Shares and the stockmarket

Shell shows dividend determination

Dividend cancellations from WPP and Smiths Group mean that thirteen FTSE 100 members have now decided to withhold £2.7 billion of payments for...

Tue, 31/03/2020 - 14:25

Why a period of calm would be a better sign for US equities

While investors will be taking heart from Tuesday’s double-digit percentage rally in America’s S&P 500 index they will also be aware that such volatility does...

Wed, 25/03/2020 - 17:53

Why investors need to beware that rallies do not become bear traps

Tuesday’s advance in the FTSE 100 was the index’s second-best individual day in its history in percentage terms and its best in both points and...

Wed, 25/03/2020 - 17:44

Secure Trust Bank’s dividend cut suggests Big Five may need to follow

Virgin Money UK suspended dividend payments late last year thanks to a final rush of Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) compensation claims and Secure...

Tue, 24/03/2020 - 17:04

Half a billion pounds of dividend cuts announced in one day

It is another brutal day for income-seekers as ten more UK firms announce dividend cuts and an eleventh – Britvic – joins ...

Mon, 23/03/2020 - 15:52

Gold keeps falling but it did the same in 2008 (and then look what happened)

One of the most confusing features of the current market rout is gold’s failure to confirm its status as a haven asset during times...

Wed, 18/03/2020 - 14:37

More than £8bn assets now in suspended property funds

With pricing uncertainty in the commercial property market, it was inevitable that funds would have to suspend. This is done to protect existing investors and...

Wed, 18/03/2020 - 14:06

Investors start to look out for potential dividend cuts (and a four-step check list on how to spot them)

The decision by both FTSE 250 member William Hill and AIM-quoted Shoe Zone to defer their dividend payments amid a downturn on trading...

Tue, 17/03/2020 - 16:43

Why markets are fretting the Federal Reserve is running out of ammunition

The US Federal Reserve’s unscheduled half-point interest cut rate on 3 March provoked shock rather than awe as investors took fright that the American central...

Mon, 16/03/2020 - 14:03

The stock market winners and losers from Budget 2020

Looking at the array of policies and initiatives introduced today from the very narrow perspective of the stock market, investors initially seemed mildly impressed –...

Wed, 11/03/2020 - 16:46

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