After almost closing at a new high in early April, the UK?s blue-chip FTSE 100 has finally made it into the ranks of indices hitting new all-time highs thanks to a 4.5% gain since the start of January.On 22 April the index reached its highest ever close and on 23 April it moved through its previous intra-day high.The UK clearly isn?t in the same league as the US, where the S&P 500 has notched up n

ICG Enterprise Trust (ICG) Price: £11.66Market cap: £783 millionA 40.5% discount to NAV (net asset value) on ICG Enterprise Trust (ICGT) looks a compelling value opportunity for investors seeking exposure to a private equity portfolio with a history of delivering resilient sales and earnings growth.While the nature of the unquoted investments made by the trust means some discount is almost inevi

Just before Christmas we wrote about the FTSE 100?s 40th birthday which was coming up at the start of 2024.It felt too much of an open goal not to talk in terms of a mid-life crisis and life beginning at 40.The fear we expressed then and one which has been reinforced now is the London market, which obviously underpins the FTSE 100, would take drastic steps to feel young again and revive its fortun

Stock prices in London ended in the red on Wednesday, as falling oil prices and regulatory fears for the UK's tobacco sector knocked blue-chip stocks like Shell and Imperial Brands.The mood in mainland Europe and over in New York was calmer, though there is still unease lingering in global equities, with all eyes on the bond market despite a less dramatic day there on Wednesday.Bond sell-offs, pus

According to the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), private equity trusts delivered an average return of 409% over the 10 years to 31 May 2023, which compares very favourably to 156% for all investment companies.Yet despite this spectacular long-run performance, 14 out of 17 trusts in the AIC's Private Equity sector trade on double-digit discounts to NAV (net asset value) at the time of wr

London share prices lacked direction at midday on Friday, with most of the US still on holiday, though indices still were set to register a gain for the week as a whole.The FTSE 100 index was up 20.57, 0.3%, at 7,487.17. The FTSE 250 was down 90.37 points, 0.5%, at 19,449.97 and the AIM All-Share was 1.14 points, 0.1%, at 845.53.The three stock indices were on track to end the week up 1.4%, 0.9%,

Stocks in London continued last week's upward trajectory on Monday, as investor sentiment continues to improve despite concerns over interest rate hikes and a global slowdown in growth.The FTSE 100 index closed up 49.51 points, or 0.7%, at 7,258.32 on Monday. The FTSE 250 ended up 1.0%, or 195.24 points, at 19,318.95, and the AIM All-Share closed up 7.22 points, or 0.8%, at 903.49.The Cboe UK 100

The simple option for investors these days is to choose a tracker fund which mirrors a certain part of the market. Therefore, actively managed funds really need to add value and deliver market-beating returns if they are to convince investors not to go for the easy option of a tracker fund.There are numerous investment trusts offering broad exposure to specific geographies or investment styles lik

The private equity sector has been the standout performer this year, according to a new research report by broker Stifel. The study highlighted the best and worst performing investment trusts in a third quarter sector review, and the results show that investors have increasingly been drawn to private equity for net asset value (NAV) growth.UK small caps and UK real estate also performed well, whil

London's FTSE 100 enjoyed a material recovery in afternoon trading to close Monday's session up 0.6% at 7,062.29 points, while the more domestically-focused FTSE 250 ended 0.6% higher at 22,457.1.This followed a positive start to trading in the US, where the S&P 500 rose 1.2% to 4,217.48 by 4.30pm UK time as concerns surrounding the US Federal Reserve's accelerated rate rise timetable abated.MORRI

In 2021, as we move into the recovery phase of the coronavirus crisis, emerging markets are rebounding sharply. In this article we explore why you should consider investing in this space and the case for looking at some of the less well-explored options alongside the dominant Chinese market.2020 proved a very up and down year for emerging markets (EM), which plunged to record lows in March amid th

The 29.2% discount to net asset value at ICG Enterprise (ICGT) represents an excellent opportunity to gain targeted exposure to the private equity space.The trust has typically traded at a discount to reflect its exposure to unlisted assets which do not have a daily market value. However, given its long-term track record and a compelling strategy the current gap between the NAV and share price loo

Many investment trusts offer high yields which might tempt some investors in the current environment. But are they more trouble than they're worth?Some may be worth pursuing, while others can have complex investment models and come with underappreciated risks.HOW MUCH CAN YOU GET?Data from the Association of Investment Companies implies there are numerous investment trusts offering yields of 8% to

ICG Enterprise (ICGT) 898pGain to date: 10.7%Original entry price: Buy at 811p, 31 January 2019Our faith in private equity investment trust ICG Enterprise (ICGT) is finally being rewarded after a strong set of first half results (3 Oct).The fund generated a net asset value (NAV) total return of 12.4%. This was supported by the top 30 holdings, accounting for 48% of the fund's total value, which sa

ICG Enterprise (ICGT) 860.2pGain to date: 6.1%Original entry price: Buy at 811p, 31 January 2019Slowly but surely private equity investment trust ICG Enterprise (ICGT) is starting to narrow the still significant discount to net asset value endured by the shares.This process was supported by a strong set of full year numbers for the year to 31 January 2019. The net asset value at the end of the per

In recent months the discount to net asset value (NAV) at private equity investment trust ICG Enterprise (ICGT) has widened dramatically despite no significant change in the management, strategy or fortunes of the fund.This has created a compelling value opportunity for investors. A recently published quarterly NAV update covering the three months to 31 October 2018 brought home the scale of this

Shipping and transport group Irish Continental (ICGC) has taken steps to accelerate future earnings growth after investing more than €300m in two new ships.This investment is a display of confidence in the future despite the potential for disruption from Brexit.Irish Continental owns Irish Ferries, comprising five modern ferries on routes between Ireland and the UK, as well as between Ireland

Investors tend to flock to the most popular options when it comes to choosing investment funds and trusts. This herd mentality means many people are missing out on some first-class investments simply because they are under the radar.But seeking out these lesser-known names could provide a serious boost to your returns; several investment trusts which would have tripled your money over the past fiv

Record issuance of investment company shares during the first half of 2017 has propelled industry assets to an all-time high of £167.9bn.Ten new initial public offerings raised £1.5bn, while secondary issuance reached £3.3bn - a record over a half-year period.The closed-end structure holds benefits for a range of investors: gearing (borrowing money to invest alongside shareholders' capital) can

UK investors may feel there are more questions than answers as we hurtle towards Brexit and detailed negotiations on a deal with Europe. That won't change in the short-term regardless of the outcome of today's General Election and the identity of the next government. That suggests, in our opinion, that buying market experience into your portfolio could be a sensible move, and few fund managers hav