FTSE 100 close: Rolls Royce leads rebound as US markets bounce back ahead of new tariffs April 1, 2025 European and US markets welcomed calmer waters on Tuesday after swimming in a sea of red on Monday. The FTSE 100 sharply rose in early trading before consolidating gains. The index closed up 0.6 per cent, led by Rolls Royce, which surged over four per cent and over 2.5 per cent rise in insurance provider [...]
Close Brothers shares fluctuate as motor finance hearing kicks off April 1, 2025 Shares in FTSE 250 lender Close Brothers were volatile during early trading on Tuesday as the first day of the motor finance hearing kicked off. The bank was one of the FTSE’s top fallers as markets opened after it suffered a downgrade from City broker Peel Hunt. The broker said the “extent” of guidance downgrades [...]
Peel Hunt shares edge up as City broker cuts costs to reduce losses April 1, 2025 Shares in City broker Peel Hunt edged higher in early trades this morning after the company issued a positive trading update. The company said it anticipated revenue of £90m for the year ending 31 March 2025, an increase of five per cent from the previous year. The investment bank reported revenue of £85.5m in fiscal [...]
FTSE close: Trump triggers global market sell-off ahead of ‘Liberation Day’ March 31, 2025 Investors across the globe braced for Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ on April 2 as they hastily retreated from stock markets. Trump will unveil a new set of tariffs on Wednesday, including a 25 per cent levy slapped on all automotive imports in the US, which has already been confirmed. The tariffs, which the President said are [...]
FTSE and Europe in the red as US markets open on a downturn March 31, 2025 The latest escalation in Trump’s trade war painted global markets red on Monday. This new headache came ahead of Trump’s so-called ‘Liberation Day’ on April 2, which has investors bracing for a broad set of fresh tariffs. The President will slap 25 per cent tariffs on all automotive imports in the US from Wednesday, with [...]
FTSE 100 retail giant Next passes £1bn profit milestone for the first time March 27, 2025 Next has joined a small group of UK retail companies in reporting more than £1bn in annual profit. The high street bellwether told markets this morning that its profit before tax for the year to January 2025 was £1.01bn, up 10.1 per cent year on year. Its share price rose more than eight per cent [...]
Spring Statement 2025: Markets ‘shrug off’ speech as gilt sales revised lower March 26, 2025 The Debt Management Office (DMO) said it was planning £299bn of gilt sales in 2025 to 2026, slightly below the £302bn initially expected despite the government’s borrowing plans. However, this still marked the most extensive package since the pandemic. The DMO said it would issue the smallest selection of long-maturity gilts in its 27-year history [...]
Spring Statement 2025: Markets and bonds tread water ahead of ‘testing day’ March 26, 2025 Markets and bonds were relatively flat on Wednesday morning as analysts predicted Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement would mark a “testing day”. The FTSE 100 had minor gains following market open, with Marks and Spencer leading the index’s biggest risers. The mid-cap FTSE 250 had a slight uptick, led by a surge in retailer Ocado after [...]
Soft drinks sales pop at Irn-bru maker AG Barr and Fevertree March 25, 2025 AG Barr and Fevertree have both reported a sales boost despite increased competition in the soft drinks market. AG Barr’s share price ticked up a marginal 0.1 per cent in early trades, while Fevertree’s share price rose more than six per cent. AG Barr, which owns brands Irn-bru, Rubicon, Boost and Funkin, told markets this [...]
Profit jumps at electrical retailer AO World March 25, 2025 Profit has risen more than twice as fast as sales and far outstripped revenue growth at online electrical retailer AO World. The company told markets this morning that it expects retail revenue to increase by around 12 per cent in the 12 months to March 31. It expects like-for-like revenue to increase by around seven [...]