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12 hours 52 min ago

Markets: FTSE 100 climbs on fresh eurozone hopes

London's blue-chip index was in the black for a second consecutive day, after bargain hunters emerged from the shadows thanks to positive noises from China and a whiff of optimism for the eurozone.

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Features

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Diversity the key to income funds
Tue, 22/05/2012 - 09:25

Investing in an array of asset classes and managers is a winning strategy as our inflation-beating income growth portfolio demonstrates, explains Helen Pridham.

Stock to Watch: Lamprell
Tue, 22/05/2012 - 00:00

Lamprell is among the industry leaders for essential oil industry services - at some point its shares will turn up, potentially doubling in market value, says Edmond Jackson.

Birth of new Greek drachma would be pained, rushed
Mon, 21/05/2012 - 13:15

If or when policymakers finally decide Greece should leave the euro, the exit could happen so quickly that "new drachma" currency notes might not be printed in time.

News

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What's in store today...
Wed, 23/05/2012 - 00:00

Wednesday will see the release of the minutes from the May meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee. Read what else is coming up...

Range and Red Emperor boosted by director share buying
Tue, 22/05/2012 - 16:10

Exploration firms Range Resources and Red Emperor Resources surged on Tuesday after several directors backed the companies by buying shares.

Tuesday's AIM news: Commodities
Tue, 22/05/2012 - 11:35

Bellzone Mining, Caza Oil & Gas and Mariana Resources were among the 19 AIM-listed commodities firms that updated investors on Tuesday. Read on to find out all the latest...

Blogs

Richard Beddard
Richard Beddard

Richard is companies and markets editor of Interactive Investor and writes the Share Sleuth and Nifty Thrifty columns for Money Observer magazine. A keen private investor through his Self Invested Personal Pension, he manages a virtual portfolio of deep value shares, The Thrifty 30, and documents every decision in his blog.

  • A lesson in retail
    Mon, 21/05/2012 - 14:14

    What it takes to succeed in the high street
    Fashion retailer Next’s annual report is a lesson in how to run a business efficiently. It’s impossible not to think of struggling retailers while reading it.

  • Why I’m terrified of analysing Next
    Mon, 21/05/2012 - 12:19

    The contrarian investor’s nightmare
    Next, the clothing retailer, has tormented me for years. A model of success even in adversity, it’s so repulsive I’ve never even opened its annual report. But that’s about to change…
    Here’s the chart. Next is at the top of its form. At nearly £30 the shares have risen 1,200% since Sharescope time began:

The Colonel
The Colonel

The Colonel knows his onions. Retired from the military with grown up children, this super-savvy empty-nester divides his time between walking the dogs, the golf and/or race course and hunting down great investment propositions. With his personal motto of Sinil Labore Nihil (or, roughly, Do Your Own Research for those without a Google translator) The Colonel spends more time on the web with ‘sharpener’ in hand than almost anyone else. And being a Colonel of course, he just can’t keep it to himself...

  • McBride comes before a fall
    Wed, 02/05/2012 - 17:41

    HQ: 2 May

    I have been feeling cooped up. The rain of the past fortnight has felt relentless. Yes, I have managed occasionally to sally forth with the dogs for a breath of fresh air. But otherwise, I have been confined to barracks, perusing the papers, feeling increasingly grumpy about the state of the world - and, I admit, finding it something of a strain to spend virtually all my waking hours with no company except that of the Old Girl.

  • Sky's the limit as US (blue) chips rule, OK!
    Fri, 27/04/2012 - 16:41

    HQ: 26 April

    The Memsahib is currently purring like a Cheshire cat, as she has just received her invitation to the Chelsea Flower Show early next month. It arrived whilst I was venting my spleen on the ridiculous Leveson Enquiry. I am bored to tears with the bleating of Tom Watson MP and Chris Bryant MP. I'm fed up with all the jealous hypocrisy from the 'hacks' who have been on this relentless quest to bury the Murdochs; as if butter wouldn't melt in their mouths.

Peter Temple
Peter Temple

Peter Temple was an equity analyst for 18 years. In the decades since he quit the City he has been a widely published journalist and author. Here we get straight to the wisdom from the man who makes his living from investing.

  • BGI odyssey ends
    Tue, 22/05/2012 - 16:53

    It is a little-known fact that the iShares powerhouse, a big player in the now well-established market for exchange traded funds, actually began life as a joint venture between US bank Wells Fargo and the Japanese investment house Nikko.

  • ETF Portfolio: "Suffering as defensiveness to kick in"
    Thu, 10/05/2012 - 15:11

    "Suffering as defensiveness to kick in" is about the best description that can be applied to the ETF Portfolio right now. In the past month, gold has languished, the euro has been weak, and emerging markets have continued to be under a cloud. Since these are the main areas in which the portfolio is invested, its performance has been, to say the least, pretty second-rate.

Commodities News

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Tue, 22/05/2012 - 16:10

Range and Red Emperor boosted by director share buying

Exploration firms Range Resources and Red Emperor Resources surged on Tuesday after several directors backed the companies by buying shares.

Economic news

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Wed, 23/05/2012 - 00:00

What's in store today...

Wednesday will see the release of the minutes from the May meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee. Read what else is coming up...

Business News

Tue, 22/05/2012 - 10:22

Facebook slips on forecast reduction

A reduction in lead underwriter Morgan Stanley's forecasts was the reason behind Facebook's share price fall on Monday, its second day of trading, according to Reuters.

Tue, 22/05/2012 - 10:04

Marks & Spencer cuts sales target as profits fall

Marks & Spencer on Tuesday reduced its three-year sales target, as the retailer published final results that revealed a drop in profits for the first time in three years.

Tue, 22/05/2012 - 09:39

Homeserve hit by FSA investigation

Shares in Homserve plunged on Tuesday after the repair services company warned that the Financial Services Authority intended to "investigate certain historic issues".

Tue, 22/05/2012 - 08:27

Vodafone cuts revenue outlook on European woes

Mobile service provider Vodafone on Tuesday lowered its medium-term target for revenue growth as consumers in southern Europe slashed spending.

Tue, 22/05/2012 - 00:00

What's in store today...

A busy week for corporate updates continues on Tuesday, with results expected from Marks & Spencer, e-therapeutics and Homeserve. Find out what else is coming up over the next 24 hours...

Mon, 21/05/2012 - 16:06

Facebook slumps amid Morgan Stanley rumours

Investors in Facebook were feeling bruised on Monday as it sank on its second day of trading, fuelling rumours its lead underwriter had stepped in to buoy the stock in its first session.

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