UK stocks look cheap on so many different valuation metrics, not just one or two, suggesting a robust, genuine investment opportunity is available to long-term investors. So why does nobody seem convinced?This article explores the scepticism surrounding the UK?s market?s attractive valuation and examines the underlying evidence to support it. Shares concludes UK stocks really are a compelling inve

This year, Apple (AAPL:NASDAQ) shares have fallen nearly 9%. If that doesn?t sound like a big deal, consider that for the world?s second most valuable company it means the loss of something like $230 billion. That?s the equivalent of an entire PepsiCo (PEP:NASDAQ), or Shell (SHEL) ? the UK?s current largest company ? plus a British American Tobacco (BATS) thrown in.On a one-year view, the stock ha

Oil prices recently hit a four-month high with Brent crude topping $86 per barrel after US inventories came in lower than expected and amid reports of attacks on Russian facilities.Yet the FTSE 350 Oil & Gas Producers sector is pretty much flat, like the wider UK market. In the US, energy stocks are underperforming the S&P 500 with a 7.4% gain against 9.4% for the wider market.Writing in mid-March

NI cut by 2% as predictedFuel and alcohol duty frozenTobacco tax increaseWith the UK having recently experienced a technical recession after two quarters of negative growth to December last year, and the spectre of a general election looming, today?s Budget decisions are ?more critical than ever? says the AccountancyAge website.?This budget is anticipated to navigate the tightrope of stimulating e

The end of the tax year is fast approaching and with it the opportunity to maximise your £20,000 ISA allowance for the year.In this article we have identified six names from a list of some of the most consistent funds and fund managers in the UK which could be a good fit for your tax wrapper. While we have aimed for a balance across different investment styles and asset classes this is not intend

£27.3 billion non-cash impairment chargeGlobal settlement with rival Philip Morris Strong performance from new categories Investors in British American Tobacco (BATS) ?rewarded? the global tobacco giant this morning despite it reporting a loss from operations of £15.75 billion for the year ending 31 December after incurring a £27.3 billion non-cash impairment charge mainly related to its US com

Vaping supplier shares down over 6%UK ban on disposable vapes announcedVape sales have grown in recent yearsShares in vaping supplier Supreme (SUP) were down over 6% to 98.50p and Chill Brands (CHLL) fell more than 20% to 3p in morning trading as the UK government announced its intention to ban disposable vapes.Last year prime minister Rishi Sunak said at the Conservative Party conference that he

As we approach the end of the year it is an opportune moment to shine a light on some of this year's least-loved stocks.Rather than look at the stocks which have lost the most, we have collected together those trading at or near their lows for the year along with those with the fewest friends in the analyst community and those which the hedge fund community thinks are outright shorts.If we first t

For the second part of our annual survey, we asked fund managers if they had changed their view on any stocks this year, for better or for worse, and what lay behind their decisions.As with the winners and losers survey last week, the answers were often frank and once again we would like to thank everyone who took part.Thomas Moore - Aberdeen Equity Income Trust (AEI)THE STOCK THAT I CHANGED MY MI

Shares in British American Tobacco (BATS) took a proper pounding after the firm lowered its full year 2023 sales outlook and said it would incur an impairment charge of around £25 billion.Newly-appointed chief executive Tadeu Marroco explained the charge was due to 'the current macro-economic headwinds impacting the US combustibles industry' and a reassessment of some of its US cigarette brands w

Recent dovish discourse from the European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve boosted investor sentiment across Europe on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index closed up 25.54 points, 0.3%, at 7,515.38. The FTSE 250 ended up 179.20 points, 1.0%, at 18,666.73, and the AIM All-Share closed up 1.44 points, 0.2%, at 718.12.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.6% at 751.85, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 1.1% at 16,183.77, an

Stocks in London climbed on Wednesday afternoon, buoyed by softer US employment data which strengthened the case for the Federal Reserve to move interest rates lower soon enough.Investors are increasingly pricing in a similarly dovish outlook for the European Central Bank, hurting the pound but lifting stocks in mainland Europe.?The rate cut narrative continues to gather pace, leading to a fresh b

Group revenue at lower end of rangeShares down 31% year-to-dateRemains committed to 'building a smokeless world'Shares in British American Tobacco (BATS) fell over 8% to £22.66 as the global tobacco firm made no change to full year 2023 guidance and earnings per share delivery in its latest trading update.Group organic revenue growth is now expected to be at the low end of the 3%-5% range as the

NatWest share offer mulledAlcohol duty freezePlans to simplify ISAsShares in NatWest (NWG) were down slightly at 205p as the chancellor Jeremy Hunt floated the idea of a share offer.The Government still owns a 39% stake in the UK high street bank. The concern may be that shares will be offering to investors at a discount, acting as an overhang on the share price.PUBS AND BOOZE STOCKS TOAST DUTY FR

12-month revenue down 0.2% year-on-yearNext generation products revenue up 26%Final dividend up 4% from 2022Imperial Brands (IMB) has reported a 26% rise in operating profit to £3.4 billion for the year ending 30 September 2023 in line with the tobacco firm's five-year strategic plan.Net revenue fell 0.2% to £32.47 billion compared to £33.55 in the same year ago period.Imperial owns several ico

If you started your investing journey at any point in the dozen or so years prior to the global pandemic, today's challenges will look very strange to you. The decade or more market environment of low inflation and ultra-low borrowing costs was a fertile framework for growth investing, yet the reopening of the world post-Covid has cooked up a toxic stew of wealth-sapping inflation and rising inter

According to Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's highly respected colleague and co-manager of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B:NYSE), 'All intelligent investing is value investing, acquiring more than you are paying for.'Or, as Howard Marks of Oaktree Capital Management puts it, 'It's not what you buy, it's what you pay, and success in investing doesn't come from buying good things but from buying things we

Sky-high interest rates and unruly inflation make the future direction of the economy more uncertain than usual. It is certainly no time to be complacent.Against such a tough backdrop now is a good time for investors to take stock and consider if the income they expect from dividends in their portfolios are safe.Investors are often attracted to the highest yields, but this can indicate markets do

FY24 buyback 10% higher than FY23Shares rebound by 3% on announcementFY24 capital return to exceed £2.4 billionShares in Imperial Brands (IMB) rallied 3% to £16.30 as the tobacco company said it was 'on track' to deliver results for the 2023 financial year in line with its guidance and announced a further £1.1 billion share buyback for the 2024 financial year.Imperial, which has an array of ico

UK will follow New Zealand with proposed moveImperial Brand shares down nearly 3%British American Tobacco shares down nearly 1%Shares in global tobacco firms British American Tobacco (BATS) and Imperial Brands (IMB) took a turn for the worse as prime minister Rishi Sunak said at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester that he would crack down on the legal age of smoking and children vaping