London's stocks were mostly higher at Friday midday amid gloomy economic data which could boost expectations for interest rate cuts.The FTSE 100 index rose 52.48 points, 0.6%, at 8,201.52. The FTSE 250 climbed 170.72 points, 0.8%, at 20,520.41, and the AIM All-Share gained 4.33 points, 0.6%, at 730.07.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 824.79, the Cboe UK 250 was up 1.1% at 17,998.02, and the Cboe Sma

SDI (SDI:AIM) 58pMarket cap: £60.6 millionThe past couple of years have seen many a growth grenade tossed at SDI (SDI:AIM) yet the company has stuck to its largely successful knitting and we expect its fortunes to significantly improve through 2025. A casual glance at the share price chart might put a quick end to investors' research into this small cap business, but that's a mistake, in our view

Stamp duty changes announced in the Budget mean that from April 2025 buyers will face higher costs when buying a home ? with first-time buyers hit the hardest.The ending of a temporary stamp duty cut means that the tax will rise next year. This measure, originally introduced by former prime minister Liz Truss to boost the housing market, will end on 31 March 2025. The most significant impact will

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

Stock prices in Europe were generally lower on Friday morning, after optimism from rate cuts in the US and UK wore off, as China unveiled a huge support package under which it will raise the local government debt ceiling.China's top lawmakers have approved a proposal to increase the debt ceiling for local governments by $840 billion, state media said as a key meeting wrapped up in Beijing.Meanwhil

Fresh bid spurned by ChalliceChallice has 'no interest' in sellingMulberry board considering its positionStruggling luxury handbag maker Mulberry (MUL:AIM) is weighing up a sweetened £111 million bid from Frasers (FRAS), although its majority owner is standing in the way of a takeover by refusing to sell its shares to the Mike Ashley-controlled conglomerate.Mulberry's biggest shareholder with a 5

European stocks lacked direction on Friday morning after US consumer price inflation came in hotter-than-expected, while the pound picked up after the UK economy registered August growth.The FTSE 100 index traded up just 3.89 points at 8,241.62. The FTSE 250 added 21.78 points, 0.1%, at 20,730.15, and the AIM All-Share down just 0.03 of a point at 734.50.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 825.80, the

Over the long haul, small-caps have historically outperformed large caps, fuelling the research highlighting the so-called 'small-cap effect' ? the idea that smaller companies offer higher risk-adjusted returns than larger ones. Unfortunately, the higher interest rate environment of recent years has proved tough for the stock market's small fry, who've spent more than a decade lagging more sizeabl

London's FTSE 100 ended lower, while the pound struggled after hawkish comments from a Bank of England policymaker were outweighed by a blockbuster US jobs report, which boosted the odds of a smaller 25 basis point cut at the next Federal Reserve meeting.'The September employment report was much stronger than expected, with job growth blowing past expectations, the unemployment rate declining and

Stock prices in London were mixed on Thursday morning after Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey hinted at a more aggressive path for interest rate cuts, while also showing concern over the situation in the Middle East.Escalating tensions between Iran, Israel and militant Lebanese group Hezbollah continue to affect commodity prices.In an interview with the Guardian, Bailey said he was watching d

Prime minister Keir Starmer and chancellor Rachel Reeves have made no bones about making 'painful' decisions in order to stabilise public finances and grow the economy, so investors are right to be nervous over what might be included in the Labour party's first Budget since 2009 at the end of this month.Top of the list of investor concerns is that rather than raising income tax, national insurance

Latest 'unsolicited' offer spurnedTI Fluid Systems confident in standalone prospectsABC 'remains interested' in a dealTI Fluid Systems' (TIFS) shares motored 14% higher to 166.4p on news the automotive fluid storage and delivery specialist has become the latest down-on-its-luck UK company to receive a bid approach.In fact, Oxford-headquartered TI Fluid Systems has rejected two takeover offers from

Stock prices in London rose on Thursday afternoon ahead of the European Central Bank's decision, after New York trade overnight was boosted by tech shares.The FTSE 100 index climbed 63.71 points, 0.8%, at 8,257.65. The FTSE 250 was up 233.47 points, 1.1%, at 20,770.72, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.91 points, 0.4%, at 741.00.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.8% at 826.13, the Cboe UK 250 rose 1.0% to 18,266

European markets were slightly higher during midday trade on Wednesday, as investors braced for a key US inflation reading.The FTSE 100 index edged up 5.21 points, 0.1%, at 8,211.19. The FTSE 250 was up just 10.14 points at 20,666.28, and the AIM All-Share was down 3.93 points, 0.5%, at 739.93.The Cboe UK 100 was flat at 821.80, the Cboe UK 250 up 0.2% to 18,227.15, but the Cboe Small Companies wa

Stocks in London drifted into the red on Monday, on what was a quieter day for global equity markets given the US public holiday.The FTSE 100 index closed down 12.79 points, 0.2%, at 8,363.84. The FTSE 250 ended down 106.03 points, 0.5%, at 20,980.51, and the AIM All-Share closed down 5.61 points, 0.7%, at 766.90.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1% at 836.73, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 0.4% at 18,493

It's now three years since the cost of living crisis began to grip the nation. In August 2021, CPI inflation jumped to 3.2%, up from 2% in July of that year. It then climbed all the way up to a peak of 11.1% in October 2022 before gradually, and painfully, falling back to current levels.Consumers are undoubtedly still finding things hard after such a big price shock, but the worst now looks firmly

Stocks in Europe were mixed on Wednesday morning as investors await results from tech titan Nvidia, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer heads to Berlin for talks.The FTSE 100 index opened up 2.19 points, or 0.1%, at 8,347.65. The FTSE 250 was down 4.36 points at 21,157.71, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.67 points, or 0.3%, at 776.51.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 835.07, the Cboe UK 250 was dow

Stocks in London ended the week higher on Friday, while unambiguously dovish remarks from US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell propelled the pound to a 29-month high against the dollar.'The time has come for policy to adjust. The direction of travel is clear, and the timing and pace of rate cuts will depend on incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks,' Powell said in a speec

Regular readers of this column will be well aware of its faith in the Philadelphia Semiconductor index, or SOX, as a valuable indicator to follow and after the summer stock market stumble the 30-stock benchmark is well and truly in the headlines. At its early-August low, the SOX had lost 25% of its value in just a month. It has since rebounded by a sixth. Given the SOX's importance as both a guide

On 1 August the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee made a 5-4 decision to kickstart its rate-cutting cycle. A 25 basis point reduction in the base rate to 5% marking The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street's first cut since March 2020.This means cash savings rates are heading in one direction, down. And the lower-than-expected jump in UK inflation reported on 14 August only boosted market exp