European stocks were under pressure on Tuesday, while US equities are set to open lower, after eurozone inflation data veered towards being unfavourable, as core price pressure remains robust.The data may have given European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde some food for thought. Lagarde, and her Federal Reserve counterpart Jerome Powell, speak at a conference in Sintra, Portugal later.The

Grocery sales in lineArgos sales disappointNo change to forecastsThe UK's second-largest supermarket chain Sainsbury's (SBRY) delivered a first-quarter trading statement which was pretty much in line with expectations in terms of grocery sales and maintained its full-year profit and cash-flow forecasts.However, a slowdown in total like-for-like sales growth and the resulting lack of an upgrade saw

European stocks opened in the red on Tuesday, with eyes on eurozone inflation data, a US labour market report, and words from central bankers at a conference in Portugal.The FTSE 100 index traded 51.69 points lower, 0.6%, at 8,115.07. The FTSE 250 fell 75.96 points, 0.4%, at 20,146.12, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.67 points, 0.2%, at 763.51.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.8% at 807.43, the Cboe UK

Shares up 2% in early tradingCompany recently debuted on London Stock ExchangeJP Morgan short position made on June 25Shares in Raspberry Pi (RPI) were up more than 2% this morning to 410p despite it emerging that the asset management arm of US investment bank JPMorgan (JPM:NYSE) has taken a short position in the affordable computer developer.Short sellers pay a fee to borrow shares from existing

Some end of quarter nerves meant the FTSE 100 returned solid gains by the closing bell on Friday, despite a cooler US inflation reading spurring on stocks in New York.The FTSE 100 index ended 15.56 points lower, 0.2%, at 8,164.12. The FTSE 250 fell 45.77 points, 0.2%, at 20,286.03, while the AIM All-Share fell just 0.09 to 764.38.For the week, the FTSE 100 lost 0.9%, the FTSE 250 fell 0.8% and the

EQT lowers offer on softer tradingNew offer deadline 3 July 2024Strong full year expectedA rational person changes their mind when the facts change and that appears to be the case in the ongoing negotiations for a takeover of Keywords Studios (KWS:AIM) by Swedish private equity firm EQT.Having completed due diligence which revealed some short-term headwinds for the business, EQT revised down its p

Blue chips were in demand at midday on Friday, ahead of a US inflation print later in the session, which is expected to show a softening of the core personal consumption expenditures inflation gauge.The FTSE 100 index traded 46.01 points higher, 0.6%, at 8,225.69. The FTSE 250 rose 50.55 points, 0.3%, at 20,382.352, while the AIM All-Share climbed 1.52 points, 0.2%, at 765.99.The Cboe UK 100 rose

Q4 revenue shy of expectationsFull year 2025 outlook loweredNorth America and digital sales disappointNike (NKE:NYSE) continues to look flat footed after warning investors to expect its slowest sales growth since 2010, barring the pandemic. Out of hours trading data shows the stock plunging nearly 14% to around $80, not half 2021's near-$180 dollar peaks. It may be the world's biggest sportswear c

London's FTSE 100 made a decent start to the final trading day of the quarter, and cooler-than-expected US data could offer it impetus for further gains.The blue-chip benchmark in Paris struggled, however, as pre-election nerves kicked in.The US data is released at 1330 BST. The core personal consumption expenditures inflation gauge is expected to have faded to 2.6% in May, from 2.8% in April, acc

Stocks in London headed lower going into Thursday afternoon, with investors adopting a 'cautious' approach ahead of Friday's US inflation data.The FTSE 100 index traded 23.26 points lower, 0.3%, at 8,202.07. The FTSE 250 fell just 7.08 points at 20,291.02, while the AIM All-Share fell 3.08 points, 0.4%, at 762.84.The Cboe UK 100 fell 0.3% to 815.91, the Cboe UK 250 lost 0.1% at 17,654.85, and the

First half tops expectationsFull-year guidance increasedMedium-term targets maintainedInvestors in Serco (SRP) received a pleasant surprise as the business services group revealed first-half profits were 'ahead of plan' and full-year profits, free cash flow and leverage would all be better than previously expected.The shares, which had drifted off their highs in the last couple of months, tacked o

The freeze on income tax thresholds is dragging millions more people into higher rates of tax, as their wages rise but the tax thresholds don't increase alongside them. The OBR estimates that by 2028-29 the deep freeze on tax thresholds will see almost four million extra taxpayers, 2.7 million more moved to the higher rate of income tax, and another 600,000 paying the additional rate. As a result

Barring a polling error of an unprecedented magnitude there will be a change of government after the UK general election on 4 July.With the Conservative Party at times polling below 20%, and Reform drawing level in some polls with what has been since its formation the UK's most successful political party in electoral terms, it is very likely the Labour Party will win a comfortable majority.How to

For all of its current challenges, China's economy is still the second largest in the world, trailing that of only America. According to data from the International Monetary Fund, Chinese GDP had from $1.2 trillion in 2000 to almost $18 trillion in 2023 (and thus as big as Germany, Japan, India, the UK and Brazil combined). That is a compound annual growth rate of 12.4%.Yet for all of this phenome

It can seem daunting to know where to start when making a first investment which may deter some people from starting at all. This would be a mistake because the sooner a start is made, the longer an investment is allowed to mature and provide capital gains and dividends.Waiting just a few years can reduce the potential saving pot over the long term. For example, assuming an investment of £100 a m

I am planning on finishing work in a few months' time and want to take my tax-free cash from my pension pot. I understand the rest of my pot will remain invested. However, I have been reading up on this and how to manage the investment.A couple of sources have mentioned 'pound cost ravaging'. What is this and how can I guard against it?DanRachel Vahey, AJ Bell Head of Public Policy, says:Pension s

Despite some recent volatility around election results India's stock market remains the big success story in emerging markets over recent years but which stocks have really driven these returns? The MSCI India index has achieved an annualised total return of 13.9% as at the end of April 2024, nearly double that of the broader emerging markets index.In common with most less mature equity markets,

1. India: Prime minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the largest number of seats in the Indian election, albeit with a smaller number compared to the 2019 vote. Investors are looking to July's budget for signals on the new government's priorities. Recent data indicate an improving fiscal position, with scope for a reduction in the fiscal year 2025 budget deficit from the Febru

If, like many people, you have moved jobs over the years and accumulated two or more occupational pensions, now is a good time to think about bringing them all under one roof.As well as allowing you to work out how much is in your pension pots and where they are invested, by consolidating them into a single pot you can manage them more easily.In this article we'll show you how to go about this pro

Stock prices in London closed lower on Wednesday, as European markets brace themselves for political instability in the run-up to UK and French elections.The CAC 40 in Paris took the biggest hit on Wednesday, ahead of the snap election in France on Sunday.The FTSE 100 index closed down 22.46 points, 0.3%, at 8,225.33. The FTSE 250 ended down 65.33 points, 0.3%, at 20,298.10, and the AIM All-Share