UK indices were mixed at Friday's close as FTSE 100 housebuilders and property firms alike edged upwards off the back of Halifax housing data.The FTSE 100 index closed down 40.77 points, 0.5%, at 8,308.61. The FTSE 250 ended up 57.94 points at 21,059.00, and the AIM All-Share closed up 1.30 points, 0.2%, at 738.22.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.5% at 834.32, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 0.3% at 18,536.

Stocks in London slipped at the close on Tuesday, joining the pound, which failed to pack a punch against the dollar amid political uncertainty.The FTSE 100 index slumped 99.42 points, 1.2%, at 8,025.77. The FTSE 250 closed down 295.73 points, 1.4%, at 20,427.80. The AIM All-Share fell 7.07 points, 1.0%, at 730.86.The Cboe UK 100 declined 1.2% at 805.89, the Cboe UK 250 retreated 1.6% at 17,865.50

Stocks in London closed lower on Friday, as a car finance probe weighed on the shares of Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and Close Brothers.The FTSE 100 index closed down 19.13 points, 0.3%, at 8,248.84. The FTSE 250 ended up 29.36 points, or 0.1%, at 20,819.91, and the AIM All-Share lost 3.02 points, 0.4%, at 722.67.The Cboe UK 100 closed down 0.3% at 826.07 on Friday, the Cboe UK 250 ended down 0

Stocks in London were mostly lower at Friday midday, while the FTSE 250 turned to the red after Close Brothers shares fell as it announced it will appeal a court judgement to the UK Supreme Court.The FTSE 100 index traded down 10.40 points, 0.1%, at 8,258.98. The FTSE 250 was down 15.67 points, or 0.1%, at 20,774.88, and the AIM All-Share shed 1.80 points, 0.3%, at 723.85.The Cboe UK 100 was down

Stock prices in Europe were in the green on Thursday as investors awaited several US data prints and remarks from Fed Chair Jerome Powell.The People's Bank of China 'has 'thrown the proverbial kitchen sink at the economy', Pepperstone's Michael Brown said.'Fresh from big stimulus measures earlier in the week, all eyes remained focused on China amid talk that Beijing might inject up to ¥1 tril

Stocks in London drifted lower by the close on Thursday, as more weak US jobs data tested nerves ahead of Friday's nonfarm payrolls data.The FTSE 100 index closed down 27.89 points, 0.3%, at 8,241.71. The FTSE 250 ended down 46.11 points, 0.2%, at 20,762.50, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.54 of a point, 0.1%, at 759.12.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.2% at 825.08, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 0.2%

Although shares in leading infrastructure group Balfour Beatty (BBY) haven't been immune to the recent pull-back in markets, they were recently sitting at their best level in more than a decade so investors will be keen to hear how the business has been performing when it reports half-year earnings on 14 August.In its last trading update in May, the firm said trading was in line with its full-year

Stock prices in London opened mixed on Thursday, with the FTSE 100 dragged down by National Grid after it announced a £60 billion investment.The FTSE 100 index opened down 19.61 points, 0.2%, at 8,350.72. The FTSE 250 was up 12.17 points, 0.1%, at 20,722.24, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.54 of a point, 0.1%, at 803.33.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 833.24, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.2% at 18

Retail bellwether Marks & Spencer (MKS) may need to deliver a modest 'beat' to the £679.8 million consensus pre-tax profit estimate, along with a reasonably confident outlook statement, when it serves up full-year results (22 May) if the foods-to-fashion giant is to sustain recent positive share price momentum.Led by CEO Stuart Machin, the FTSE 100 company's turnaround is gaining traction and Mar

Stock prices in London opened in the green on Thursday, with some positive corporate updates helping lift the FTSE 100, a far cry from the sell-off New York tech shares suffered overnight.The tech sector comes into focus again, with streaming service Netflix, traditionally one of the FAANG stocks alongside Facebook owner Meta, Amazon, Apple and Alphabet, reporting quarterly earnings later.The FTSE

The FTSE 100 was outperforming its European peers at midday Tuesday, after market sentiment got a boost from UK employment data, which has raised the chances of a Bank of England interest rate cut.A red-hot US consumer price rise could undo all of that progress, however. According to FXStreet cited consensus, the US annual consumer price inflation rate is expected to have remained at 3.1% in Febru

London?s FTSE 100 had another tricky day on Wednesday, as it continues to struggle to find its groove in 2024, though trade was more confident in New York.There was M&A activity in the housing sector on Wednesday, a strategic plan from grocer Sainsbury?s and a dividend hike from packaging company Smurfit Kappa.The FTSE 100 index lost 52.26 points, 0.7%, at 7,628.75. So far this year, the blue-chip

It may have started off as an acronym to describe the main emerging markets in the early noughties but Brazil, Russia, India and China have co-opted the term to create an alliance over the last decade or so bringing South Africa into the fold.This BRICS alliance just added new members to the fold in the form of Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.But looking at the perform

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREUK companies have delivered strong operational performance, dividend growth and record levels of buybacksInvestors remain wary on the UK market despite huge cash generationThere are tentative signs of sentiment improving as stability is restoredTo paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the demise of UK equity markets have been much exaggerated. Over 2023, UK companies have

Stocks in London ended the day in mixed fashion with blue-chips nursing modest losses and mid-caps ending in the green.A solid start to the day in the US helped, with the S&P hitting a 12-month high, as investors look ahead to CPI figures and the Federal Reserve?s interest rate decision on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index closed down 9.58 points, 0.1%, at 7,544.89. The FTSE 250 ended up 48.40 points,

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURECharles Luke, Investment Manager, Murray Income Trust PLCAt a time when investors can pick up a high income from bonds, the real value of a stock market portfolio is its ability to grow income and capital over time. This growth potential is particularly important when inflation is likely to be structurally higher, and preserving the real value of invested wealth is in

Equities surged in the wake of a cooler-than-expected US inflation reading, which for some all but ensures that the Federal Reserve's next interest rate move will be a cut.A hold by the US central bank next month is now completely priced in. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, there was a 15% chance of a hike a day ago, as investors digested hawkish comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell from last

The FTSE 100 outperformed at midday on Wednesday, enjoying a boost from utilities, though the wider market mood was downbeat amid nerves ahead of two key pieces of US inflation data.The FTSE 100 index was up 13.51 points, or 0.2%, at 7,641.72. Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 was down 74.52 points, or 0.4%, at 17,893.15, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.52 points, or 0.2%, at 696.57.The Cboe UK 100 was up

London's FTSE 100 traded higher on Wednesday afternoon, benefitting from a weaker pound, as the blue-chip index recovers some lost ground on the eve of the Jackson Hole central banking event.The pound fell markedly after a poor purchasing managers' index reading in the UK. Foreign exchange traders also sold the euro after similarly tepid data from the single currency area.Utility stocks were among

Stocks in London ended Wednesday higher, as a cooler than expected inflation reading took some heat of the Bank of England's next interest rate decision.'With UK inflation finally slowing down, the markets are now expecting greater restraint from the Bank of England. The BoE still has some way to go in the current hiking cycle but will probably be less aggressive than some had predicted before tod