Stocks in London were mostly lower at Friday midday, while the FTSE 100 was a notch higher as UK government net borrowing increased in August, while investors await a call between Trump and Xi. The FTSE 100 index was up 8.05 points, 0.1%, at 9,236.16. The FTSE 250 was down 105.08 points, 0.5%, at 21,620.87, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.34 points, 0.2%, at 771.00. The Cboe UK 100 was...

Need to drive shareholder value True value 'not reflected in full' Options include potential sale Shares in independent healthcare group Spire Healthcare Group (SPI) jumped 21.5p or 10% to a six-month 238p high on news the board was working on options to realise greater shareholder value including a potential sale of the business. > More detailed chart SHAREHOLDERS IN FAVOUR OF A SALE The firm...

Stocks in Europe were mostly higher on Friday morning as a week stacked with major central bank decisions draws to a close, while the pound was under pressure after UK public finances data that made for grim reading once again. The FTSE 100 index rose just 4.52 points at 9,232.63. The FTSE 250 fell 43.63 points, 0.2%, at 21,682.32, and the AIM All-Share was down just 0.23 of a point at 772.11....

Blue chip stocks in London and Paris were lower at midday Thursday, but up a notch in Frankfurt amid hopes of big investments from the incoming German government.The European Central Bank 'is expected to cut rates having been given a freer hand as inflationary pressures have eased,' AJ Bell's Russ Mould noted.The FTSE 100 index was down 82.84 points, 1.0%, at 8,673.00. The FTSE 250 was down...

2024 sales and earnings up 11%Shares were flat year-to-dateWarning on costs and marginsOn the surface, today's full-year results from FTSE 250 private hospital operator Spire Healthcare (SPI) looked fine, but investors spied one or two things they clearly didn't like and sent the shares sharply lower from the open.By mid-morning the stock was trading 36p or 16% lower at 188p, having earlier...

Dividends are a key component of successful investing whether taken as an income to support retirement or reinvested to compound future total returns.With interest rates set to fall as inflation is gradually brought back under control dividend yields will become more competitive as a source of income compared with income from cash and bonds.In this article we scour the FTSE 350 for the...

Indices in London ended the session in the green on a mixed day for retailers on Black Friday as US equities pushed higher in a shortened trading session.The FTSE 100 index rose 6.08 points, 0.1%, at 8,287.30. The FTSE 250 climbed 8.79 points, at 20,771.57, and the AIM All-Share firmed 1.58 points, 0.2%, at 732.49.For the week, the FTSE 100 rose 0.3%, the FTSE 250 advanced 0.9% and the AIM...

London's FTSE 100 was largely flat, though the FTSE 250 made a more sizeable move heading into Friday afternoon, as M&A activity continued.The FTSE 100 index added just 3.66 points to sit at 8,284.88. The FTSE 250 registered a more convincing 31.63 point gain, 0.2%, at 20,794.41, and the AIM All-Share added 1.49 points, 0.2%, at 732.40.The Cboe UK 100 rose 0.1% at 832.14, the Cboe UK 250 added...

Bid from Indian group reportedly in worksShareholders supportivePlans to take controlling stakePrivate healthcare provider Spire Healthcare (SPI) jumped 8% after the Economic Times reported that Indian medical group Narayana Hrudayalaya (NH:NSE) is looking to acquire a controlling stake in the FTSE 250 company.Narayana is led by renowned heart surgeon Devi Shetty, whose senior management team...

Strong growth in first half revenue and operating profitMomentum has continued into the second halfConfident in meeting full year expectationsLeading UK independent hospital group Spire Healthcare (SPI) said it continued to see strong demand from both the NHS and private sector as it delivered 24% growth in first half adjusted operating profit.Investors welcomed the positive update with the...

Are you fed up with trying to get a doctor's appointment or a date for surgery on the NHS? You are not alone.A new study by YouGov found that one in eight Britons turned to private healthcare over the past 12 months. The trend is driven by a struggling NHS which has seen patient waiting lists swell to7.2 million, almost double their pre-Covid level.The study found that 13% of respondents had...

The FTSE 100 finished the first trading session of the week in the red, shedding 0.54% to close at 7,445.25 points. Housebuilders dragged on the blue chip benchmark on the UK Government's plans to force them to pay to fix the cladding crisis which has followed the Grenfell tragedy in 2017.The more domestically-focused FTSE 250 ended the day 1.5% lower at 23,001.81 points.Investor sentiment was...

London's FTSE 100 was flat by midday at 7,482.12 points, with housebuilders weighing on the blue chip benchmark as the UK Government announced plans to force them to pay to fix the cladding crisis which has followed the Grenfell tragedy in 2017.The housing secretary will unveil plans this week for a £4 billion grant scheme to pay for repairs demanded by banks and insurers in the wake of the...

Major UK shares defied predictions of a positive start to the trading week on Monday with investors evidently nervous about a big week of data from the US.Worries over an imminent US interest rate rise, which could be triggered by a red-hot inflation reading later this week, put a dampener on sentiment. Friday's US jobs numbers didn't help confidence, with the prospect of wage pressures adding...

Disappointing UK growth figures put a spanner in the works for the FTSE 100 in early trade on Wednesday, defying expectations that Tuesday's rally would continue. The benchmark index around 0.3% to 7,277.92 but the falls remain marginal, so far.Gross domestic product in the world's fifth-biggest economy increased 1.1% in the third quarter to the end of September, weaker than a preliminary...

In our latest screening of FTSE 350 stocks with the biggest one-month upgrades to earnings per share forecasts for this year and next year, the clear winners in terms of numbers are retailers.Heading the field, somewhat surprisingly, is clothing and sportwear group Frasers (FRAS), best known for its pile-it-high-and-sell-it-cheap Sports Direct chain which accounts for more than 50% of...

London's FTSE 100 started Thursday in downbeat fashion, falling 1.1% to 7,016 points after weakness in Asian and US markets overnight, which reflected mounting fears about the impact of the Delta variant on the global economy.Energy, financials and miners were among the worst performing sectors as the blue chip benchmark experienced a third straight day of declines on global growth...

There are lots of good reasons why investors should have allocations to the FTSE 250, London's high-flying index oriented to mid caps which provides a purer play on the domestic UK economy than the exporter-heavy FTSE 100.The FTSE 250 captures those growth stocks that have come up from the small cap ranks and therefore had a chance to establish themselves. And crucially, it can catch these...

Property assets have become the common theme connecting this year's flurry of takeovers on the UK stock market.As Shares went to press, Morrisons (MRW) was subject to a bidding war and GCP Student Living (DIGS) had just received a takeover approach. In May, both Spire Healthcare (SPI) and St Modwen Properties (SMP) were subject to bids.All four of these companies own significant amounts of...

FTSE 250 electronics engineer Renishaw (RSW) has ended its formal sale process after unanimously concluding that none of the potential deals on offer would meet the board's strict objectives.Renishaw is a global champion when it comes to metrology equipment, or kit that can measures stuff down to the nth degree. This is vital in the world's high-tech industries which increasingly operate at...