Stock prices in blue chip indices in London, Paris and Frankfurt were in the red on Tuesday morning, as traders digest an increasing likelihood that incoming US president Donald Trump will enact punitive tariffs and a very hawkish stance on China.'The latest moves from Trump's camp, especially with China hawks joining his inner circle, are sending chills through the markets and casting a decidedly

Stocks closed higher in London on Monday, with the FTSE 100 snapping out of a four-day losing streak following a boost from UK high street banks.The FTSE 100 index rose 52.80 points, 0.7%, at 8,125.19. The FTSE 250 closed up 203.57 points, 1.0%, at 20,721.49. The AIM All-Share gained 3.57 points, 0.5%, at 737.93.The Cboe UK 100 rose 0.7% at 815.50, the Cboe UK 250 advanced 1.1% at 18,160.09 but th

Equities in London ended lower on Friday, with miners and other China-exposed stocks hurting the FTSE 100, though a reassuring update from the British Airways parent lifted travel shares.Broker cuts hurt Greggs and Mitchells & Butler, while investors fretted for Vistry again after the housebuilder warned on profit.The FTSE 100 index fell 68.35 points, 0.8%, at 8,072.39, fading 1.3% this week. The

Frasers stake is a 'conflict of interest'Board representation calls rejectedKamani has 'no intention' of making offerStruggling online fashion group Boohoo (BOO:AIM) has accused Mike Ashley's Frasers (FRAS) of using its stake in the Debenhams-to-Karen Millen owner and other retailers to promote its own 'commercial self-interest'.The defiant comments came as Boohoo hit back at Frasers' demands for

Consolidation is a growing theme across the investment trust sector against a backdrop of stubbornly-wide NAV (net asset value) discounts and increasing pressure on sub-scale funds.2024 is already a record year for M&A (mergers and acquisitions) in a sector which has just seen the eleventh such deal announced, the value-oriented Invesco Asia Trust (IAT) planning to combine with Asia Dragon Trust (

Recent changes to the UK's listing rules should lead to a host of new names joining the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices in the new year, generating more interest in the UK stock market and putting more companies on the radar of investors.This matters to investors whether they own UK stocks directly, have exposure via actively-managed funds or simply track certain parts of the market through an excha

Gold has had a great year. Spot prices hit another all-time high (30 October) of $2,781 per ounce, based on Bloomberg data, chalking up 35% gains so far in 2024, having broken through the $2,600 level in September for the very first time.That trumps global equities, based on the FTSE World Index's 18% returns, and even high-flying tech firms have struggled to keep pace, based on the 27% year-to-da

It is generally thought that owning shares in conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B:NYSE) is equivalent to holding a microcosm of the US economy, given the broad reach of its investments, from insurance to utilities and railroads.That notion is becoming more nuanced following the revelation by chair Warren Buffett on 2 November that the Omaha Nebraska-based company sold $36 billion of its share p

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced an astonishing £40 billion of tax rises in her maiden budget, and yet, despite that, there will be relief in some quarters that things didn't turn out worse.Capital gains tax is one of the areas where the Reeves' raid was not as bad as feared, as there had been speculation she would bring capital gains tax rates into line with income tax, with the top rate risin

There was a certain degree of investor bemusement last month when shares in US electricity generation company Constellation Energy (CEG:NASDAQ) soared on news technology giant Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ) had signed a 20-year power purchase agreement.This was no ordinary deal, however, as it paves the way for the restart of Three Mile Island 1 ? not the reactor which famously melted down in 1979, but a

I can't be the only person who walks down the aisle of a local convenience-style supermarket and finds their jaw dropping at some of the prices.For anyone without a car and/or uncomfortable with buying online, and therefore reliant on these outlets for their weekly grocery shop rather than just picking up bits and pieces, the extra cost is significant. Consumer group Which? reckons you're talking

Palantir reports blowout third quarter and ups guidanceStock jumps 13% premarketPE valuation hits triple digitsUS hot stock Palantir Technologies (PLTR:NYSE) continued its unrelenting rally after blowout third quarter earnings as the data analytics company continues to ride the AI (artificial intelligence) wave.Racking up new business wins and raising full year guidance, Palantir stock jumped more

Investors in fantasy and fiction publisher Bloomsbury (BMY) are living in a dream world at the moment as the group continues to book double-digit annual growth in both sales and earnings and raise its outlook, sending its shares to a record high of 758p.For the first half to the end of August, revenue grew 32% to a record £180 million and profit leapt 50% to £26.6 million, partly due to the incl

As it stands, there are only two months left of 2024 and yet, for investors, the next few weeks could be some of the most consequential of the year.We provide a snapshot of the Budget and the market response to it in our News section this week but you can expect further analysis of the fall-out on our website and in next week's issue too.Also check our site for coverage of the latest Magnificent S

Equity markets are buoyant, fixed income markets seem more nervous judging by the way yields are rising (at least for government-issued in the developed West), and commodity prices continue to march to their own beat, with gold and silver surging, industrial metals largely flat and oil and gas remaining subdued.The relative calm pervading hydrocarbon prices is in many ways surprising, given the on

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.

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

Stocks in London ended Tuesday in the red, weighed down by some pre-budget uncertainty, while indices on Wall Street were mixed following US economic data, ahead of earnings from Alphabet.The FTSE 100 index closed down 66.01 points, or 0.8%, at 8,219.61. The FTSE 250 ended down 212.31 points, or 1.0%, at 20,622.79, and the AIM All-Share closed down 5.31 points, or 0.7%, at 715.79.The Cboe UK 100 e

Blue chips in London made a solid start to trading on Tuesday, reflecting gains elsewhere in Europe, boosted by well received updates from HSBC and Pearson. The FTSE 100 index opened up 23.39 points, 0.3%, at 8,309.01. The FTSE 250 was down 70.22 points, 0.3%, at 20,764.88, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.96 of a point, 0.1%, at 720.14.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 832.16, the Cboe UK 250 fell 0