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☆ 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.

☆ Morning Bid: Dysfunction and intervention
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Amid all the chaos in British bond markets, the forced intervention by the Bank of England to buy gilts has given some investors a crumb of comfort about the limits of central bank tightening. Cold comfort maybe, but enough to drag bond yields back and lift stocks briefly around the world. While 30-year gilt yields steadied just below 4% on Thursday after their 100bp swoon the previous day, the pound was sliding again and UK midcap stocks dropped. read moreEasing inflation in Spain was better news read more . Market leader Inditex (ITX.MC), the owner of Zara, slipped 2.2%, while the wider STOXX retailers index <.SXRP> slid 4.3%.

☆ Stocks pull off 2020 lows, Bank of England steps in to calm UK bond market
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Amanda Cooper | Harry Robertson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A general view of the Bank of England (BoE) building, the BoE confirmed to raise interest rates to 1.75%, in London, Britain, August 4, 2022. The BoE said it would temporarily buy long-dated bonds - linked most closely to workers' pensions and home loans - in light of a surge in 30-year bond yields above 5%, their highest since 2002. "The surge in bond yields threatens the housing market and broader economy. The MSCI All-World index was last down 0.5%, having pulled off a session trough that marked its lowest since November 2020. "The Bank of England is restoring some calm to the markets.

Pros Check mark icon A check mark. Low annual fee for investment accounts; crypto trust investments available Check mark icon A check mark. Tax-loss harvesting, portfolio lines of credit, 529 college savings plans available Check mark icon A check mark. Cash account Check mark icon A check mark. Characteristics of mid-cap companies The companies that comprise the mid-cap segment tend to have several characteristics in common.

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