UK water firms had their gains pulled back by Friday's close following yesterday's Ofwat induced bump, as Trump threatened the EU with tariff's if it failed to address its trading deficit.The FTSE 100 index closed down 12.67 points, 0.2%, at 8,092.65. The FTSE 250 ended up 31.24 points, 0.2%, at 20,430.62, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.1, or 0.73 of a point, at 711.05.The Cboe UK 100 ended d

UK stocks were down at midday in London on Friday as concerns about the state of the economy persisted off the back of sluggish retail sales figures.In Europe, pharmaceuticals heavyweight Novo Nordisk plummeted 18% in Copenhagen after disappointing data for its weight loss drug CagriSema.The product is seen as a rival to Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound obesity treatments. In premarket trading in

UK equities suffered on US exposure as they closed lower on Thursday amid the Bank of England holding interest rates, but warning of 'heightened uncertainty'.UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pleaded for patience over his drive to improve living standards, warning it 'will take some time' for people to feel the benefits.Starmer hopes changes to planning rules, reforms to regulations and the use of te

17% premium to undisturbed share priceIntelligent Ultrasound has struggled to growSimulation Business is 'particularly attractive'Yet another unloved UK company has agreed to a takeover by an overseas buyer, further deleting the ranks of firms listed on the London stock market.The latest name to throw in the towel is Intelligent Ultrasound (IUG:AIM), an ultrasound AI software and simulation minnow

Stocks in London opened lower on Thursday morning following the US Federal Reserve's rate cut yesterday, as investors prepare for the Bank of England's decision this afternoon.The Fed announced another 25 basis point cut as expected, but hinted that that it will be slowing down next year in contrast with its 'jumbo' 50bp cut in September.'The market reaction was very aggressive, of course,' said S

I am 67 and currently have a SIPP worth approximately £500,000. Because the favourable IHT regime is now ending I am now considering whether to reduce the amount in my SIPP and look at alternatives.My understanding is that I can take 25% tax free from my SIPP at any point and then the remaining pot is taxed on withdrawal at marginal rates. We do not need the cash immediately as we have other reso

Let's not beat around the bush, January is an awful month. You've just spent a packet on Christmas, your favourite clothes are inexplicably tight, and your efforts to work off a little holiday weight in the gym are hampered by everyone else trying to do exactly the same thing.It's against this backdrop of seasonal wretchedness that HMRC stations its deadline for filling in a tax return, just in ca

Few doubt that 2025 will be another huge year for AI, but when looking for interesting investment opportunities, investors can sometimes allow details to obscure the bigger picture. In our view, Alphabet (GOOG:NASDAQ) remains an outstanding growth business with strong AI levers to pull, currently trading a large discount to other 'Magnificent Seven' stocks.This valuation gap will, we believe, narr

Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and calls from incoming US president Donald Trump for NATO members to increase defence spending as a percentage of national income will continue to provide a tailwind for the defence sector.AIM-quoted Cohort (CHRT:AIM) is well positioned to benefit from an increase in defence spending and at the first-half results on 11 December, the group disclosed

Pubs group JD Wetherspoon's (JDW) value credentials continue to shine through. According to fund manager Anna Farmbrough at Ninety One the company has doubled its average price advantage over competitors to 40% since the pandemic.Farmbrough notes that a few years ago there were three pubs in her local area while today there is just a single Wetherspoons, demonstrating its ability to benefit as con

Specialty recruitment firm SThree (STEM), which focuses on filling roles in science, technology, engineering and mathematics settings, posted a downbeat trading statement for the 12 months to November and drastically cut its forecast for earnings for the current year.The shares, which were previously down just 11% for the year, slumped as much as 39% intraday before recovering and now stand 34% be

Anyone who has walked past a building site in the UK recently might well have seen Kier (KIE) branding on it. This infrastructure and construction services outfit is actively at work on more than 400 developments across the UK. Having emerged from a difficult period with much stronger foundations, this improvement is not yet reflected in its current valuation, but we think that will change through

After what has been a poor year for UK listings, the London Stock Exchange could afford to celebrate this week with the float of French media group Canal+ (CAN) which debuted with a market value of around £2.5 billion.Although the shares were listed in London, and at that value would normally be eligible for inclusion in the FTSE 250 mid-cap index, they are excluded as the company is still French

Stocks in Europe were mostly higher at midday Wednesday, with UK inflation reaching an eight-month high but not forcing 'shares in interest rate-sensitive sectors' to retreat.In UK and European news, the UK consumer prices index rose by 2.6% in the year to November, picking up pace from a 2.3% rise in year to October and in line with FXStreet-cited market consensus. The closely watched CPI service

Pre-tax profit jumps over 50%Firm cites higher-margin ordersOutstanding long-term returnsPrecision engineering firm Goodwin (GDWN) was the standout performer by a country mile on a grey day for the UK market, posting a strong increase in six-month earnings and orders.The shares, which were up 12% year-to-date head of today's report, jumped as much as £12.40 or 18% to £80 before settling up £7.7

Stock prices in London closed lower on Monday, as Canal+ shares slumped on their first day of London trading and Entain fell as it faces an Australian investigation.The FTSE 100 index closed down 38.28 points, 0.5%, at 8,262.05. The FTSE 250 ended 76.12 points lower, 0.4%, at 20,813.03, and the AIM All-Share gave back 3.87 points, 0.5%, at 729.49.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.5% at 828.87, the Cboe

European stocks were down at midday in London, as new economic data from China showed continued sluggish domestic consumption.China's retail sales growth weakened last month, official data showed on Monday, missing forecasts as demand remains muted in the world's number two economy. Retail sales expanded 3% year-on-year in November, the National Bureau of Statistics said, slowing from a 4.8% rise

Shares down 55% over five yearsBoard lacks 'sense of urgency'Shareholder requests boardroom refreshMarked down 55% over the past five years, Johnson Matthey's (JMAT) unloved shares jumped 5% to £14.20 after Standard Investments called for a strategic review which could include the sale of 'part or all' of the challenged specialty chemicals company.The FTSE 250 firm's largest shareholder with an 1

Stock prices in Europe were mostly lower on Monday morning, as UK consumer confidence deteriorated while France's credit rating received a downgrade from Moody's.China's retail sales growth weakened last month, missing forecasts as demand remains muted in the world's number two economy.Retail sales expanded 3% year-on-year in November, the National Bureau of Statistics said, slowing from a 4.8% ri

UK indices were down at Friday's close as Resolute Mining announced a temporary change in its senior management, with Chief Executive Terry Holohan taking a leave of absence.In UK news, ministers will be given new powers to drive forward clean power energy projects as part of a major action plan to reach 95% clean energy in the UK by 2030.Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Miliband confirmed that minister