Hotter-than expected UK inflation for January, with headline CPI up 3% year-on-year versus the 2.8% expected, combined with a volatile geopolitical backdrop, means investors should be seeking ways to protect their income.Shares has long championed the unique advantage investment trusts have when it comes to paying regular and progressive dividends, since these funds are able to hold back up to...

London's FTSE 100 was flat by midday at 7,585.03 points as investors weighed the risks posed by interest rates and inflation and foods-to-fashion conglomerate Associated British Foods (ABF) dipped lower, while the FTSE 250 crept 0.23% higher to 22,707.35.US stocks were expected to break higher after lurching back into the red in late dealings on Wednesday as investors continued to pore over...

London's major stocks opened modestly lower as the inflation genie continues to work its way out of the bottle, although banks defied the gravitational pull.At 9am, the benchmark FTSE 100 was 0.13% down at 7,317.61 after UK inflation rose to its highest in almost a decade. But there was plenty of demand for bank stocks, seen as benefitting from an increasingly likely rise in interest rates,...

An easing of energy crisis fears and a positive start to trading on Wall Street helped the FTSE 100 to a solid finish on Thursday. By the close, the blue chip benchmark was up 1.2% at 7,078.04 points, while the FTSE 250 finished 0.77% higher at 22,559.22.In the US the S&P 500 was up 1.35% to 4,422.55 by 4.30pm UK time.Wall Street's indices pushed higher after a temporary agreement was struck...

Hopes that Russia will pump more gas to Europe to address the current energy crisis helped boost sentiment on Thursday.Concerns over elevated gas prices started to ease after Russia offered to increase supplies while house prices rose by 1.7% in September according to the Halifax building society, the biggest monthly increase since February 2007.By noon, the FTSE 100 traded 1.1% higher at...

Shares in London-based provider of flexible offices Workspace (WKP) gained 4% to 829p after the firm posted a positive trading update for the quarter to September thanks to a pick-up in both rents and occupancy.Like-for-like rent per square foot edged up 0.3% to £35.50 while occupancy rose 2.7% to 85.6% as more companies looked for flexible work spaces.Monthly average enquiries were 935...

London's FTSE 100 was 0.2% higher at 7,050.16 points at lunchtime on Thursday as the Bank of England decided to hold interest rates at 0.1% and investors weighed positive corporate updates and potential political uncertainty linked in particular to elections in Scotland.As expected, the Bank of England (BoE) acknowledged improvements in the UK growth outlook owing to vaccinations picking up...

Leading UK shares traded cautiously higher in early deals on Thursday ahead of the Bank of England meeting in which it is expected to raise economic growth forecasts.The UK's benchmark FTSE 100 index gained 0.27% to 7,058.44, while the midcap FTSE 250 index traded 0.5% higher to 22,497.87, with the Bank set to announce that the country will see GDP growth at 7% in 2021, compared to the 5%...

Leading UK shares fell throughout morning trading on Friday as a jump in retail sales lifted the pound and hurt export-orientated companies.The benchmark FTSE 100 lost 0.47% to 6,905 by lunchtime with large dollar-earning exporters like consumer staples companies Unilever (ULVR), Diageo (DGE) and British American Tobacco (BATS) slipping by up to 1% as the pound strengthened against the...

Leading UK shares fell in early trading on Friday despite a surge in March retail sales as a stronger pound weighed on export-oriented companies.The benchmark FTSE 100 lost 0.26% in early deals at 6,919.95 with large dollar-earning exporters like consumer staples companies Unilever (ULVR), Diageo (DGE) and British American Tobacco (BATS) slipping by up to 1% as the pound strengthened against...

London's FTSE 100 was in positive territory early on Wednesday, with optimism around the potential Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough continuing to buoy global markets.The blue chip benchmark improved 0.31% to 6,316.62, while the FTSE 250 rose 0.02% to 19,032.BAE SEES BIDEN BOOSTAerospace and defence contractor BAE Systems (BA.) added 1.4% to trade at 470p after it maintained its full year guidance...

The FTSE 100 rallied in early morning trade as investors continue to bet on a sharp economic recovery, with the UK and other countries around the world easing more and more lockdown restrictions.The UK's benchmark index was up more than 1% to 6,412 by 8.30am, and will be on track to climb more than 2.5% this week if the rally continues throughout the day.It mirrors the strong surges seen in...

London's FTSE 100 made substantial gains in early trading on Tuesday, bid up 165.73 points or 2.97% to 5,748.12 amid continued hopes that the spread of coronavirus may be levelling out in major hotspots in Europe and the US.Embattled Cineworld (CINE) rallied 17.3% to 46.45p after the cinema operator suspended dividends in a bid to strengthen liquidity, having shuttered all its cinemas...

The FTSE 100 fell into the red on Monday morning as the coronavirus death toll eclipsed Sars, with investors concerned about the impact the virus will have on manufacturing in China and the surrounding region.The UK's benchmark index opened 0.22% lower to 7,462.05, taking its lead from Asian stock markets which also dropped in morning trade.Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.6%, the Hang Seng in Hong...

A 'rockstar' biotech entrepreneur, the first company boss in a decade to sell shares and a trio of directors cashing in were all involved in the biggest director deals of the past week.The three biggest deals involve biotech company Abcam (ABC:AIM), ventilation product supplier Volution (FAN) and office real estate company Workspace (WKP).The biggest of these comes from Abcam founder and...

The general election result has removed one of the major hurdles to investing in UK stocks, namely political uncertainty. Brexit is the next big hurdle and it may not be as bad for UK stocks as investors might think, according to numerous fund managers interviewed by Shares.Despite the UK having to negotiate a full trade deal by 31 December 2020, the fund managers we questioned are generally...

The FTSE 100 index dropped 36 points to 7,340 today along with international markets after Donald Trump merely re-iterated his rhetoric that a trade deal was imminent with China without providing new information, in a speech at the Economic Club of New York last night.Shares in house builder Taylor Wimpey (TW.) bucked the trend to firm 1% at 171.5p after the company's trading statement said...

After a terrible week for the UK's leading basket of stocks, the FTSE 100 managed to recover some ground this morning taking heart from a positive close to stock markets in the US.It has been a rough couple of days for UK markets as investors fret over where the world is heading economically.A major manufacturing slowdown in the US, coupled with similar situations across developed European...

The FTSE 100 has opened 0.44% higher this morning to 7,246.24 following a rally in global stock markets overnight, but the big news has come from the FTSE 250.Shares in doorstep lender Provident Financial (PFG) have continually climbed in early morning trading and are now up over 10% to 490p after smaller rival Non-Standard Finance (NSF) ended its hostile takeover bid.Provident's board of...

A near doubling of profits for office space supplier Workspace (WKP) has prompted the company to tap up its investors for money to expand its offering.Its results for the year ending 31 March 2018, show pre-tax profit up to £170.4m from £88.8m the prior year and it has also hiked its dividend by 30% to 27.39p.As seen earlier this year when a bidding war erupted over office service company...