Blue chip stocks in London and Paris were lower at midday Thursday, but up a notch in Frankfurt amid hopes of big investments from the incoming German government.The European Central Bank 'is expected to cut rates having been given a freer hand as inflationary pressures have eased,' AJ Bell's Russ Mould noted.The FTSE 100 index was down 82.84 points, 1.0%, at 8,673.00. The FTSE 250 was down 33.31

Nike (NKE:NYSE) $79.43Market cap: $117.5 billionPatient investors seeking a high-quality, progressive dividend-paying company with one of the globe's most iconic brands should buy Nike (NKE:NYSE), the lately-unloved sportswear giant trading at a discount to its own history with the shares down 20% over one year and 10% over five.Despite its recent struggles, Shares believes this is an opportune m

Three recent interventions by the Trump administration are having a major impact on financial markets.First, plans for a cryptocurrency strategic reserve were announced, helping to light a fire under Bitcoin and other digital assets.Those gains were soon erased however when, against hopes of a last-minute reprieve, 25% tariffs were introduced on Canada and Mexico along with a 10% levy on Chinese g

Just over five years ago the stock market began to react in earnest to news of the Covid pandemic.The sell-off was short and sharp, with a modest recovery from the lows in the spring followed by sharper gains in November 2020 after AstraZeneca (AZN) made a vaccine breakthrough.However, a large number of UK stocks are still trading below the levels they were at by the close of trading on 21 Februar

European indexes sank on Tuesday as fears of a full-blown trade war grew after increased tariffs were imposed against Canada, Mexico and China by the US.The FTSE 100 index ended down 112.31 points, 1.3%, at 8,759.00. The FTSE 250 slumped 431.79 points, 2.1%, at 19,950.50, and the AIM All-Share fell 14.93 points, 2.1%, at 686.87.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 1.6% at 875.00, the Cboe UK 250 declined 2.

Stock prices in Europe were in the red at Tuesday midday, with airline stocks hit badly in particular, as European countries intend to boost their militaries amid a US freeze on aid for Ukraine.'Investors were desperately hoping that Trump would delay tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China at the eleventh hour, yet the US president has stuck to his guns and brought them into power,' commented AJ Bell

Positive clinical trial resultsUS regulator accepts review for new indicationsAsthma affects 26m people in USGSK (GSK) announced positive results from a late-stage clinical trial to test the effectiveness and safety of depemokimab, an antibody used for treating patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.Twice yearly administration of depemokimab showed clinically meaningful and statist

London's FTSE 100 was outperforming its European peers around midday on Friday, sent higher by a series of positive earnings reports helping to temper nerves on potential US tariffs.The FTSE 100 index was up 26.71 points, 0.3%, at 8,782.92. The FTSE 250 was down 77.39 points, 0.4%, at 20,337.34, and the AIM All-Share was down 3.49 points, 0.5%, at 704.23.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 880.09, the

Forecast-beating Q4 results€1 billion buybackConfident of 'sustainable' EPS growth this yearHigh-flying International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) climbed 5% to 354p after the British Airways-owner reported forecast-beating fourth quarter earnings and announced a €1 billion share buyback.This bumper return of capital demonstrates management's confidence in the company's long-term prospect

London's FTSE 100 slipped on Friday morning as Trump's new tariff announcement hit sentiment, dragging Asian and European stocks lower.China hit back, threatening to take 'all necessary countermeasures'. The UK could be set for a 'great' trade agreement with the US, however, Trump suggested.Among individual stocks, IAG, Pearson and IMI were supported by buyback plans.The FTSE 100 index traded down

Stocks in London were mostly in the red at Thursday midday, as investors await US jobless data, while insurer Aviva rose as it increased its dividend.The FTSE 100 index was up 30.65 points, 0.4%, at 8,762.11. The FTSE 250 was down 160.11 points, 0.8%, at 20,435.79, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.54 points, 0.4%, at 708.96.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 877.53, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.9% at 17

Intertek (ITRK) £52.30Market cap: £8.5 billionApparently, prior to its ultimately unconsummated tie-up talks with SGS (SGSN:SWX), France's Bureau Veritas'(BVI:EPA) first choice was to look at UK-listed peer Intertek (ITRK). In our view investors should take heed of this signal from an industry player and snap up shares in the FTSE 100 constituent.Like its Swiss and French counterparts, Intertek

Struggling discounter B&M European Value Retail's (BME) stock plunged to a five-year low after the variety retailer delivered its latest profit downgrade (24 February) and announced chief executive Alex Russo would step down at the end of April.Profit warnings almost always put a dent in a company's stock price, but the sheer magnitude of B&M's value destruction over the past year and a bit is ala

Investors naturally put a lot of effort into identifying winning investments to stay ahead of the game, but less appreciated is the idea of steering clear of laggards.For fund investors this is where the Evelyn Partners Investment Management Spot the Dog biannual report comes in.The report's aim is to compare fund performance on an apples-to-apples basis against an appropriate benchmark to identif

The US market has naturally been the centre of attention for investors in recent years due to its strong returns, but the tide is turning. The best gains so far in 2025 have come from a region that's been royally unloved.Germany generated a 13.1% total return between 1 January and 14 February 2025, more than three times that of the S&P 500 (4.1%) or the Nasdaq (3.7%) in the US.Admittedly, that's a

Retailer reels in forecast 'beat'Growth accelerated in H2European losses reducedShares in Angling Direct (ANG:AIM) ticked up 3% to 40.5p after the fishing tackle and equipment retailer delivered a positive full-year trading update in the face of an uncertain consumer backdrop, which served to demonstrate the resilience of the angling sector and the micro cap company itself.Thanks to strong second

London's FTSE 100 closed in the green on Tuesday, though more subdued in the afternoon against its morning highs, as US stocks were shaken by weak consumer confidence data.The FTSE 100 index closed up 9.69 points, 0.1%, at 8,668.67. The FTSE 250 ended down 36.11 points, 0.2%, at 20,448.28, while the AIM All-Share closed down 2.82 points, 0.4%, at 708.06.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.1% at 867.14, the

Blue chip stocks were up a bit in London, Paris and Frankfurt at Tuesday midday, with banks and defence stocks in the UK enjoying a boost.The UK's aviation regulator has noted the 'benefits to consumers' of England's Gatwick airport expanding. The Civil Aviation Authority, CAA, made the comments as it announced support for the West Sussex airport's proposed new commitments over the next four years

Russo to retire at end of AprilEarnings guidance lowered againLike-for-like declines 'at the core' of challengesB&M European Value Retail's (BME) stock plunged 8% to a five-year low of 268p after the struggling discounter delivered another profit warning and announced that Alex Russo will retire as CEO at the end of April.Russo appears to have carried the can for the variety retailer's latest earn

Third-quarter revenue beat forecastsGains in cloud service and e-commerceShares are up 79% over the past yearShares in Alibaba (BABA:NYSE) gained over 8% to $135.97 in New York trading after China's biggest online retail platform reported its fastest pace of revenue growth in more than a year.The company reported better-than-anticipated revenue of $4.3 billion in cloud service and $13.8 billion in