The FTSE 100 closed lower on Friday, with earlier growth stalling after news of lower US consumer sentiment and a tepid UK GDP reading. The FTSE 100 index closed down 14.29 points, 0.2%, at 9,283.29. It had earlier traded as high as 9,340.70. The FTSE 250 ended 68.35 points lower, 0.3%, at 21,625.40 while the AIM All-Share finished up 1.34 points, 0.2%, at 768.44. For the week, the FTSE 100...

London's blue chip index beat its European peers at Friday midday ahead of the US Michigan consumer sentiment index, while sterling, the euro and the yen all traded lower against the dollar. The FTSE 100 index was up 29.29 points, 0.3%, at 9,326.87. The FTSE 250 was up 13.00 points, 0.1%, at 21,706.75, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.27 points, 0.3%, at 769.37. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at...

Kroger taking 'hard look' at automated facilities Negative development for Ocado Biggest FTSE 250 faller Shares in online grocer-to-technology solutions firm Ocado (OCDO) plunged 10% to 270p early doors on 12 September as investors digested worrying remarks from Kroger (KR:NYSE) on the US retailer's earnings call. Ocado's biggest US partner for its warehouse automation technology, Kroger...

Stock prices in Europe opened largely higher on Friday, while sterling faded after numbers showed the UK economy registered no growth in July. Stocks have been supported by the conviction that the Federal Reserve will cut rates this month, a notion strengthened by more tepid labour market data on Thursday. The FTSE 100 index rose 22.58 points, 0.2%, at 9,320.16. It is up 1.2% so far this week....

Another week and another all-time high for US stocks, thanks in large part to Oracle's (ORCL:NYSE) new forecast for cloud demand which stunned Wall Street analysts (for more, see below). Such is the optimism that, despite US shares as a whole trading at their highest ever multiple of earnings and the market representing the largest ever share of the economy, investment banks have spent the...

Stocks closed higher on Thursday, with the dollar showing some weakness, after soft US jobs data increased the likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting rates. 'Inflation was a touch higher than expected and tariffs are likely to keep it elevated over coming months, but the weakening of the jobs market is now the Fed's priority, with rising jobless claims hinting at a pick-up in lay-offs at a...

Shares were trading higher on Thursday, ahead of a European Central Bank decision, while a US inflation reading will also be in focus, less than a week before an expected Federal Reserve rate cut. The FTSE 100 index rose 45.39 points, 0.5%, at 9,270.78. The FTSE 250 was up 99.22 points, 0.5%, at 21,633.32, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.62 points, 0.3%, at 764.63. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.5%...

Robust first-half performance International consumer ticket sales up 2% Adjusted EBITDA for 2026 at top end between 6% to 9% Shares in Trainline (TRN) gained over 10% to 286p in morning trading as the rail and coach ticketing platform announced a new £150 million share buyback and improved guidance for the full year. Analysts at Panmure Liberum expect the new £150 million share buyback to be...

US transition on track Earnings quality improving Share buyback extended Shares in Fevertree Drinks (FEVR:AIM) fizzed 9% higher to 845p after the premium mixer drinks firm flagged positive momentum in the US, where the brand's momentous transition to Molson Coors' (TAP:NYSE) distribution network across the pond started in June and is showing good progress. The tonic water-to-ginger beer...

Equities in London were on the up early Thursday before a eurozone rate decision and US inflation data, with Trainline among the standout performers in morning dealings. The ECB is expected to leave rates unmoved on Thursday, though next week, the Federal Reserve is expected to cut. The size of the cut could hinge on Thursday's consumer price index data. The FTSE 100 index rose 40.78 points,...

The UK and China were the best performing markets globally in July 2025, yet fund flow data shows no interest from UK retail investors. What is going on? The FTSE 100 returned 4.2% in July including dividends, driven by double-digit gains from the likes of vapes-to-cigarette maker British American Tobacco (BATS), consumer goods group Reckitt (RKT), and gambling specialist Entain (ENT). Market...

FORESIGHT GROUP (FSG) Price: 458p Market Cap: £518 million Founded in 1984, Foresight Group (FSG) is a leading investment manager in real assets and growth capital for small- and mid-sized private companies. Foresight seeks to provide attractive returns to its diverse institutional and retail client base across a broad range of fund strategies and investment vehicles. Since floating on the...

CEO Simon Wolfson's 'Big Picture' thoughts on the business and the growth avenues ahead, as well as his read on the UK consumer, will be in focus when Next (NXT) delivers first-half results on 18 September. Shareholders will be hoping the fashion-to-homewares seller has maintained its positive trading momentum with the all-important golden quarter in sight. Only the bravest souls would be...

Last month we revealed which stocks hedge funds had been shorting in the second quarter after the remarkable post-Liberation Day rally which has seen UK and UK markets hit record highs. This month, with the help of Joachim Klement and Susana Cruz of Panmure Liberum's strategy, economics and ESG team, we take a look at which UK and European stocks are most popular with hedge funds and which...

Since they facilitate the flow of capital and debt, financial companies play a crucial role in oiling the wheels of the global economy and due to the fact it permeates almost every aspect of corporate and personal life, the vast financial services sector has been dubbed the 'nervous system of capitalism'. Candidly, this sector has a reputation for being, well, a bit dull, yet financials have a...

Gear4music (G4M:AIM) Price: 292p Gain to date: 109% Shares urged investors to tune into the exciting recovery story at Gear4music (G4M:AIM) on 15 May, with the shares swapping hands at 140p-a-pop. We highlighted that the online musical instrument and equipment retailer was trading at a discount to its recent history and had returned to growth, while financial risk was also reducing with net...

Identifying companies which have an edge over their competitors which they are able to maintain is an important component of investing. After all, it is the companies which possess these qualities which can deliver above average returns for longer than might otherwise be expected. In this context, legendary investor Warren Buffett popularised the idea of an 'economic moat' which is the...

I've written before in these pages ? particularly in the 2010s ? about how financial markets seemed to exist in a looking glass world. Bad news gets taken as good news because it raises the prospect of an intervention by central banks or governments on rates or stimulus which might, in turn, act as a catalyst for equities. There have been elements of that at play in more recent times as...

The board of Tesla (TSLA:NASDAQ) is asking investors to approve a record pay package which could deliver Elon Musk as much as $1 trillion in stock over the next decade. The deal will allow Musk to receive instalments of shares if Tesla hits a series of market capitalisation and business operational milestones. The board is proposing to offer Musk up to an additional 12% stake in the electric...

The bond market has got a nasty case of the jitters, thanks in part to Donald Trump launching an attack on the independence of the US central bank. The waves of concern from this unprecedented political interference in monetary policy can also be felt on this side of the Atlantic, as the UK's long-term borrowing costs reached their highest level since 1998. A rise in borrowing costs isn't good...