Are you looking for the next big thing? Rather than risk all your money on a single stock, intellectual property investor IP Group (IPO) will give you exposure to a portfolio of promising companies, each with a bright idea and the potential to make big money in the future.Not everything will be a success in its portfolio, but it only needs a handful of winners each year to make shareholders...

In the same way investors can make a mint by backing a mythical '10-bagger' early doors, fund fanatics can make big gains by catching an investment trust on the way up, before it begins its rise through the market capitalisation ranks and potentially even joins the likes of Scottish Mortgage (SMT), 3i (III) or Pershing Square Holdings (PSH) in the FTSE 100.We can never know with certitude...

A busy week for economic data gets off to a positive start in the UK with markets on the front foot as investors embraced the government's first moves to ease pandemic lockdown measures.Both the benchmark FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 mid cap indexes made early gains on Monday despite the absence of major corporate news, rising around 1% apiece to 5,994.32 and 16,414.81, outstripping gains on major...

Markets worldwide start the week with strong gains as the re-election of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prompts expectations of further stimulus in the world's third-largest economy.Blue chip shares in London hit an 11-month high, adding 0.4% to 6,617, alongside similar gains across the rest of Europe.Stronger-than-anticipated US job numbers late on Friday and the Japan election result...

The FTSE 100 index starts trading on Friday in positive territory after Bank of England governor Mark Carney hinted at a potential cut to already low interest rates in response to the 'Leave' referendum result. The hope is that such a move will embolden confidence, both for investors and consumers, and play some part in the UK economy avoiding plunging into recession.The blue-chip index nudges...

The rise in the number of children living with type-2 diabetes is an indicator of increasing demand for healthcare across the board. The lifestyle-related illness now affects 533 under 17-year-olds in England and Wales, up from 500 a year ago, the Local Government Association says.This might seem an insignificant number in a population of 56 million people but the issue is not the volume of...

UK stocks fall back in early trade on Wednesday after Chinese manufacturing failed to impress and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) issued a warning on the global economy.That drags on the FTSE 100 index, plunging UK blue-chips 40 points lower, a rough 0.65% decline, to 6,189. Micaps and smaller company indexes are also firmly on the backfoot, as are all major...

Property and tech stocks lead the FTSE 100 in a choppy early session which sees the blue chip index swing from early losses to a 0.2% gain at 6,168 on solid economic data.Germany's Purchasing Manager Index data, a measure of private sector business activity, comes in better than expected, registering a 54.7 print for May versus 53.6 a month earlier.In the UK, corporate and economic news is...

UK shares crash on Wednesday as as both blue chips and mid caps plumb fresh lows, stricken by diving miners and financial stocks. Crude oil prices are again on the back foot as traders factor Iran exports into an already over-supplied market. The International Energy Agency says Iran's anticipated output of 600,000 barrels a day could see the market 'drown in oversupply' of crude oil in 2016,...

Investors flock to Berkeley (BKG) as it reveals plans to pay even greater dividends to shareholders than previously targeted, sending the share price up 7% to £35.88. The housebuilder says it will pay £16.34 per share by 2021, up from the £13.00 goal made in 2011. The company has already dished out £4.34 in dividends to investors under this cash returns scheme.In contrast to Berkeley's...

UK stocks modestly extend gains in early trade on Monday, once again nudging towards record highs. Having surged 160-odd points on Friday in the wake of the Conservative's shock election victory, the FTSE 100 today edges another 20 points up to 7,067.Royal Mail (RMG) leads the blue chips up with a 2% gain to 488.55p, while accounting IT supplier Sage (SGE) closely follows, 1.8% higher at...

London shares shake-off early gains to slump badly despite market hopes of a boost from economic policy in China. The benchmark FTSE 100 index tumbles 55 points, or roughly 0.47%, to 7,051 as fears spread across the market about the UK's economic health after weaker than expected GDP growth of just 0.3% in the first quarter. Economists had been anticipating 0.5% growth.In corporate news,...

UK shares surge higher in early trade ion Tuesday with investors chasing to catch-up after the four-day weekend. In earky deals the benchmark FTSE 1900 index is around 80 points, or 1.1%, at 6,912, while midcaps put in an almost equally strong showing, the FTSE 250 rallying 166 points to 17,434.Resources stock lead the way. Mining giant Rio Tinto (RIO) rises 1.7% to £27.98 after completing a...

London shares are mildly weaker in early trade on Friday, pulling back from Thursday's all-time closing high of 6,961.14. The FTSE 100 index nudges 11 points lower, about 1.7%, to 6,948, as investors take stock after a busy week of corporate and economic news. Midcaps buck the drifting trend, the FTSE 250 edging close on 33 points higher to 17,343 aided by strong rallies in selected...

Investors were confronted by renewed volatility this autumn reflected in the performance of the UK's headline index. Nudging year highs above 6,900 in early September the FTSE 100 collapsed to less than 6,200 in mid-October as worries about global economic growth dominated the agenda before recovering to the 6,600 mark as sentiment improved.The good news is there are two main ways of profiting...

Using animal tissue to replace warn-out or damaged body parts and cannabis to tackle cancer are some of the innovations biotechs are developing to meet growing global demand for new and improved healthcare treatments. Indeed, rising longevity in the West will create longer queues in doctors' surgeries for some years to come, while larger pay packets mean those in the emerging markets can now...

London market recover their air of optimism in morning trade Wednesday, the benchmark FTSE 100 rising 43 points to 6,445 but attention will quickly turn to the US. Investors are likely to focus on the US Federal Open Market Committee's statement tonight, and whether it will extend quantitative easing or end it this month as planned.Miners stud the blue-chip leader board, headed by Randgold...

By number the UK's quoted Health Care industry is dominated by small and mid-sized companies working to create the next wonder drug or invent a technology that will improve peoples' lives. However these businesses aren't purely motivated by the desire to help the sick and instead are chasing the huge financial rewards that can be made when a blockbuster product receives the regulator's stamp...

Academic publisher Pearson (PSON) rises 3.5% to £11.39 on better-than-expected interims. Restructuring benefits are beginning to flow through and the North American operations are showing encouraging underlying growth.Part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) jumps 12.4% to 369.8p on pre-tax profits doubling to £2.6 billion in the first half of the year. Shares examines the...

Investors smile on pure-play online fashion retailer Boohoo.com (BOO:AIM), which rebounds 5.4% to 48.5p following recent negative ASOS (ASC:AIM) read-across. The market likes better-than-expected maiden full-year results. Growth accelerated through the first quarter to May following an increase in marketing spend and there's also an upbeat outlook statement.English luxury brand Mulberry...