Author: user

[ad_1] Earlier in July, the UK stock market’s flagship index, the FTSE 100, broke through the 9,000-barrier for the first time.  Since July 2024, it’s risen 11%. Looking back five years to July 2020, when the pandemic was causing havoc, the index was just over 6,000. So far in 2025, the UK’s largest 100 listed companies have outperformed the S&P 500. And yet the UK economy appears to be struggling. The most recent monthly data for growth, inflation and unemployment reported movements in the wrong direction. To make matters worse, June’s government borrowing was at its highest level since the…

[ad_1] Financial ExpressIndia ramps up rare earth strategy; eyes Australia, Argentina, Brazil and Chile for supplies: ReportAmid rising global concerns over China’s dominance in rare earth magnets, India is ramping up efforts to diversify supply chains by exploring partnerships….1 month ago [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] I’ve just returned from my week-long summer holiday and spent the morning catching up on the chaos. The sun may be shining over Blighty, but economic storm clouds are gathering. In just a few days, Reeves has been hit by blow after blow, pushing Britain closer to crisis.Unemployment is up. Inflation is rising. Debt is soaring. The triple lock is under threat. Unions are plotting strikes. The Labour left is demanding more taxes. The wealthy are fleeing. Farming is in crisis as rural businesses close at a record rate. The public is growing mutinous, and the small boats keep…

[ad_1] Even as global carbon emissions continue to scale new heights and as businesses try to find loopholes to avoid cutting their own carbon footprint, the carbon credit market has rapidly emerged as a key tool in creating the myth of achieving cuts in their emissions. What began as a relatively niche concept has exploded into a multi-billion-dollar industry as businesses and governments, under mounting pressure to show some concrete actions to curb emissions, try to couch their failure through the carbon credit market. At its core, the carbon credit market is a system that puts a price on carbon…

[ad_1] Image source: Rolls-Royce plc Back at the start of 2025, I thought the business outlook for Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) was promising – but was less enthusiastic about its share price. In January, after the Rolls-Royce share price had already increased 513% since the end of 2022 just a couple of years before, here is what I wrote: “If the company can improve its profitability as it hopes to, earnings per share ought to increase. That prospect alone could see the Rolls-Royce share price increase this year, especially if the company issues upbeat news about how it is performing relative…

[ad_1] I’m a big fan of thematic exchange-traded funds (ETFs), especially for beginner ISA portfolios. They focus on particular industries, trends, or themes that have the potential to make investors a lot of money over the next decade and beyond. Here are a trio of thematic ETFs that I reckon deserve closer attention from investors. Robotics The first big trend I want to highlight is robotics in the shape of the iShares Automation & Robotics ETF (LSE: RBTX). This one is pretty self-explanatory, as it focuses on companies associated with the development of automatic and robotic technology. However, there are…

[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Using money to try and make money is basically how I would sum up passive income plans that are based on investing in dividend shares. With a long-term mindset, such an approach can be lucrative. For example, a spare £5,000 today could be invested in such a way that hopefully it ends up generating that much every year as a second income. That is not based on some pie-in-the-sky “side hustle”, but instead is based on the dividend prospects of large blue-chip firms with proven business models. Why the long-term approach matters However, it is…

[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images After hitting an all-time low back in April, Aberdeen (LSE: ABDN) shares have been on a tear. The mammoth dividend yield of 11.6% may have gone, but there aren’t many large, well-known stocks out there that continue to offer market-beating returns. Improving numbers The asset manager is due to report H1 results next week. Should the positive momentum seen in Q1 continue, then we could be on the cusp of a major recovery in its share price. Last quarter, its direct-to-consumer offering, interactive investor (ii) continued its strong growth momentum. Total customer numbers were up…

[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images While there may be lots of doom and gloom surrounding the British economic outlook, that is not obvious from the performance of the FTSE 100 index of leading UK shares. This week, the FTSE 100 hit a new all-time high. Over the past five years, it has grown 49%. That is well below the 98% increase in the US S&P 500 index over that timeframe. But I think 49% growth in five years is creditable performance. On top of that, the FTSE 100 dividend yield of 3.3% is significantly higher than the 1.3% of the…

[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Putting money into shares that pay dividends is one way to earn passive income streams. As dividends are never guaranteed, the savvy investor will spread their money across multiple shares. Here are three I think it is worth considering as one tries to build passive income streams for the long term. Henderson Far East Income To start with is a high-yield one. In fact, the 10.8% dividend yield of Henderson Far East Income is something of a red flag. Often such a high yield can suggest the City is nervous about the prospect of dividend…