[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Investing in Lloyds Banking Group (LSE: LLOY) shares hasn’t been the most exciting trade over the last five years, but the banking stock has quietly delivered some pretty impressive returns. For investors that managed to pick up shares back in October 2020 and held on until now, a recovering share price and steady dividends have given them a reason to smile. What’s happened to the Lloyds share price? In the wake of the COVID-driven 2020 market crash, Lloyds shares were languishing at 27p on 2 October 2020. Investors were still spooked by economic uncertainty, low interest…
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[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images With a £20,000 annual limit, the Stocks and Shares ISA provides an effective way for most investors to target a passive income in retirement. Thanks to the huge tax savings the ISA provides — not to mention the significant compound gains share investing can deliver — someone who maxes out their £20k allowance could eventually sit back and enjoy an annual second income above £15,000. Thinking long term But how realistic is this target? ‘Very’ is the simple answer, based on the long-term returns of the global stock market. Past performance isn’t always a reliable…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images It’s been a decent little year for the FTSE 100. With three quarters of the year gone, the index has climbed 12.4%. On current trends, the Footsie is on course for its fifth-best-performing year of the century so far. Five stocks have doubled! Had someone told me all that back in January, I would’ve been quite impressed. If someone told me that during the ‘Trump Tariffs’ correction, I would’ve been gobsmacked. It’s the two best performers across the hundred that I’m turning my attention to now. These two have become some of the hottest properties…
[ad_1] Tokenized money market funds (MMFs) are emerging as a next‑generation “cash equivalent,” offering institutions faster settlement, collateral flexibility, and enhanced auditability. Recent industry pilots from Franklin Templeton, DBS, Ripple, Goldman Sachs, and BNY Mellon suggest that on-chain liquidity tools may soon play a major role in Treasury operations. Here’s what portfolio managers, treasurers, and risk officers need to know — and do — today. Potential Opportunity Money market funds have long served as the financial system’s go-to instrument for liquidity, capital preservation, and short-term yield. The market infrastructure for these products, in an increasingly digital and global marketplace, is…
[ad_1] The ADP National Employment Report, a measure of private employment in the U.S., said on Wednesday that payrolls at private employers declined by 32,000 jobs last month, signaling the labor market continued to face headwinds in September. More attention may be given to the ADP data this week because the government’s monthly jobs report, scheduled for release on Friday, Oct. 3, could be delayed due to the government shutdown that began today, according to Oxford Economics. The ADP report, which is based on payroll data from more than 26 million U.S. employees, comes as the U.S. economy expanded at a stronger-than-expected…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images These days, it’s rare for me to go a full day without running into an article about a stock market crash. Leaving aside the irony that I am in the midst of penning my own such article, it’s fair to say there’s some substance to all the panic. Want evidence? Take your pick. Jerome Powell made headlines when he warned that stocks were “highly valued”. The S&P 500 average price-to-earnings ratio nudged north of 30. That’s an average of all 500 companies on the index! The Warren Buffett indicator, a measure of stock valuation compared…
[ad_1] London-based Abatable has been awarded Best Market Innovation in Environmental Finance’s Voluntary Carbon Market Rankings 2025, as it rolls out an end-to-end integrated suite for carbon credit procurement.The annual rankings, established in 2009, recognize top performers across the carbon offset industry.Abatable stood out in a highly competitive field for its advancements in procurement infrastructure and carbon market intelligence.Valerio Magliulo, CEO and Co-founder of Abatable, said the recognition from Environmental Finance affirms the company’s ongoing efforts to promote innovation and transparency within the carbon markets.“But this award isn’t the destination; it’s fuel for the journey ahead,” he added.Relevant: New Abatable…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images This year will have been humbling for anyone holding Greggs (LSE: GRG) shares. As of yesterday (30 September), we’re talking about a company whose value had dropped over 40% in just a few months, partly as a result of stalling sales growth. But today’s Q3 update from the sausage roll seller has seen the very same share price jump. Are there reasons for thinking that the pain might be about to ease? Green shoots Encouragingly, sales were 6.1% higher in the 13 weeks to 27 September. At least some of this was put down to…
[ad_1] Duke Energy filed its 2025 Carbon Plan Wednesday morning. Seismic shifts in federal energy policy over the last year have left a mark on the utility’s approach to clean energy.Over the next decade, utilities nationwide are predicting that data centers, manufacturing and electrification will drive up energy demand at an unprecedented rate. Duke forecasts that energy demand will grow at eight times the rate it grew during the preceding 15 years.Meanwhile, President Trump’s administration is phasing out solar tax credits and making renewable energy sources harder to develop. He has also incentivized more fossil fuel use among utilities, with…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Despite a few wobbly moments (April, anyone?), many UK stocks have been charging ahead in 2025. For how long this will continue is impossible to say — we might even be on the cusp of a monumental collapse in both prices and sentiment. But this uncertainty doesn’t stop me from drawing up a list of companies I’d love to buy at lower prices if/when the tide turns. What I look for Now, I don’t ask for much. I’m not bothered about trying to predict the next tech unicorn. Calling that correctly would be nice. But…