A key rationale for investing in the smallest companies on the UK market is that these businesses have the most capacity for growth.However, for several reasons investing in micro-cap businesses is not for everyone and has, with some notable exceptions, proved less than fruitful in recent years. WHAT IS A MICRO CAP?The definition of what constitutes a micro cap varies. Natalie Bell, fund manager a

Stock prices in London opened mixed on Wednesday, as UK consumer price inflation ebbed, but not by how much economists were expecting, prompting investors to rethink their Bank of England interest rate expectations.The reading followed numbers showing UK wage growth was loftier than expected in the three months to February. Sterling traded higher early Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index opened just 1.54

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE As investors look ahead to 2024, they still need to decide whether to take the risk in equity markets, or keep their savings in cash. Cash rates remain high for the time being, and there are a range of factors that could create market volatility in the year ahead. Nevertheless, while the future is uncertain, there are a number of reasons to hold faith in the markets

The shrinking UK stock market is a worry for fund managers and has wider implications for the UK as a listing venue as well as the UK?s economic growth, say analysts at Peel Hunt.This article explores the so-called de-equitisation of the UK stock market, or plainly put the substitution of debt for equity via share buybacks and cash acquisitions.More than 45 companies exited the UK market in 2023 d

In retrospect, it seems clear the tipping point for AI (artificial intelligence) was the release in November 2022 of OpenAI?s free-to use ChatGPT system.Until that point, most AI products were being developed privately and weren?t widely available to the public, added to which most were fairly clunky whereas ChatGPT was able to interact in a conversational way, answering questions, challenging inc

Whenever there is a discussion about ?quality? UK industrial stocks, the name Spectris (SXS) is often thrown into the ring although we suspect many investors, while being familiar with the company in a general sense, have little idea what it actually does.Looking on Stockopedia, the company has a 99th percentile quality ranking, which backs up its reputation, but it is classified as a large-cap te

Full year revenue up 13% to £206.4 million£450 million special dividend expectedShares up 18% over the past yearShares in Ascential (ASCL) were up nearly 3% to 307p in morning trading as the events outfit and information provider reported a 13% rise in revenue to £206.4 million for the year ending 31 December.Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest taxation depreciation and amortisation) was

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Imran Sattar, Portfolio Manager of Edinburgh Investment Trust, and Emily Barnard, Deputy Portfolio Manager, take a flexible investment approach because investment styles come in and out of fashion, with economic and market cycles impacting them positively and negatively. They seek to find companies that can grow profits and dividends over the next three to five year

Kitwave (KITW:AIM) 329pMarket cap: £233.45 millionAmong the London stock market?s successful small cap IPO?s (initial public offering) of recent years, Kitwave?s (KITW:AIM) stock has more than doubled since Shares highlighted the independent wholesaler?s attractions in October 2021, but the company has the capacity to deliver plenty of growth and income for investors in the years ahead. We believ

It has been a difficult year for investment trusts as a whole. Discounts have widened across various sectors and there have been a series of failed continuation votes and mergers. Yet some trusts have still done extremely well - relative both to the wider market and their peer group. In this article we shine a light on the biggest outperformers in some of the Association of Investment Companies' m

Energy transition fund calls it a dayIncome fund sets out its optionsUS-listed funds circling the sectorThe shake-out in the investment trust space continues with one fund announcing today it would liquidate its assets and return cash to shareholders and another opting for a strategic review to determine its future.Shares in both trusts jumped on the news, but the likelihood is both will end up ex

Stock prices were up in London at midday on Tuesday, as investors showed confidence despite interest decisions from the US Federal Reserve, Bank of England and European Central Bank coming up this week.Heading into the afternoon, investors also had their eye on a US inflation reading on Tuesday.The FTSE 100 index was up 39.53 points, 0.5%, at 7,584.42. The FTSE 250 was down 4.61 points at 18,745.7

An insight into the extent to which environmental issues have faced push-back in 2023 is the performance of lithium.The raw element, a key component in batteries for EVs (electric vehicles), has plunged in value in 2023. It's an opaque market but most sources suggest prices have dropped by at least three quarters and are down nearly 80% from their peak in November 2022.Understandably this has had

UK shares have lagged their US and European counterparts significantly since 2016 leaving them vulnerable to takeover by more highly-valued peers and private equity groups which are still flush with cash, argue Shore Capital research analysts Rob Sanders and Chris Bottomley.Since June 2016, at the time of Britain's vote to exit the EU, the S&P 500 index has doubled, Japan's Nikkei is up 80%, the G

It is a hard fact that a more unstable world is typically a driver of orders and ultimately revenue, profit and cash flow for defence companies.Investors will therefore be watching the tenor of BAE Systems' (BA.) third quarter trading update closely on 13 November now the world is facing up to conflict in the Middle East as well as confronting a grinding war in Ukraine.Since the Russian invasion i

The market is reacting extremely positively to news of events outfit and information provider Ascential's (ASCL) sale of its digital commerce and product design businesses for a combined £1.4 billion.The digital commerce unit is being offloaded to Omnicom (OMC:NYSE) for £741 million and WGSN - its product design arm - to Apax Partners for £700 million. Group CEO Duncan Painter is leaving to joi

Combined value of disposals £1.4 billion£850 million to be returned to shareholdersAscential to focus on events onlyShares in Ascential (ASCL) were initially up 35% to 292p in morning trading as the specialist information, analytics, and ecommerce optimisation company said it was selling its digital commerce and product design business for a total of £1.4 billion to advertising group Omnicom (O

Given the positive summer trading updates from UK hospitality firms such as JD Wetherspoon (JDW), Marston's (MARS) and Mitchells & Butler (MAB), expectations are fairly high for Beefeater, Brewers' Fayre and Premier Inn owner Whitbread (WTB) when it reports first-half earnings on 18 October.In the first quarter to the start of June, Premier Inn accommodation sales were up 18% on last year while Re

Stock prices in London finished lower on Monday, with the FTSE 100 index down amid fears that the Chinese property sector is weakening.The FTSE 100 index closed down 59.92 points, 0.8%, at 7,623.99. The FTSE 250 ended down 191.53 points, 1.0%, at 18,415.31, and the AIM All-Share closed down 4.91 points, or 0.7%, at 734.52.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.9% at 760.21, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 1.5%

Keystone events drive first-half incomeOperating earnings turn positiveNews expected on strategic reviewShares in information, analytics and events firm Ascential (ASCL) jumped as much as 12% to 213p in early trading following the release of better-than-expected first-half results which saw operating profit swing back into the black.Management also promised an update on 'strategic actions to maxim