Smaller companies are often at the sharp end of positive and negative trends in the market and wider economy.A spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation can help small caps be at the forefront of change. At the same time more modest balance sheets and less diversified revenue can leave them exposed if the backdrop turns against them.In this article we look at some of the key themes which have...

On a curtailed trading day ahead of the Christmas break the FTSE 100 is losing some of the momentum which pushed it to a record high yesterday. A (marginal) victory for the separatist faction in Catalonian elections helping to give investors pause for thought and seeing the index dip just below the 7,600 mark.US-focused plumbing and heating products business Ferguson (FERG) continues to enjoy...

The FTSE 100 takes its cue from Friday's strong session on Wall Street as US lawmakers move closer to passing legislation which would cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. In early trading the index is up 0.55% at 7,531.88.Trading platforms CMC Markets (CMCX) and IG (IGG) fall 14.9% to 142.75p and 10.3% to 657.5p respectively after the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)...

Shares is coming to ScotlandWe've just confirmed the line-up for the next Shares investor evening to be held in Scotland. Appearing on stage on 5 October 2016 at the Edinburgh Radisson Blu Hotel will be financial services giant Aberdeen Asset Management (ADN), gold miners Caledonia Mining (CMCL:AIM) and Scotgold Resources (SGZ:AIM), oil and gas specialists Solo Oil (SOLO:AIM) and Sound Energy...

A rebound in financial stocks helps push shares in London's blue chip index almost 1.4% higher to 6,552.Lloyds Banking(LLOY) rises 3.7% to 49.3p, while Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) trades 3.6% higher to 154.4p as investors take advantage of the recent sell off in the sector. Life insurer Prudential (PRU) improves 3.1% to £11.88.Overnight gains in Hong Kong, China, India and Australia also...

London shares are firmly lower out of the blocks on Friday as falls among airlines, financials and house builders outpaced muted gains by big-ticket miners. Crude hit 2016 peaks as traders embraced a soft US dollar over concerns about the continuing glut.The FTSE 100 index slumps 46 points, or about 0.7%, to 6,277.Part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) falls 2.1% to 239.5p after...

London shares nudge modestly higher in early trade on Monday in a week shortened by the upcoming Easter break. Miners are the main drain on progress nut a mixed bag of pharma and supermarket stocks provide enough upward momentum to lift the FTSE 100 index around 13 point higher, or 0.2%, to 6,202.Gas meter installer and operator Smart Metering Systems (SMS:AIM) gains 2.3% to 400p as full-year...

London shares make modest gains in early trade on Tuesday as traders sniff out value buys after yesterday's sell-off. It remains unclear whether the positive bias will continue through to the close. Wall Street fell overnight, as did Japan.The benchmark FTSE 100 index rises around 25 points, or 0.45%, to 5,714,although midcaps continue to struggle, the FTSE midcap 250 index down 43 points at...

FTSE indices raced higher in early deals on Wednesday after positive sessions on Wall Street overnight and Asia this morning, while key European bourses leap. Blue-chip financials, leisure and retail stocks are enjoying heady gains. Shortly after the open, FTSE 100 is up 50-odd points, or 0.85%, at 6,190, while midcaps make similar gains. But Small cap stocks fail to match the progress of...

London investors start Tuesday largely sitting on their hands with a raft of US technology majors set tp report results after the close of trading, while traders also remain wary ahead of the release of tomorrow's MPC minutes and a barrage of economic data scheduled for release at the end of the week.US tech giants Apple (AAPL:NDQ), Microsoft (MSFT:NDQ) and Yahoo (YHOO:NDQ) are all set to post...

London shares make positive moves higher in early trade on Thursday as investors begin to put Greece debt deal talk behind them and focus on future corporate earnings. The benchmark FTSE 100 index rises 36 points, or about 0.54%, to 6,790, gains broadly matched by the midcap FTSE 250 and the wider FTSE All-Share.Investors remain sanguine over a possible enforced break-up of UK telecoms giant...

UK stocks make a feeble attempt at a rally in early trade on Wednesday after Tuesday's sharp sell-off, with little in the way of economic or corporate news to inspire interest. The FTSE 100 climbs 37 points, or 0.5%, higher but remains below the 7,000 mark at 6,985.Major banks open higher after yesterday's significant falls, although gains are little to write home about, Royal Bank of Scotland...

Mining and energy companies have helped lift the FTSE 100 by 20.25 points, or 0.27%, to 6,981 in early trading.BP (BP.) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) benefited from a rising oil price on the back of conflict in the Middle East rising 0.3% and 0.6%, respectively. Meanwhile, silver miner Fresnillo (FRES) gaining 3.7% to 780.2p on a positive update.There was some bad news with diversified miner...

UK shares nudge lower in early trade on Thursday with a quiet session anticipated on the macro economic front, while corporate earnings announcements remain mixed. Several blue-chip stocks going ex-dividend also drags on the London market. The FTSE 100 is trading down around 20 points, or 0.3%, at 6,928 early on, although midcaps buck the weak blue-chip trend, edging a fraction up to 17,863.On...

The UK's index of its largest shares opens 1% lower as voting in a 'too close to call' general election gets underway. The FTSE 100 falls 69.14 points to 6,872 as uncertainty hits investors by the country heads to the voting booths.The index hasn't been helped by more disappointing news from Bradford-based grocer Morrisons (MRW), which is marked down 6.6% to 176.9p on a mellow first quarter...

Healthcare has been one of the most talked-about sectors over the past year, making investors lots of money. While most people would gravitate towards the large drug sellers like GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and AstraZeneca (AZN), we see merit in trying to spot less well-known companies who are tapping into hot trends. In our opinion, personalised medicine is the place to start.The practice targets...

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) slips 1.6% to 396.5p on reportinga £3.5 billion pre-tax loss in 2014, albeit improvement on 2013 when it was £9 billion in the red. A writedown in its US business has been blamed for the bank's seventh successive annual loss, while CEO Ross McEwan confirms more jobs cuts are planned as its restructuring continues.The market gives a muted response to in-line...

The index of the UK's leading shares drifted 11.2 points or 0.16% in early trading, with broadcaster Sky (SKY) leading the fallers. The company slipped 4.3% to 912.7p on paying £4.1 billion to show Premier League football for another three years. This is 83% more than it handed over three years ago for the rights. Telecom and broadcaster BT (BT.A), however, improved 2.7% to 456.2p on spending...

UK stocks make solid gains in early deals Thursday, matching the strong progress of Wall Street overnight after the Federal Reserve calmed nerves over monetary policy tightening. The benchmark FTSE 100 index is trading roughly 50 points higher, or 0.7%, at 6,389, its third straight trading session of gains, easing investors concerns after the recent sell-off on falling oil prices and other...

UK stocks labour to modest gains in early trade Thursday as investors scale back on risk ahead of central bank meetings in the UK and Europe. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index edges barely 7.5 points higher to 6,724, with several Footsie company shares weak as they go ex-dividend, including London Stock Exchange (LSE), Severn Trent (SVT), Next (NXT), Land Securities (LAND) and Royal Bank of...