There were several trends in the UK stock market this year which, if you managed to identify them, served you well.Most obviously, although it may not have seemed it at the index level, large-cap stocks generally performed better than small- and mid-caps, although for the lucky few the small-cap space has been rife with takeover activity.In terms of sectors, aerospace and defence topped the FTSE 3

In light of the implications of the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine, the global growth outlook has dimmed, which means now more than ever, portfolios should be as diversified by asset class as possible to in order to maximise returns relative to risk.Higher risk assets they may be, yet 'micro caps', the London stock market's smallest quoted companies should form at least a portion of a well-diversifi

With its signature green and yellow branding, Deere may be the most recognisable tractor maker in the world, but it does a lot more besides selling farm equipment.With the war in Ukraine highlighting the importance of food production and food security as well as efficient farming practices, Deere's cutting edge agricultural equipment could be in strong demand.Many of its products use up-to-the-min

The world is on the cusp of the most consequential disruption in food and agricultural production since domestication of plants and animals began thousands of years ago.As highlighted in Baillie Gifford's 2020 'Positive Change Impact Report', in 2050, the global population is expected to reach 10 billion, up from around 8 billion today.This explosive population growth will require global food prod

We think a 7.5% discount to net asset value (NAV) on Henderson EuroTrust (HNE) offers an attractive entry point for investors seeking exposure to some of the highest qualities companies in continental Europe. This market remains largely out of favour, yet offers significant re-rating opportunities.After 25 years under the stewardship of Tim Stevenson, Henderson EuroTrust is now managed by Jamie Ro

Although vegan diets have existed for thousands of years, practiced by many societies for religious and health reasons, veganism is now one of the fastest growing trends in the food industry.Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK are taking part in this month's 'Veganuary' challenge in a bid to benefit health and wellbeing while simultaneously combating climate change.Veganism's meteoric rise i

Sentiment towards UK stocks has dramatically improved since the December general election vote result, as evidenced by widespread gains among UK-focused funds and investment trusts.FE Fundinfo data mined by Shares shows the most obvious open-ended fund beneficiaries of the 'Boris Bounce' from across the IA UK Equity Income, IA UK All Companies and IA UK Smaller Companies sectors have been the cons

Many micro-cap funds are struggling as investors shun the very bottom part of the UK stock market. Weaker sentiment towards illiquid stocks in the wake of the Woodford fund suspension also doesn't help matters.The fund managers targeting this space remain confident there is value to be generated from buying select smaller companies. They look for valuation anomalies where stocks trade at a discoun

'We go global to hunt down the best, most sustainable income ideas,' says Mark Whitehead, manager of the quarterly-dividend paying Securities Trust of Scotland (STS).This is an investment trust generating a geographically diverse source of income from a carefully selected cohort of high quality businesses.With average retirement in the UK expected to last 19 years, this trust should be front of mi

Macroeconomic uncertainties, the return of volatility and political turmoil suggest diversification will prove a key investment watchword in 2019.One way in which investors can diversify portfolios is by allocating funds to UK micro caps, often agile and fast-growing minnows offering better value relative to larger caps; they fly under the radar of big institutional investors and are generally les

Investment trust shares can trade either at a discount or a premium to their underlying assets or net asset value (NAV), depending on factors such as current market appetite for the strategy or the performance track record of the manager.While share prices that trade at a discount to NAV are quite common for closed-ended funds, sometimes these discounts become unduly wide or narrow and do not adeq

For 'bottom-up' stock pickers, face-to-face meetings with company management can be the key to obtaining a competitive investment edge. Other professional fund managers, however, prefer to pore over annual reports and undertake forensic analysis of the profit and loss account and balance sheet. By investing purely on the fundamentals, they seek to avoid allowing management teams led by skilled pre

Fans of small cap stocks are being treated to two new investment trusts targeting the lower end of the market cap spectrum.The Stewart Investors-managed ScotGems investment trust will launch in June, targeting smaller companies in the emerging markets space. Keep reading this article to get the full details on that product.Before we discuss ScotGems, it is also worth noting the fresh launch (9 May