In a major leap toward commercial fusion energy, Washington-based Helion has begun site work on its first fusion power plant, Orion. The move marks a defining moment for both Helion and its key partner, Microsoft. In 2023, Helion signed the world’s first power purchase agreement (PPA) for fusion energy, committing to supply electricity to Microsoft once the plant is operational. Located in Chelan County, Washington, the site was selected for its easy access to power transmission and its legacy of energy innovation. This project represents a significant step in Helion’s mission to bring fusion electricity to the grid by 2028.…
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Image source: Getty Images The International Consolidated Airlines Group (LSE: IAG) share price started the morning brightly, jumping 2% on today’s (1 August) first-half results. As someone who holds the high-flying growth stock, I was ready to celebrate another day in the sun – but what’s this? As I settle down to write this around midday, the shares are down almost 2%. It looks like investors are having a rethink. Growth still looks strong I can see why they were initially impressed. The FTSE 100-listed owner of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus reported a strong set of numbers. Revenue rose 8%…
Employment data is released Friday which could signal next move. by Michael Mackenzie and Ye Xie Investors in US Treasuries will scour employment data Friday for clearer evidence of a hiring slowdown that could open the door to the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates in September. While the pace of hiring has been slowing since April, the US central bank left policy rates steady on Wednesday and Chair Jerome Powell said the jobs market was “in balance” when explaining why policymakers remain on the sidelines. Given a lengthy calendar of data to come — including two employment and inflation reports —…
Image source: Getty Images Every time I take a look at HSBC Holdings (LSE: HSBA) shares, I’m surprised and disappointed that I don’t own them. They seem to have everything. Looking for share price growth? The stock is up more than 30% over the last 12 months, and an eye-catching 170% across five years. Seeking income? The FTSE 100 giant is forecast to yield 5.54% in 2025 and 5.89% in 2026. If that’s not enough, it just announced another bumper $3bn share buyback yesterday (31 July). Perfect FTSE 100 stock? Even its valuation looks tempting. The price-to-earnings ratio is just 9.95. The price-to-book ratio…
As India gears up to launch its own independent carbon market, the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), by mid-next year, the transport sector emerges as a potential beneficiary. However, the sector—the third-largest contributor to national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, over 90 per cent of which stem from road transport—faces some key questions too. Can CCTS meaningfully accelerate decarbonisation in this sector? What are the actual opportunities created, and who benefits the most?Latest policy movesRecognising the crucial role of the transport sector in emission reduction, the central government has included the same in the offset mechanism—one of the two carbon-credit-earning mechanisms…
Image source: Getty Images Back in June, I got a bit excited about the Melrose (LSE: MRO) share price. Maybe a little too excited, wondering whether its prospects could match up to the incredible rally we’ve seen in Rolls-Royce shares. Like Rolls, Melrose has fingers in both the civil and defence aerospace pies. Its Engines division earns over half of its revenue from the lucrative aftermarket phase, where margins are fatter and demand more stable. The group’s Structures arm, meanwhile, makes fuselage and electrical systems for all the major aircraft makers. It’s also doing solid business in defence as Europe re-arms and…
The government’s recently unveiled 10-Year Health Plan wants to set up to 300 “neighbourhood health hubs.” – local one-stop centres to offer diagnostics, outpatient treatment, mental health support, and preventive services, to relieve pressure on hospitals. To fund the plan, the government is turning to the private sector, but what does history teach us about the impact of this approach and what other options for public borrowing could be considered? Inside the new UK Infrastructure 10-Year Strategy, the direction is clear: ‘Government will rapidly explore the potential to use Public Private Partnerships to deliver certain types of primary and community…
Image source: Getty Images The FTSE 100 is not traditionally associated with high-growth tech stocks. But then again there many ways investors can get into the AI space beyond chip manufacturers or the large cloud-service providers hosting infrastructure in large data centres (known as hyperscalers). The innovation of the internet eventually placed the world’s knowledge quite literally in the palm of an individual’s hand. But with the pace of technological change accelerating and the half-life of a learned skill continuing to shrink, the only factor that keeps an individual competitive in today’s world is to be a lifelong learner. This…
Image source: Getty Images I’ll admit it, I’ve not paid much attention to the Intertek (LSE: ITRK) share price. The last time I looked closely was in October last year, alerted to its presece by a sharp 9% drop. I wondered then if that was the buying opportunity. Turns out it wasn’t. Back then, I reminded myself of the FTSE 100 group’s strengths. The global quality assurance provider quietly gets on with the job of testing, inspecting and certifying products. It’s been around for more than 130 years, employs 44,000 people in 100 countries, and is deeply tied into the global economy.…
Image source: Getty Images Every time we get a rally, people start speculating about the next stock market crash. So with the FTSE 100 powering past 9,000, and global markets climbing too, it’s no surprise the worriers are warning of trouble in August. Reuters reports that “big investors” fear a repeat of last year’s August rout, sparked by oil price swings, Middle East tensions and possible new tariffs. Markets are “complacent”. “Stocks, bonds and currencies vulnerable,” it said. I’ve got two thoughts on that. First, those big investors might be right. Trading’s generally thin in August. Oil, war, tariffs, any of those could…