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☆ Earnings, M&A chatter lift FTSE 100 to record high, Entain tumbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sruthi Shankar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) rose 0.7% to touch a record high of 7,943.68, while the midcap FTSE 250 index (.FTMC) inched up 0.1%. AstraZeneca (AZN.L) jumped 4.3%, set for its best day in nearly a year, after the drugmaker forecast earnings growth in 2023. Unilever (ULVR.L) rose 0.4% after the consumer goods giant reported quarterly underlying sales growth above expectations. Watches of Switzerland Group (WoS) (WOSG.L) slumped 13.1% after it gave its quarterly trading update. (This story has been corrected to say Watches of Switzerland Group gave quarterly trading update, not full-year in the third bullet and last paragraph.)

☆ Will the stock market rally last? Analysts share their predictions — and strategies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But is this just a bear market rally or the start of a bull market ? The rally has some way to go, said Trivariate Research analysts, led by founder Adam Parker, in a Feb. 5 note. "It means there is further upside potential to this rally," Parker wrote. But markets could go through some range-bound trading before a "big rally," Hatfield told CNBC Pro. In light of the volatile market, Niles said investors should continue staying invested in cash — his "favorite investment" for this year.

☆ These midcap stocks are cheap and expected to see booming earnings growth in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In a year when corporate earnings are broadly expected to deteriorate , some midcap names with cheap valuations are forecast to see strong earnings growth. However, the blended S & P earnings decline for the fourth-quarter is -5%, per FactSet. Midcap stocks are faring slightly better, with the S & P 400 MidCap up nearly 8% year to date. Each is also expected to post earnings growth of at least 20%, per FactSet. Earnings growth at $8.3 billion market cap company is expected to expand by nearly 32% and it has a P/E of 10.4.

☆ This fund crushed it last year in part by heavily betting on one unique oil stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The fund isn't tied to any index, nor does Schwartz try to mimic a specific sector weighting. About 40% of the fund's investments today are in energy, Schwartz said, with no bets on the consumer defensive and utilities sectors, according to Morningstar data. Then a trust, many people steered clear of the large Texas land owner, which owns land often used for oil and gas drilling, and traded at around $150 a share. Schwartz's bet on energy extends to a more traditional stake in Chevron , (4.3% of the fund) which he calls a premiere integrated oil and gas company. But Schwartz started accumulating energy stocks well before the latest rally, when crude oil plummeted during the pandemic.

☆ Wall St Week Ahead Stock swoon resets valuations but recession risk, rates cloud outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Lewis Krauskopf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The S&P 500 tumbled 19.4% in 2022, as the Federal Reserve's aggressive rate hikes designed to tamp down 40-year high inflation punished asset prices. The market's 2022 slide cut the ratio of price to forward earnings estimates to around 17 from about 21.7 a year ago, according to Refinitiv Datastream. S&P 500 forward price-to-earnings ratio over timeValuations may still be too high if a recession comes to pass, as many on Wall Street expect. Combined with an expectation of weakening earnings estimates, that would lower the S&P 500 to 3,200, UBS said, roughly 16% below current levels. The 2022 surge in interest rates also could undermine stock valuations by making relatively safe assets like U.S. Treasuries more attractive alternatives.

☆ FTSE 100 rises on Next boost; recession worries loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) climbed 0.4%, extending gains to a third straight session and outperforming most regional peers. British clothing retailer Next (NXT.L) surged 7.4% after raising its pretax profit forecast for the current year, pushing the broader retailers index (.FTNMX404010) to a more than four-month high. Oil majors BP (BP.L) and Shell (SHEL.L) rose more than 1% each as crude oil prices rebounded amid dollar weakness. Britain's services sector ended 2022 in a lacklustre fashion, with new orders falling and hiring frozen during December, a survey showed, highlighting the likelihood that Britain is already in recession. Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V and Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ In an income-obsessed world, dividends that are too high could turn into a dry well
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Income and yield, dividends and royalties. After all, analysts' forecast yield on the S & P 500 as a whole in 2023 is still only about 1.8% today. To find red flags among high-payers, CNBC Pro searched the S & P 1500 Index, consisting of the S & P 500, Midcap 400 and Smallcap 600 indexes. The result is five stocks with dividends ranging as high as 15.2%, but no lower than 5.5%. More optimistically, however, its dividend coverage ratio stands at a reasonable 2.0.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Netflix, Cal-Maine Foods, Southwest and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Cal-Maine Foods — Cal-Maine shares shed 15% after reporting earnings that fell short of Wall Street's expectations even as the egg producer reported record sales. Southwest Airlines — The airline stock rose more than 3%, paring back losses from the previous session when it dropped more than 5%. Severe disruptions at Southwest Airlines have drawn outsized criticism from frustrated travelers, who have dealt with thousands of canceled flights from airlines this week because of winter weather. Southwest Airlines canceled another 60% of its flights on Wednesday. Apple — The iPhone maker's stock rose more than 3% after hitting its lowest level since June 2021 earlier in the week.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Tesla, Cal-Maine, Southwest and others
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Cal-Maine Foods (CALM) – Cal-Maine slid 4.9% in premarket trading after its quarterly earnings came in below Wall Street forecasts. General Electric (GE) – GE spin-off GE HealthCare Technologies will join the S&P 500 when it begins trading as a separate public company on Jan. 4. Vornado will replace logistics company RXO (RXO), which will move to the S&P SmallCap 600. GE HealthCare — trading on a when-issued basis — rose 1% in the premarket, while Vornado was marginally lower and RXO jumped 3.3%. Apple (AAPL) – Apple is up 1% in premarket trading after closing Wednesday at a 1-1/2 year low.

☆ FTSE 100 falls as consumer, commodity stocks drag on China COVID worries
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 eyes worst day in two weeksFalling crude drags oil giants lowerFTSE 100 down 0.4%, FTSE 250 off 0.3%Dec 29 (Reuters) - UK's FTSE 100 fell on Thursday, with energy and consumer stocks leading declines, as optimism over China's reopening fizzled out in the face of surging COVID-19 cases in the world's second largest economy. The blue-chip index (.FTSE), down 0.4%, will post its biggest single day drop in two weeks if losses hold. Commodity prices broadly fell as surging COVID cases in China dimmed hopes of a recovery in fuel demand for the world's largest crude oil importer even as it began dismantling strict COVID curbs. Oil majors BP (BP.L) and Shell (SHEL.L) lost 1.2% and 0.8%, respectively, on Thursday as crude prices fell more than 2%. Consumer stocks such Unilever (ULVR.L) and British American Tobacco (BATS.L) weighed on the FTSE 100, slipping nearly 1%.

☆ This week's best performers include Moderna and two homebuilders
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As of Friday's open, these are some of the stocks poised to buck this week's negative trend. This week's top performer was vaccine maker Moderna , with shares up nearly 17% as of Friday's open. Homebuilding stocks Lennar and PulteGroup are also on pace to finish the week on a positive note. Shares of both stocks are down more than 19% this year, but were on pace to gain about 6% for the week as of Friday's open. About 47% of analysts say shares are a buy, offering 10.6% upside from Thursday's close.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Moderna, First Solar, Pinterest, Norwegian Cruise Line and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Vials with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine labels are seen in this illustration picture taken March 19, 2021. Moderna – The drugmaker saw its stock soar 19.6% after the company issued promising data about its cancer treatment. First Solar – The solar stock added 4.5% following an announcement on Monday that it will replace Fortune Brands Home & Security in the S&P 500 . Pinterest – Shares of the social media company climbed 11.9% after Piper Sandler upgraded Pinterest to overweight from neutral. Norwegian Cruise Line – The cruise giant shed 2.8% after UBS downgraded the stock to neutral from buy.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves in the premarket: Oracle, Boeing, Moderna and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Boeing (BA) – Boeing rose 2.2% in premarket action after United Airlines (UAL) announced a 200-jet order that includes 100 787 Dreamliners and 100 737 Max jets, with options for further purchases. Moderna (MRNA) – The drugmaker announced that its experimental melanoma vaccine combined with Merck (MRK) cancer treatment Keytruda cut the risk of skin cancer recurrence by 44% compared with a treatment of only Keytruda. First Solar (FSLR) – First Solar rose 1.1% in premarket trading following news that it will replace Fortune Brands Home & Security (FBHS) in the S&P 500. Mirati Therapeutics (MRTX) – Mirati Therapeutics surged 8.6% in premarket trading after the drugmaker's new lung cancer treatment adagrasib received Food and Drug Administration approval. Fiverr (FVR) – Fiverr added 1.1% in premarket trading after Citi initiated coverage of the stock with a "buy" rating.

☆ UK's FTSE 100 rises ahead of key Federal Reserve speech
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 up 0.3%, FTSE 250 adds 0.3%Nov 30 (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 rose on Wednesday, helped by consumer discretionary and energy stocks, though investors were cautious ahead of U.S. Federal Reserve Chair's speech later in the day. The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) gained 0.3% by 0821 GMT and was on track for its best month in two years. Consumer discretionary shares like Flutter Entertainment (FLTRF.L) gained 2.1% after JP Morgan raised the company's price target. Energy stocks (.FTNMX601010) took an early lead, gaining 0.2% as crude oil prices climbed on falling U.S. crude inventories and a weaker greenback. Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FTSE 100 at three-month highs on hopes of China easing COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) was up 0.6%, hitting its highest since Aug. 26, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250 midcap index (.FTMC) was flat. World markets were rattled on Monday as protests against strict COVID-19 restrictions flared up in major Chinese cities over the weekend. Base metal miners (.FTNMX551020) climbed 2.8%, touching three-month highs, as prices rebounded on support for the property sector in top metals consumer China. Heavyweight energy stocks (.FTNMX601010) rose 1.4% as oil prices climbed on hopes of China easing its COVID controls. Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Indian shares subdued on divergent rate hike views
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Indian stocks opened marginally lower on Friday, after the benchmarks closed at record highs in the previous session, with investors digesting conflicting signals from global central banks on the interest rate environment. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN) opened down 0.18% to 62,164.65, while the NSE Nifty 50 index (.NSEI) fell 0.14% to 18,459.00. The European Central Bank's equivalent of Federal Reserve rate-setting committee's minutes that came out on Thursday showed that the room for slowing down the pace of interest rate adjustments remained limited, in contrast to the U.S. central bank's assessment. Nifty IT index (.NIFTYIT) lost 0.4%, with seven of the 10 constituents falling in today's session. The Nifty Midcap 100 (.NIFMDCP100) and Nifty SmallCap 100 (.NIFTYSMCP100) indexes outperformed larger peers, rising 0.33% and 0.47%, respectively.

☆ Remy Cointreau cautiously optimistic on China amid lockdowns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Dominique Vidalon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Shares in Remy Cointreau (RCOP.PA) fell as much as 4% on Thursday after the French spirits maker said it was "cautiously optimistic" about the Chinese market where COVID-19 continues to trigger lockdowns. CEO Eric Vallat said he was "cautiously optimistic" about business prospects in China ahead of the Chinese New Year as on-again, off-again lockdowns clouded the outlook. "In China, we are making sure we are flexible, so far we have adapted successfully to the situation," he said. Remy Cointreau shares were down 1.4% at 1058 GMT having fallen as much as 4%. The company has seen two years of exceptional growth as the pandemic accelerated a shift towards premium drinks, cocktails and e-commerce as people drank more expensive drinks at home.

☆ FTSE 100 rises on Informa boost; pound weakens
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Media stocks lead sectoral gainsIndivior up on deal to buy Opiant PharmaUK budget, due later in the week, in focusFTSE 100 up 0.4%, FTSE 250 falls 1.2%Nov 14 (Reuters) - UK's export-oriented FTSE 100 climbed on Monday, lifted by events organiser Informa's over 5% jump and a weaker pound. The FTSE 100 (.FTSE) was up 0.4% by 0941 GMT. The company's announcement of raising its full-year earnings outlook pushed the broader FTSE 350 media index (.FTNMX403010) 1.0% higher. Among other stocks, Indivior (INDV.L) gained 0.9% after it said it would acquire Opiant Pharmaceuticals for approximately $145 million in cash. The domestically-focused FTSE 250 midcap index (.FTMC) dropped 1.2% after marking its biggest weekly gain in almost two years on Friday.

☆ Despite the recent chaos, UK stockpickers are rubbing their hands: Here's what they're buying
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The U.K. has been beset by political and economic instability in recent months, but as the investment environment undergoes a fundamental transition, investors see opportunity. These attractive valuations for U.K. stocks were also identified in a note last week by BlackRock Fundamental Equities. "Not only has the U.K. discount widened to a level not seen since 2008, but companies are buying back record amounts of their own shares. This compares to the current yield on UK 10-year gilts of around 4%." GAM holds around 50% of its U.K. equity income portfolio in small and midcap stocks, with a focus on companies with strong competitive moats.

☆ These midcap stocks are loved by analysts, including one name expected to double
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Investors scrambling to find a home for their money amid this year's market turmoil may want to look at midcap stocks. The S & P Midcap 400 is down 15% year to date, outperforming the large cap S & P 500's 20% drop in that time. Midcap stocks are also outpacing the large- and small-cap names for the quarter. The S & P Midcap 400 index has jumped more than 9% in the fourth quarter, while the S & P 500 and Russell 2000 are up 8% and 5%, respectively. Midcap stocks are typically those with a market cap ranging between $2 billion and $10 billion.

☆ FTSE 100 dips as mixed earnings offset Sunak-driven optimism
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) was down 0.1% by 0747 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) rose 0.2%. Shares of WPP (WPP.L) dropped 3.6% to the bottom of FTSE 100 after the group tempered its expectations for operating margin growth, and Reckitt Benckiser (RKT.L) slumped 3.2% despite providing a positive sales outlook. read moreSunak said he would try to fix the mess left by his predecessor, restore trust in British politics and tackle a "profound economic crisis". Shares of Standard Chartered (STAN.L) and Barclays (BARC.L) slipped even as both the lenders reported higher quarterly profit. read moreReporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK stocks hit by weak retail sales, rising yields
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Sruthi Shankar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) fell 1.0%, while the midcap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) slipped 1.6%. Truss quit on Thursday after the shortest and most chaotic tenure of any British prime minister, forced out after her unfunded tax cut proposals crashed the pound and sent British borrowing costs soaring. Former finance minister Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and former prime minister Boris Johnson are among the likely candidates. UK's retail index (.FTNMX404010) fell 4.1%, heading towards a more than two-year low hit last week. read moreMeanwhile, U.S. and European government bond yields surged further as investors priced in aggressive policy tightening by the Federal Reserve.

☆ Political uncertainty, rising rates weigh on UK stocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 down 0.2%, FTSE 250 off 0.3%Oct 20 (Reuters) - Worries over a deepening political crisis in the UK and rising interest rates globally kept London's main stock indexes under pressure on Thursday, with shares of homebuilders edging toward a multi-year low hit recently. UK's housing index (.FTNMX402020), which hit a near decade low last week, slipped 1.5% as rising interest rates fuelled concerns about affordability and a sharp slowdown in the sector. The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) slipped 0.2% by 0715 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 index (.FTMC) dropped 0.3%. read moreA bright spot was luxury goods maker Burberry (BRBY.L), up 1.7%, after French peer Hermes (HRMS.PA) reported a sharp rise in sales growth. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FTSE 100 extends losing run to seventh day as homebuilders drag
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Sruthi Shankar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 on longest losing streak since July 2019Taylor Wimpey down on ex-dividend tradingHousing stocks hover at near decade-lowsFTSE 100 down 0.5%, FTSE 250 off 0.1%Oct 13 (Reuters) - UK's FTSE 100 extended its losing run to a seventh straight session on Thursday, as homebuilders took a fresh hit after data showed slowing house prices, while investors were cautious ahead of U.S. inflation data later in the day. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) fell 0.5%, setting it up for its longest losing streak since July 2019. The midcap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) slipped 0.1% to hold near May 2020 lows. "Add to that all the confidence issues about the direction of fiscal and monetary policies (and) it's a pretty poisonous combination." read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK stocks extend losses, BoE measures eyed to stem bond rout
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Sruthi Shankar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Meanwhile, shares of pension providers such as Legal & General (LGEN.L), Prudential (PRU.L) and Aviva (AV.L) fell between 2.3% and 3.3%. UK's banking index (.FTNMX301010) was down 1.6% at a one-week low despite prospects of a large rate hike by the BoE next month. However, the internationally focussed FTSE 100 has outperformed UK's domestically exposed FTSE 250 (.FTMC) this year, as a weakening pound and strength in commodity prices boosted the former. The FTSE 100 has shed 6.8% so in 2022, while the midcap index has lost about 28% - set for its worst annual performance since 2008. Ukraine-focused miner Ferrexpo Plc (FXPO.L) fell 9.1%, as it temporarily suspended production after Russian missile attacks damaged state-owned electrical infrastructure.

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