Retail and hospitality companies have slammed the UK government's Budget as a raid on corporate coffers that will heap extra costs on already hard-pressed sectors, with Labour's 6.7% increase in the National Living Wage and uplift in employers' national insurance contributions (NICs) forecast to lead to job cuts and price hikes.Chancellor Rachel Reeves' lowering of the employers' NIC threshold to

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

If you've been tuned out of the political narrative over the summer, you might not have heard the government is facing a £22 billion black hole in its finances and a 'painful' Budget lies ahead. Then again, if you've got a smart phone, you're probably up to speed.There is plenty of speculation flying around about the taxes Labour are going to hike, especially after Keir Starmer said the heaviest

It's said there are only two certainties in life ? death and taxes ? and as it stands the world is steadily getting older, with not enough births or young people coming through to offset the increasing ranks of the middle-aged and old-aged.Moreover, according to the United Nations' latest World Populations Prospects study which came out earlier this year, the global population is likely to peak th

Stocks in London ended in the red on Wednesday, as the market eagerly awaited the earnings from chipmaker and AI-play Nvidia.The FTSE 100 index ended down just 1.61 points at 8,343.85. The FTSE 250 declined 95.20 points, or 0.5%, at 21,066.87, and the AIM All-Share closed down 8.88 points, or 1.1%, at 770.30.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1% at 834.14, the Cboe UK 250 fell 0.4% at 18,566.65, and the

Annual profits power 13.1% higherStand-out showing from Sports Direct'Strong' profit increase expected in FY25Frasers' (FRAS) topped the FTSE 100 leader board on Thursday 18 July, surging 9.5% higher to 899p after the retail giant delivered annual profits at the top end of guidance, driven by Sports Direct, and expressed confidence in delivering 'another strong increase' in profits this year.Contr

European stock prices were in the red on Tuesday afternoon, as the political deadlock in France continued following the election.Amongst individual stocks, BP took a hit on the FTSE 100 index after warning of a hit to refining margins.The FTSE 100 index was down 6.21 points, 0.1%, at 8,187.28. The FTSE 250 was down 15.55 points, 0.1%, at 20,782.77, and the AIM All-Share was down just 0.070 of a po

Equities in London made a slow start on Thursday, but peers in Europe traded more confidently, with market focus on upcoming US data and political developments either side of the English Channel, and across the Atlantic.In London, a US blow for GSK hurt its shares. Miners also struggled in early dealings. Elsewhere, there was a guidance boost for outsourcer Serco, Watches of Switzerland reported i

The UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament is likely to be one of the most-watched events of the year, on a par with the Olympic Games later this summer.According to broadcaster ITV (ITV), more than 10 million viewers tuned in to watch the opening match between Scotland and Germany, the highest peak audience of any opening to a major football tournament in a decade.The BBC reported the England vs Serb

CEO's $56 billion package biggest in corporate historyHuge backing thought to have come from army of small investorsStock has put up yearly returns of 66.5% since 2019Corporate pay packets can be a tetchy topic with investors but not those backing Tesla (TSLA:NASDAQ). Thousands of shareholders voted to back Elon Musk's enormous $56 billion compensation deal, the biggest in corporate history.This w

Analysts widely see chip firm beating and raisingYear-on-year net income set for $11 billion surgeWill have massive implications right across major marketsJust as Glastonbury go'ers might love a bit of Paul Heaton, Paloma Faith and Sza, it's Coldplay and Dua Lipa that will headline the Pyramid stage this summer. So far, the first quarter earnings support acts have been good, now for the main event

Kainos (KNOS) £10.16Market cap: £1.28 billionWe believe that market sentiment towards Kainos (KNOS) is on the cusp of a reversal, and that creates a buying opportunity for investors. Shares in the Belfast-based digital services expert are now trading at a 30% discount to 12-month highs and are barely half all-time peaks of more than £20.This is largely because of what analysts have called a cyc

Stock prices in London closed up on Friday, but investors remained tentative as Israel carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran.The FTSE 100 index closed up 18.80 points, or 0.2%, at 7,895.85. The FTSE 250 ended down 59.37 points, 0.3%, at 19,391.30, and the AIM All-Share closed up 0.38 of a point, 0.1%, at 745.67.Across the week, they were down 1.3%, 1.7% and 1.4% respectively.The Cboe UK 100 ende

First half revenue up 8%Strong pipeline of new centresGood progress in CanadaThe UK and Canada?s largest tenpin bowling group Hollywood Bowl (BOWL) said first half revenue increased 8% to a record £119.2 million as UK revenue tipped over £100 million for the first time.The shares dipped 1.3% to 331p in a tough session with the mid-cap FTSE 250 index in the red to the tune of 1.5% after a sell-of

At the centre of the current boom in generative AI (artificial intelligence) is chip maker Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ).It designs some of the fastest computer chips in the world which are needed to run data hungry LLMs (large language models) capable of understanding natural language.Readers may be familiar with Nvidia's historical link to the gaming industry, but less familiar with the US giant's connec

Earnings per share top forecastsSeafood business back on trackGroup looking at growth optionsShares in FTSE 250 fresh goods packaging firm Hilton Food (HFG) climbed 2.1% to a new year-high of 872p in early trading after the firm posted better-than-expected earnings and increased its dividend.Chief executive Steve Murrells hailed the company?s ?good performance against a challenging market? and sai

Sales and profit guidance 15% and 25% below consensusContinued weakness in AsiaMarket share gains amid challenging marketGlobal music and audio products group Focusrite (TUNE:AIM) has downgraded 2024 full year sales and profit expectations following a continuation of the ?challenging? market conditions highlighted at its annual general meeting in January.Investors were in unforgiving mood, marking

Stock prices opened mixed on Monday, with the FTSE 250?s landscaping products company Marshalls plunging amid a profit dive, as investors prepare for a week full of interest rate decisions.The FTSE 100 index opened up 3.59 points at 7,731.01. The FTSE 250 was down 39.45 points, 0.2%, at 19,473.46, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.29 points, 0.3%, at 736.02.The Cboe UK 100 was up slightly at 774.01

Stock prices in London declined on Tuesday morning, with trading remaining muted following a public holiday in the US on Monday, though banking stocks were a bright spot for the FTSE 100.The FTSE 100 index opened down 7.57 points, 0.1%, at 7,720.93. The FTSE 250 was down 51.49 points, 0.3%, at 19,165.41, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.89 points, 0.3%, at 754.44.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 7