The FTSE 100 made a tepid start to the week on Monday, ending just about in the green and falling below earlier highs, as caution prevailed ahead of the US presidential election.The FTSE 100 index closed up 7.09 points, or 0.1%, at 8,184.24. The FTSE 250 ended down 18.45 points, or 0.1%, at 20,461.29, and the AIM All-Share closed down 3.63 points, 0.5%, at 735.37.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.1% at 8

Stock prices in London were in the green at midday on Monday, as budget fears were shaken off ahead of the US presidential election on Tuesday and the Bank of England interest rate decision on Thursday.The FTSE 100 index was up 52.82 points, 0.7%, at 8,229.97. The FTSE 250 was up 78.24 points, 0.4%, at 20,557.98, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.01 points, flat, at 739.01.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6%

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

The FTSE 100 in London opened higher on Friday, eating into some of its post-UK budget weakness, while the pound gained some lost ground.Eyes turn state side later, with US jobs data to come, before the Federal Reserve decision next week, and a presidential election on Tuesday.Closer to home, Reckitt shares jumped on a favourable US legal ruling on infant formula. Airlines struggled as oil prices

Markets closed lower in London on Thursday as analysts warned the UK budget set out by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Wednesday may have 'materially changed the inflationary path,' making a Bank of England rate cut unlikely.The FTSE 100 index closed down 49.53 points, or 0.6%, at 8,110.10. The FTSE 250 ended down 305.16 points, or 1.5%, at 20,388.96, and the AIM All-Share closed down 1.0%, or 7.42 po

European stocks were down heading into Thursday afternoon, as post-budget trade in the UK was characterised by stretching bond yields and largely weaker equities.The prospect of higher for longer UK interest rates as a result supported lenders, but hit retail and housebuilding shares.US stocks are called to open lower, in the aftermath of earnings from Meta and Microsoft, and ahead of US data in t

Equities in London were lower on Thursday morning, UK bond yields spiked and the pound was around the $1.30 mark as investor digest Wednesday's budget announcement.Early UK corporate updates were mixed. Shell and Coca-Cola HBC impressed, but Smith & Nephew and Kainos were among those to disappoint.Those reports followed earnings from New York-listed Meta and Microsoft overnight, which similarly fa

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Funds inevitably have their up and downs in performance. When a fund has gone through a particularly poor spell, does this represent a buying opportunity for investors in the expectation it will bounce back to form?Likewise for existing investors, should they stick or twist? Fortunately, there are lots of studies from the institutional fund management world which provide answers to that question a

The recent legal wrangling between UK chip architecture designer Arm Holdings (ARM:NASDAQ) and one of its major clients Qualcomm (QCOM:NASDAQ) is likely to be one of the big talking points when the firm reports second-quarter earnings for fiscal 2025 next week (6 November).The dispute is over a license agreement which Qualcomm obtained through its acquisition of Nuvia back in 2021.Arm has been una

ProCook (PROC) 29pMarket cap: £32.7 millionRisk-tolerant investors seeking a compelling recovery play with tasty re-rating potential should consider ProCook (PROC). This direct-to-consumer specialist kitchenware brand is carving out market share gains under management's refreshed strategy to serve up profitable growth.After a tough few years post its 2021 IPO (initial public offering), when the c

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

Shares ended mixed in London on Wednesday as the UK government delivered its long-awaited tax plan, which though a 'difficult choice,' was largely in line with investor expectations.The FTSE 100 index closed down 59.98 points, or 0.7%, at 8,159.63. The FTSE 250 ended up 71.33 points, or 0.4%, at 20,694.12, and the AIM All-Share closed up 4.0%, or 28.82 points, at 744.61.The Cboe UK 100 ended down

Stock prices in London were mixed just before the UK budget announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, with the FTSE 100 lower and the FTSE 250 and AIM All-Share registering a minor gain.The FTSE 100 index traded down 42.68 points, 0.5%, at 8,176.93. The FTSE 250 was up just 3.96 points at 20,626.75, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.98 of a point, 0.1%, at 716.77.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.6% at 818.

Fall in third quarter vaccine salesFull year profit reiteratedQ3 dividend of 15p per shareDisappointing vaccine sales took the shine off GSK's (GSK) third quarter update and despite management reiterating full-year sales and profit guidance, the shares sank to the bottom of the FTSE, falling 3.6% to £13.99.The shares languish near one-year lows and sit just 14% above the five-year low, which mean

Stocks in Europe were mostly lower on Wednesday morning, ahead of the UK budget announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, while Standard Chartered rose after it said it delivered a strong performance.Ahead of the budget, the pound was quoted at $1.3020 early Wednesday, rising from $1.2991 at the London equities close on Tuesday.Brown Brothers Harriman analysts believe the pound faces 'downside ris

Earnings beat despite sluggish revenuesWealth and investment bank deliverNew buyback and restructuring in focusRounding out the results of the Big Four UK banks, HSBC (HSBA) delivered third-quarter earnings which beat market forecasts and announced it would launch a fresh $3 billion share buyback.After rallying 4% in Hong Kong earlier in the day, the shares had popped 28p or 4% to 720p by mid-morn

Hollywood Bowl directors sell 300,000 sharesBarclays director sells shares after new highMidwich director buys 150,000 sharesMelanie Dickinson, chief people officer at tenpin bowling and mini-golf centre operator, Hollywood Bowl (BOWL) has sold 150,000 shares at 331p for a total value of £497,505 on 24 October.Dickinson now has 290,276 shares after the sale. Matthew Hart, chief marketing and tech

The FTSE 100 managed to eke out minor gains on Thursday, ending four straight days of losses, while Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed fiscal changes are to come in next week's budget.The FTSE 100 index closed up 10.74 points, or 0.1%, at 8,269.382. The FTSE 250 ended down 39.38 points, or 0.2%, at 20,790.55, and the AIM All-Share lost 3.44 points, 0.5%, at 725.69.The Cboe UK 100 closed up 0.2% at

Stocks in Europe were on the up heading into Thursday afternoon, shaking off some underwhelming UK data, with corporate earnings from some FTSE 100 heavyweights helping to lift the mood.The FTSE 100 index traded up 45.94 points, 0.6%, at 8,304.58. The FTSE 250 was up 37.81 points, or 0.2%, at 20,867.74, and the AIM All-Share added 0.80 of a point, 0.1%, at 729.93.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 831