The decision by FTSE 100 companies Compass (CPG) and Whitbread (WTB) to let the general public take part in their gigantic fundraisings is significant for retail investors.Hundreds of companies this year have issued new shares at a discount to the market price in order to boost their balance sheets during the crisis. The majority of these fundraisings have been restricted to institutional...

UK stocks slumped in early trade on Friday, the FTSE 100 down 113 points or 1.9% to 5,902.3, after retail sales tanked in April and China proposed a new security law in Hong Kong that stoked trade tensions with the US.Luxury goods leader Burberry (BRBY) bucked the trend, adding 2% to trade at £14.02 as the trench coats-to-cashmere scarves seller said year-to-date sales in Mainland China and...

UK stocks opened on Monday to another massive sell-off, echoing the plunge in markets around the world, as investors grow increasing worried about the impact of coronavirus on the global population and economy.London's benchmark FTSE 100 opened about 2% lower before sharply falling further by 8.30am, down more than 5.5% to 5,064.70, going close to beaching the 5,000 mark for the first time in...

UK stocks started the week on the back foot as concerns over corporate earnings started to surface ahead of the third-quarter reporting season.The FTSE 100 index of leading stocks gave up 14 points or 0.2% to 7,139 with Aerospace, Banks, Insurers and Metals Producers lagging. Propping up the index were Healthcare stocks and Oil Producers, the latter thanks to a small bounce in Brent crude...

The FTSE is down by 0.78% to 7,644 ahead of the G7 meeting with the world's seven largest economies and fears an impending trade war may dominate the agenda.Asset manager Standard Life Aberdeen (SLA) slips 3.7% to 350.7p as UK bank Lloyds (LLOY) sells its entire stake in the firm, which was a not insignificant 3.3% and worth £344m. Tensions between the two companies had been high since the...

Media business Time Out (TMO:AIM) has been splashing the cash to drive strong e-commerce growth as it continues to transition its business from listings to transactions.The company has a global distribution network, including magazines and mobile apps, which it aims to monetise through digital advertising and commission for online bookings.E-commerce sales soared 57% to approximately £7.3m in...

Investors have rushed to put money into venture capital trust (VCT) offers this year. We believe they have been snapped up by higher-rate taxpayers looking for a tax-efficient place to put their money having exhausted their pension allowance.While a good handful of offers have already closed, there are still a wide range of products available at the time of writing.Venture capital trusts are...

Listings and review brand Time Out (TMO:AIM) falls 2.5% to 136p as it unveils plans to launch a food market in Miami's South Beach.This will be the fourth of its food hubs after a 70,000 square foot venue in Lisbon (pictured below) and the planned markets announced in London and Porto in October. These spaces are intended to offer an opportunity for food shops and restauranteurs to showcase...

The FTSE 100 opens modestly higher at 7,040.6 buoyed by further sterling weakness and deal making in the tobacco sector.Cigarette manufacturer British American Tobacco (BATS) gains 2.3% to £49.13 as it announces a $47bn offer to buy the 57.8% of US peer Reynolds American (RAI:NYSE) it does not already own. The news accompanies an otherwise robust third quarter trading update, showing good...

Further weakness in the pound fails to dampen UK domestic stocks with the FTSE 250 index holding ground at 18,005. The FTSE 100 also treads water, nudging ahead a mere three points to 7,048.William Hill (WMH) is considering an all-share merger with Canadian gambling group Amaya, best known for its Full Tilt and Pokerstars websites. William Hill has been struggling on the digital side while...

Appropriately for a brand with a strong emphasis on writing, recent stock market entrant Time Out (TMO:AIM) could be considered an archetypal story stock. It is certainly a story which has so far received a lukewarm reception from the stock market with its shares down 14.7% on the 150p issue price.There could be a number of reasons for this reaction. The AIM float (14 Jun), which saw the...