Trading platform IG is enhancing value for customers through two key changes: a competitive 7.5% interest rate for new clients and the abolition of quarterly inactivity charges.

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From 1 January 2026, new UK customers opening an IG Stocks and Shares ISA, General Investment Account or Self-Invested Personal Pension will earn 7.5% variable AER on uninvested cash up to £10,000. They must place their first trade to qualify. The promotion runs until 31 March 2026 for those signing up by 16 January.

To maintain the boosted rate each month, customers need to hold an active Smart Portfolio, maintain an open share position, or execute at least one trade. Balances exceeding £10,000 earn interest at IG’s standard rate, currently aligned with the Bank of England’s base rate.

IG will also remove its £24 quarterly custody fee from 8 January 2026. Previously applied to accounts with fewer than three trades per quarter, its removal eliminates charges for buy-and-hold investors.

The updated fee structure now includes no quarterly custody or inactivity fees, commission-free share and ETF trading, and no platform, deposit or withdrawal charges.

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Contract proteomics services provider Proteome Sciences (LON: PRM) has won two further substantial Good Clinical Laboratory Practice contracts worth more than $1.5m. The major part of the contracts will be completed this year. This follows a contract to develop a new assay announced in December. The share price increased 25.6% to 3.39p.

Shares in Malaysia-based e-commerce payment services provider Mobility One (LON: MBO) ae still rising and are 24.6% higher at 9.5p. This follows conditional approval to carry on Islamic digital banking in Labuan in Malaysia. The share price has risen 1170% since the announcement.

Cadence Minerals (LON: KDNC) has been granted a Preliminary Environmental Licence for the Amapá mine in Brazil, including the Azteca processing plant. This confirms environmental feasibility for the full mine capacity of 5.5 Mtpa of DR-grade iron ore concentrate. The share price gained 11.1% to 3.5p.

FALLERS

In an update on the Barb Project in Manitoba, Canada, Gunsynd (LON: GUN) says field work is consistent with a structurally controlled orogenic gold system. However, none of the latest rock sample results produced grades of more than 1g/t gold. Funding of C$105,000 has been secured from the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund to help fund further exploration. Targeted exploration will enhance understanding of the project. The share price slumped 31.4% to 0.12p.

Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas (LON: ECO) has appointed Keely Pearce as Vice President, Operations. She has expertise in exploration joint venture management and strategic planning. Canaccord Genuity has been appointed joint broker. The share price slipped 11.9% to 29.5p.  

Geo Exploration (LON: GEO) is still falling following yesterday’s news that although maiden drill holes at the Juno project in Australia intersected gold and copper sulphide mineralisation, together with silver and zinc, it appears that the higher grade mineralisation could be to the south. The share price declined 4.17% to 0.115p and is 37% lower over two days.  

Power Metal Resources (LON: POW) has reduced its stake in fully listed First Class Metals (LON: FCM) from 9.9% to 7.91%. The First Class Metals share price The Power Metal Resources share price fell 3.45% to 14p.

The FTSE 100 surged to a fresh record high on Tuesday, driven by retailers after strong festive results from Next and encouraging supermarket spending data.

The new year has started firmly in risk-on mode with investors looking past geopolitical tensions to focus on possible interest rate cuts, reasonable global growth rates, and robust corporate earnings. 

London’s leading index was 0.6% higher at the time of writing, trading comfortably above the 10,000 level at 10,070.

Next was among the risers after releasing a very respectable festive trading period, helped by soaring online and overseas sales. 

“Next has delivered another resilient Christmas performance, underscoring its position as one of the UK high street’s strongest operators,” said Adam Vettese, market analyst for eToro.

“Increased full price sales and disciplined stock management continue to support solid cash generation, and management’s controlled guidance reinforces confidence in the group’s operational grip.”

Next shares were 3% higher at the time of writing.

There was no read across from Next’s results to JD Sports, whose shares sank 6% on Tuesday and were the FTSE 100’s top faller. JD Sports will report festive-period sales later in January.

Tesco and Sainsbury’s rose by more than 2% after Worldpanel supermarket data showed that festive shoppers were out in force, which bodes well for their upcoming trading statements.

“Data from Worldpanel paints an interesting picture of Christmas trading for the grocery sector as investors await reports from Tesco and Sainsbury’s later this week,” Russ Mould explained.

“Worldpanel data shows a slight easing in grocery price inflation, which seems to have encouraged some shoppers to go on a bit of a splurge. Sales of premium own-label products like Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference offering and Tesco’s Finest range were above £1 billion for the first time, suggesting consumers were in the mood to treat themselves over the festive period.”

Miners again played a central role in the FTSE 100’s latest record high after copper prices pushed higher, providing support for London’s selection of large-cap miners. 

“Copper pushed through $6 a pound to fresh record highs, driven by expectations that global supply will tighten further this year, and worries that potential new US tariffs on refined metals could squeeze major hubs like London and Shanghai,” said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown.

“Demand remains solid too, with copper right at the heart of power‑grid upgrades, renewable energy build‑outs and the surge in data‑centre construction. It’s a backdrop that plays neatly into the hands of the big miners, many of whom have been pivoting hard toward copper in recent years and now look well positioned to benefit from prolonged higher prices.”

Copper pureplay Antofagasta was back among the gainers with a 1% increase. 

Proteome Sciences has announced the signing of two additional substantial Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) contracts, building on momentum from its recent contract announcement on 8 December 2025.

The two new agreements, valued at more than $1.5 million, mark another significant win for the clinical laboratory services provider.

Proteome Sciences shares were 25% higher at the time of writing.

The trial samples are expected to be shipped in late Q1 of this year, with the majority of work under both contracts scheduled for completion during 2026.

“We continue to experience strong interest in GCLP work from major biopharma clients in both the US and Europe and expect further orders to materialise in due course,” said Richard Dennis, Chief Commercial Officer of Proteome Sciences.

“These new contracts together with contracts previously secured provide a strong order book supporting our business through 2026.”

Proteome Sciences announced a third contract from a US biopharmaceutical company in December after announcing a $1m deal in February last year.

Next shares rose on Tuesday after the retailer announced a solid Christmas trading period driven by online and overseas sales.

The market has become accustomed to strong results from Next, but that does not make their festive trading period any less commendable.

Shares in the retailer were 3% higher after announcing a 10.6% increase in full-year sales and issuing profit before tax guidance of 

“Next has revealed it had a very merry Christmas. The high-street stalwart reported stronger-than-expected Christmas trading, with full-price sales up 10.6% in the nine weeks to 27 December,” said Garry White, Chief Investment Commentator at Charles Stanley.

“This is ahead of (albeit usually conservative) guidance of 7% and has resulted in management upping its expectations for full-year pre-tax profits by £15m to £1.150bn. Profits exceeded £1bn for the first time in Next’s last financial year, making it only the fourth UK retailer to hit this milestone after Tesco, Kingfisher and Marks & Spencer. Guidance for the next financial year to the end of January 2027 is for sales and profits to be up 4.5%. As usual, this is likely to be conservative.”

Although Next is traditionally known for Boxing Day queues across the UK, the changing behaviour of the consumer and Next’s strategy to attack digital channels mean the group is now driven by online sales and a notable increase in overseas sales.

“Unwrapping some of the headline figures, sales growth continues to be driven by its online channel, which already accounts for more than half of group sales,” said Aarin Chiekrie, equity analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown.

“Within that, overseas sales have continued to grow at an eyewatering pace, up 38.3% over the festive period, helping to buoy the more sluggish growth of just 1.4% in its retail stores.”

“Next also gave a sneak peek into its outlook for the new financial year, with pre-tax profits forecast to grow by 4.5% to around £1.2bn.

“The slowdown comes as this year’s numbers have benefitted heavily from both favourable summer weather and major disruption at M&S. But with Next’s track record of under-promising and over-delivering, this growth target looks a touch conservative. Next remains one of the brightest sparks in the UK retail scene, and there’s potential for more success if it can continue nailing its overseas expansion.”

The FTSE 100 rose on Monday as traders reacted to the US strike on Venezuela and prepared for a busy week of festive trading updates from the UK’s leading retailers.

London’s leading index was trading 0.1% higher at the time of writing – just beneath the 10,000 level. The index hit 10,022 earlier in the session before easing back.

“The FTSE 100 hovered just under the 10,000 level as investors loaded up on shares in gold miners and defence contractors off the back of US strikes on Venezuela,” says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

“Heightened geopolitical tensions like the ones we’ve seen over the weekend would normally spook investors, but global markets have avoided a sell-off. Investors appear to be taking the view that events in Venezuela will not lead to full-blown war. This situation is still fluid, which means that investor sentiment could quickly change.

“Defence stocks often move higher when there are heightened tensions between two countries as investors believe events could spur governments to spend more on military protection. It was only natural to see the sector in demand after Venezuela’s leader was captured. BAE Systems jumped 4.4% while on the German stock market, Rheinmetall moved 6.1% higher.”

Babcock was the FTSE 100’s top riser at the time of writing, adding 4.7%.

Rising gold prices drove traders into the shares of precious metals miner Endeavour Mining, which rose over 4% on Monday.

Interestingly, away from gold and defense stocks, other traditionally ‘safer’ sectors, such as utilities, tobacco, and consumer staples, were also lower, suggesting undertones of optimism in the first full week of trading in 2026.

This was reinforced by the upbeat session for cyclical mining and banking sectors. Glencore, Anglo American, and Antofagasta were all higher on the session, with Latin American copper miner Antofagasta jumping 3.4%.

Retailers were slightly weaker ahead of a raft of trading updates this week. Next was down 1% while Marks & Spencer fell 1.7%.

The first full week back after Christmas always provides an insight into the health of the UK consumer through the release of trading updates from FTSE 100 retailers.

“Next kicks off a big week for UK retail on Tuesday, with investors looking for another strong update after October’s sales update smashed expectations and profit guidance was lifted to £1.1 billion,” said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown.

“Marks & Spencer reports on Thursday, hoping a solid Christmas can help it move past last year’s cyber-attack and rebuild confidence. Sainsbury’s follows on Friday, with festive trading likely to support its upgraded profit target of more than £1 billion. Together, these updates will help to paint a picture of consumer spending and whether retailers kept the tills ringing over Christmas.”