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The US and European stock markets suffered a micro flash crash on Tuesday. Is this something that I should worry about as an investor? And will it affect FTSE 100 stocks?

What is a flash crash?

When the stock markets are open, buyers and sellers are constantly trading equities. This includes retail investors, institutional investors, and hedge funds. Nowadays this happens too quickly to comprehend, large numbers of orders take place in fractions of a second. One branch of this is known as high-frequency trading. Powerful computers make the trades, and as prices fluctuate, they’re actioned depending on pre-determined instructions and market conditions. A flash crash is when prices dip exponentially low for a short period.

How does a flash crash happen?

A discrepancy in high-frequency computer trading leads to a sudden influx of sell orders, which rapidly magnifies price drops causing a flash crash. As the prices dramatically decline, … Read more

It’s been a difficult year for the UK economy. It’s been constantly disrupted by repeated Covid-19 lockdowns that have forced many businesses to close. However, in recent weeks, financial institutions and economists have raised their forecasts for the UK’s economic performance. The latest is Barclays bank’s CEO, Jes Staley, who says that the UK is on the cusp of experiencing its biggest economic boom since the post-war period.

Here is everything you need to know.

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UK economic boom: what does Barclays bank’s CEO predict?

The UK economy experienced its worst slump in three centuries in 2020. But according to the CEO of Barclays Bank, the country’s fortunes are about to change.

Jes Staley predicts that the UK economy will grow at its fastest rate since 1948.

He stated that his bank’s economic growth forecast for the UK in 2021 is 6.5%, the highest rate in more than 70 years.… Read more

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s largest holding, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), has performed well in recent years. For example, since I wrote about the stock in November 2018 (I said it had the potential to deliver ‘spectacular gains’, by the way) it has risen about 200%.

Is Apple stock still worth buying after that kind of share price rise? I think it is. Here’s a look at three reasons I’d buy Apple shares for my portfolio today.

Apple: incredible growth

The first reason I’m bullish on AAPL is that the company appears to be in the middle of a ‘supercycle’ for a lot of its products. There’s been a lot of talk recently about Apple potentially benefiting from a huge 5G ‘upgrade cycle’ where consumers trade up to 5G-compatible handsets.

However, the company’s second-quarter results for the period ended 27 March suggest there’s more to the upgrade growth story than just … Read more

Looking for your forever home in the UK? A new study suggests that buyers in England may get a more spacious home, and a more permanent one, by moving to Wales or Northern Ireland. Before going ahead with a mortgage application, take a look at the latest data about long-term homeownership in the UK.

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What makes a house in the UK a forever home?  

New research by Bequests looked at eight factors that determine the quality of a home’s location:

1. The number of years owners stay in their home.
2. The percentage of schools rated good or outstanding.
3. The number of active GPs per 100,000 patients.
4. Recorded crime per 1,000 population.
5. Price per square metre.
6. Average price paid for a house.
7. Average size of a house.
8. Changes in value over 10 years.

Which five UK cities in the UK came out top for forever homes?

First Minister Mark Drakeford will … Read more

There’s a broad range of UK banking and finance stocks within the FTSE 250. I can choose which part of the industry I want to get exposure to and also change between domestic and international companies. Even though the business model is similar, there’s a large difference in performance from different banks at the moment. Investec (LSE:INVP) shares have been soaring recently, up 30% during April. So what’s the story here?

A FTSE 250 UK banking stock

Investec is a dual-listed bank in the UK and South Africa. It was founded in South Africa, but now has a solid presence in Europe and beyond.

In terms of its offering, it has investment, private and corporate banking facilities. This makes it a well-rounded and diversified business, but without the large scale of the likes of HSBC. I don’t see this as always being a bad thing, as it allows Investec … Read more