FTSE Slips as Pound Increases
3rd January 2018
The FTSE 100 got off to a weak start to 2018, as the pound gained strength against the dollar, hurting exporters. ... Read More
The FTSE 100 got off to a weak start to 2018, as the pound gained strength against the dollar, hurting exporters. ... Read More
The pound rose steeply against the dollar, while the FTSE 100 slipped during the first day back of trading following the New Year break. ... Read More
After breaking records towards the end of the year, the FTSE 100 is looking set to deliver some nice dividend payouts in 2018. Analysts expect to see dividend payouts across FTSE 100 listed companies to rise to £88.5 billion this year, an increase of 7 percent over the final forecasts for last year. If they are correct, then this means that 2018 would be the eighth consecutive year of dividend increases for the UK’s leading index, which paid out £46.1 billion in 2010, and has seen growth every year since then. ... Read More
GMB Union has published a report which highlights the shocking gap between the earnings of top executives and the wages of the worst paid workers. The disparity in pay is so great that those at the bottom of the wage ladder could be earning an additional £5.24 per hour if their pay had risen at the same rate over the last 20 years as the pay of FTSE 100 chief executives. ... Read More
The FTSE 100 has increased by £141 billion during 2017, to end the year at a record high. While this figure sounds impressive, the market has actually underperformed compared to many other international markets, thanks in part to the uncertainty surrounding the Brexit negotiations. ... Read More
The FTSE 100 ended 2017 on a new record high this week, as the shortened last day of trading before the end of the year holiday saw the index set an intraday record of 7,697.62. The UK’s leading index climbed to 7,687.77 for a closing high, which puts it up by 3.9 percent since the beginning of December, and up by 7.6 percent over the course of the year. Meanwhile, the mid-cap FTSE 250 gained 14.65 percent over the year. ... Read More
National Grid hasn’t been putting in a strong performance over the last few months - it has lost around 20 percent of its value since May - but it still has a lot to offer investors, and while some are heavily critical of it because a company of its size, in that particular sector, should be stronger, there are mitigating factors that mean it is worth going against the trend and considering holding on for a little while longer. ... Read More
The last year has been comparatively quiet for the FTSE 100 - at least compared to 2016 and the shock of the Brexit vote. The FTSE 100 managed to claw back some strength this year, hitting an all time closing high just before Christmas, and the FTSE 250 has shown a lot of upside as investors regained some faith in the economy, but for many people, the news has been outside of the share trading market. ... Read More
The FTSE 100 made some gains on Thursday, but builders struggled following the government’s ban on the sale of new homes on leasehold. The news of the ban hit housebuilders hard, and some have already started speaking out in protest. ... Read More
The FTSE 100 hit an intraday high of 7,609 on Thursday, surpassing the levels set in June. The index is benefiting from favourable seasonal effects, as investors prepare to go on a long weekend. The London Stock Exchange will close at lunch time on Friday, and will not re-open until Boxing Day. ... Read More
Tesco has strengthened its grip on the UK’s food market, as its takeover of the wholesale company Booker has been approved. The competition regulator issued final approval for the 3.7 billion pound takeover today. ... Read More
While there still appears to be the prospect of a Santa Rally as we head into the final trading week of the year, the FTSE 100 is underperforming its global peers. ... Read More
The FTSE 100 struggled on Thursday, as it was weighed down by some losses among financial stocks, with miner Lonmin helping to offset that difficulty after a rescue takeover bid was well received by investors. ... Read More
Shares in the outsourcing company Capita, which is listed on the FTSE 250, fell by more than 14 percent in a morning’s trading, after the company warned that it had seen subdued market conditions. ... Read More
Banks helped to boost the FTSE 100, with better than expected new rules for the sector being unveiled last week, in anticipation of an expected interest rate hike from the US Federal Reserve. The UK’s leading index increased by 50 points on Monday, a gain of 0.7 percent, with lenders being among the top performers. ... Read More
The UK’s stock markets are on track for what could be the worst performance in the developed world for 2017, and analysts fear that the record-breaking levels seen in the USA could crash during 2018. ... Read More
UK shares have underperformed compared to their European peers, after a rally fuelled by a breakthrough in the Brexit talks helped to boost the pound during early trade. Fortunately for the FTSE 100, the pound shed those gains later in the morning. ... Read More
Whitbread enjoyed its strongest trading day of the year, after speculation re-surfaced that the company may be broken up, thanks to activist investor Sachem Head Capital who is taking out a stake in the company. ... Read More
The FTSE 100 opened to some muted trading, lurking just lower than Tuesday’s closing level, as a weak pound helped to support the internationally-focused companies in the index. ... Read More
The UK’s leading share index struggled to keep pace with the gains in Europe, as Britain and the EU have continued to find it hard to strike a deal on the initial Brexit divorce package. The UK’s leading index did make some gains, but not enough to keep pace with the rest of the wider markets. ... Read More
The FTSE 100 slipped by 26 points on Friday, as fears surfaced that President Trump may be impeached. According to some news reports, former national security adviser Michael Flynn has promised that he will cooperate fully with the ongoing special counsel investigation into the allegations that Russia was involved in the presidential election. ... Read More
Packaging company DS Smith is a share that many investors are starting to pay closer attention to as it prepares to release its half-year trading statement next week. The company is due to enter the FTSE 100 as a part of the quarterly reshuffle, and it’s been enjoying an upward trend over the last year, gaining 37 percent in that time. ... Read More
Europe ended the day under heavy pressure, and the strong pound has hampered the FTSE 100. Meanwhile, investors are heading into December watching Wall Street, and waiting for news from OPEC. ... Read More
The FTSE 100 made some modest gains yesterday, as Royal Dutch Shell boosted the UK market, after announcing that it was going to reinstate all-cash dividends. ... Read More
The FTSE 100 slipped by 25.74 points - a fall of 0.35 percent, during Monday afternoon’s trading. The biggest gainer on the index was GlaxoSmithKline, who gained 1.77 percent after UBS lifted its rating from ‘neutral’ to ‘buy’. ... Read More