The FTSE has so far managed to keep its chin up on the final day of trading in 2017. At 9am the blue chip index traded 10 points higher at 7,632.Topping the leader board was Vectura (VEC), extending yesterday's rally amid vague bid rumours. Today it moved another 3.6% higher to 125.85p.Among the mid and large caps, Wizz Air (WIZZ) signed an agreement to buy 146 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft....

The FTSE 100 opens up by over 1% as the general election produces a hung Parliament. The resulting drop in sterling is a boost for bluechip stocks which derive a large part of their revenue from overseas.Any corporate announcements are likely to get limited attention today but there are a few significant developments.Energy giant Centrica (CNA) enjoys a share price lift of 2.36% to 203.5p on...

Donald Trump's surprise victory in the hotly contested US presidential election has sent shockwaves through many industries including the energy sector.Fears have been sparked that clean, green fuels - such as solar, wind, hydro, fuel cells - are for the chop, with the threat that the current administration's commitment to policies on climate change facing reverse.Not necessarily so. There are...

London stocks drop in early trade on Tuesday as oil prices fall and traders awaited a slate of data on the services industry. The benchmark FTSE 100 index slumps 78 points, or about 1.3%, to 6,085, although the declines is less sharply felt among UK midcaps.In corporate news, breakdown recovery and insurance company AA (AA.) saw its earnings fall in the year to the end of January but revenues...

London shares end the week on the back foot as investors continue to fret about the future of the Greek economy after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pulled the technical team that was negotiating with Athens. In early trade on Friday the FTSE 100 index is down around 30 points, or 0.45%, at 6,814, with midcaps and the wider FTSE All Share posting similar declines.Supermarkets are a weak...

Oil prices at record lows have so far failed to put the brakes on investment in the alternative energy sector. Going forward, the macro backdrop points to continued growth and investors have the option of taking a diversified approach using one of the many investment vehicles designed to gain varied exposure to Alternative Energy.This is a wide sector in terms of business segments and...