Author: Lucas

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Britons, we are frequently told, just don’t have it in us to risk our hard-earned cash on spicy endeavours such as speculating on stock markets. Unlike our American cousins, we are supposedly too timid, too risk averse, much happier parking our funds in safe, boring bank deposits for a measly return.There is a grain of truth here. But try telling it to the Royal Mint, which sells gold and silver coins and bars to the nation. Earlier this week, it broke its…

BlackRock warned investors that bonds can no longer be relied on as a stabilizing force in portfolios, as rising debt levels and stubborn inflation pressures undermine the asset class’s traditional role as a safe haven. The world’s largest asset manager said recent volatility in global bond markets underscores a structural shift driven by heavier government borrowing and a “higher-for-longer” rate environment. That dynamic has left long-duration sovereign debt more exposed to sudden selloffs, particularly when fiscal and trade policy risks flare up. “In this environment, bonds no longer provide the same level of portfolio ballast,” strategists led by Jean Boivin…

Stock image. Chinese investors piling into a record-breaking rally in precious metals are becoming increasingly exposed to risk, as speculative demand pushes local prices well above international benchmarks. Authorities in the southern city of Shenzhen set up a special task force to oversee the operations of a gold-trading platform, according to a statement from the Luohu district government, after investors faced difficulties withdrawing funds from their accounts. China’s only pure-play silver fund, meanwhile, halted trading briefly and turned away new investors. The backdrop to the drama is a breakneck rally in global prices. Gold surged to a record above $5,300…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The writer is a managing director at Panmure LiberumThe tide might be turning for so-called value stocks in the UK and Europe after a remarkable run. In recent years, the performance of value stocks — often steadier companies trading at relatively low valuations compared with assets or earnings — has eclipsed peers with faster growth in earnings or revenues in these markets.The MSCI Europe Value Index, for example, has outperformed the MSCI Europe Growth Index by 17 percentage points in 2025 and…

A savings provider has boosted the interest rate on its Cash ISA to 4.36% in a bid to offer Brits the “best rates”. Plum announced on Wednesday (January 28) that it had hiked its rate for new customers to 4.36% AER, with the bonus part of that rate now 1.82% AER.Victor Trokoudes, Chief Exec and founder of Plum, said: “We know savers will want to find ways to make their money work harder for them, especially as certain offers are withdrawn or reduced following the Bank of England base rate decrease last month.”At Plum, we’re dedicated to offering the best…

Would you live in an abandoned police station, a deserted hospital or a disused office building? What if it saved you hundreds of pounds a month?You may not have heard of property guardianship but it’s a route a growing number of Britons, faced with exorbitant rents, are taking. And it could play a role in solving the country’s housing crisis. Of the 719,000 properties standing empty across the UK, at least half could be used to house people, one management firm told Money.Clearly, it’s not an option that suits everyone. Children are banned, you could be told to leave every…

The successful addition of nickel to ruthenium dioxide (RuO2), by the lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Haotian Wang at Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering, is claimed to have resulted in a robust anode catalyst that produced hydrogen from water electrolysis for thousands of hours under ambient conditions. “There’s huge industry interest in clean hydrogen,” Wang said in a statement. “It’s an important energy carrier and also important for chemical fabrication, but its current production contributes a significant portion of carbon emissions in the chemical manufacturing sector globally. We want to produce it in a more sustainable way, and…

Jefferies recently downgraded Hawaiian Electric Industries to an underperform or sell-equivalent rating, citing unresolved wildfire-related liabilities, regulatory uncertainty, and pressures on customer affordability in Hawaii’s power market. This shift in analyst sentiment highlights how legislative decisions, cost recovery mechanisms, and long-tail legal risks can weigh heavily on a regulated utility’s risk profile. With the stock posting a 4.9% gain over the past week, we’ll explore how wildfire liabilities and regulatory uncertainty shape Hawaiian Electric’s investment narrative. The best AI stocks today may lie beyond giants like Nvidia and Microsoft. Find the next big opportunity with these 23 smaller AI-focused companies…

Choice has identified state-owned power giant NTPC as its technical stock pick for Budget 2026. On Wednesday, shares of NTPC rose 0.88 per cent to close at Rs 348.20 apiece over its previous close of Rs 345.15 on the BSE. In a note led by Executive Director Sumeet Bagadia, the firm has recommended a target price up to Rs 400, a potential upside of nearly 15 per cent from current levels Choice said that NTPC is displaying clear signs of strength on the daily charts. The brokerage pointed out that the stock has delivered a decisive trendline resistance breakout and,…

Whether a sole trader or a company, there are tax and administration steps to consider if you are thinking about ceasing trading. For example, if you are a sole trader, you would need to do a tax return for the final trading period and notify HMRC through your return that your business has ceased. On the other hand, if you have a company, you will need to consider whether to apply to Companies House for an informal strike off or a members voluntary liquidation. Both options will be discussed further below so you can work out which applies to your…