, at 8,569.67. The FTSE 250 was up 135.96 points, 0.7%, at 20,695.66, and the AIM All-Share added 3.13 of a point, 0.4%, at 7

Stock prices in London were mostly higher midday Wednesday, with water utilities among those leading the charge, before investors look across the pond for the Federal Reserve interest rate decision later.The FTSE 100 index added 27.29 points, 0.3%, at 8,561.16. The FTSE 250 was up 114.30 points, 0.6%, at 20,702.81, and the AIM All-Share lost just 0.14 of a point at 715.18.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.

Strong demand settles 2025 nervesStock completely wipes out DeepSeek losses Chinese hedge-fund backed start-up challenging AI parametersThe solid Q4 figures from ASML (ASML:AMS) will go a long way in helping stabilise chip industry sentiment after the boom in enthusiasm around AI was so savagely dented earlier in the week by the emergence of a low-cost LLM (large language model) from Chinese start

Stock prices in London and Frankfurt opened higher on Wednesday, while Paris blue-chips fell amid weaker trade for luxury firms, as investors await a Federal Reserve interest rate decision.The FTSE 100 index added 4.45 points, 0.1%, at 8,538.32. The FTSE 250 was up 37.56 points, 0.2%, at 20,626.07, and the AIM All-Share added 0.38 of a point, 0.1%, at 715.70.The Cboe UK 100 was flat at 855.93, the

London's blue-chip index outperformed peers in Paris and Frankfurt on Tuesday morning, the day after US tech stocks took a dive on fears of competition in China.The likes of Nvidia, which slumped 17% overnight, were hurt by the emergence of DeepSeek in the artificial intelligence space. The Nasdaq Composite shed 3.1% on Monday. Nasdaq futures are currently 0.3% higher, the index looking set to rec

The Treasury Committee made a recent call for evidence on the future of the Lifetime ISA, which has got everyone talking. They're asking big questions, like whether the account needs a bit of a makeover, some tweaks, or even if it should be scrapped entirely. With more than 750,000 people putting nearly £1.9 billion into Lifetime ISAs in the 2022/23 tax year, it's clear this account is popular.

As we predicted a fortnight ago, US banks enjoyed strong revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2024 helped by elevated levels of trading in stocks and bonds as well as higher investment banking fees as companies took advantage of low borrowing costs and buoyant stock markets to raise fresh capital.Given the sharp rise in the KBW Nasdaq Bank index over the last year, and gains of around 50% for b

Netflix added record 19 million subscribers Shares set to surpass $1,000 for the first timeLive sports proving a winnerShares in Netflix (NFLX:NASDAQ) soared more than 14% to $997 in after hours trading on 21 January after the global streaming giant revealed it added a record 19 million new subscribers in the fourth quarter.That meant the company finished 2024 with 302 million subscribers, up 15%

Stock prices in Europe lacked direction at Tuesday midday, while analysts still believe the Monetary Policy Committee in the UK will opt for an interest rate cut next month, despite solid wage growth.'The FTSE 100 was subject to choppy trading following [US President] Trump's inauguration,' AJ Bell's Russ Mould said. 'Having jumped at the market open, the UK index quickly pulled back as investors

Like-for-like festive sales up 11%Full-year profit reiteratedMedium-term targets reaffirmedPubs group Marston's (MARS) reported exceptionally strong festive trading with like-for-like sales growth of 11.1% between 22 December and 4 January and said it is well positioned to deliver full-year pre-tax profit in line with consensus analyst expectations.The shares dropped 1.4p or 3.3% to 40.9p, reflect

Order intake up 10.1%Profits to be first-half weightedManagement cautious on strength of consumerSofa seller DFS Furniture (DFS) enjoyed better-than-forecast orders in the half to 29 December 2024 that included the Christmas run-in.As a result, DFS expects to deliver first-half pre-tax profits in the £16 million to £17 million range, nearly double the £9 million delivered last year.Yet despite

Growth slows in Q2Profits seen 'within the range' of expectationsDigital growing as share of salesHomewares retailer Dunelm (DNLM) said it delivered 'solid' sales growth in the first half to 28 December 2024, with sofas, dining chairs and coffee tables selling particularly well and digital sales penetration buoyed by strong Click and Collect sales.However, shares in the cushions-to-curtains seller

The latest trading update from Greggs (GRG) saw the shares sink to a 52-week low.Greggs said seasonal lines like its Festive Bake, the all-new Festive flatbread and Gingerbread latte were in high demand, while it opened a record 226 new shops in 2024.So, what went wrong for the UK's favourite food-on-the-go purveyor?Despite solid sales, which hit the historic milestone of £2 billion for the first

£250 million target reiteratedDowngrade cycle looks overShares rally sharply on updateThe relief following today's scheduled trading update from Vistry (VTY), the UK's largest housebuilder in volume terms, was palpable as the group confirmed its full-year 2024 profit forecast and talked up the 2025 outlook for its partnership business.The shares rallied as much as 50p or just shy of 10% to 565p,

Completions above forecastProfit seen top end of rangeStrong base to build on for 2025With its shares trading at 12-month lows, there was little optimism surrounding the 2024 trading statement from housebuilder Persimmon (PSN) but the firm delivered a positive surprise with completions ahead of market expectations and a forecast of pre-tax profit towards the top end of estimates.The stock responde

Higher-than-expected ordersSpaceX driving upgrade cycleAerospace and defence market penetration excites analystsShares in Filtronic (FTC:AIM) rose 7% to an all-time high of 96.5p on 13 January after the communications equipment specialist upgraded guidance for the year to May 2025 once again amid ongoing positive order momentum.In a brief update, the County Durham-based firm announced that order i

World's largest chipmaker sees 34.4% revenue jump in Q4December sales alone up nearly 60%Stock more than doubled in past 12 monthsThere are plenty of sceptics who think the wheels will come off the AI bandwagon this year, but that's not what TSMC (TSM:NYSE) is seeing. The world's largest chip manufacturer posted forecast-thumping Q4 2024 revenue that implies the AI boom is still running at top spe

Like-for-like food sales up 8.9%Market share gains in clothingCautious outlook prompts profit-takingRetail bellwether Marks & Spencer (MKS) delivered 'another good Christmas' with sales records broken across the business as it gained market share in both food and clothing.However, shares in the high street stalwart fell 5% to 358p as third quarter clothing, home and beauty came in light of expecta