US-listed large-caps shone last year with shares in mega-caps, and the ?Magnificent Seven? in particular, surging higher. However, this outperformance only widened the valuation gap between US large and small-caps and left shares in the latter cohort languishing at the low end of historical valuations.Over one and five years, the Russell 2000 index of US small-cap stocks is up 14.6% and 30.5% at t

The IT reseller industry has enjoyed a strong bounce back from the world?s Covid reopening as customers line up to put in place digital strategies and adopt the latest technologies, and AI (artificial intelligence) levers are being pulled left, right and centre.International player Computacenter (CCC) said in September 2023 that it sees another record year for profits and analysts have been quick

Bets that the Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates as early as March are starting to look optimistic after stronger-than-expected US jobs numbers over the past week, pushing up bond yields and leaving equity investors pondering what to do next.In a shortened working week, thanks to the Martin Luther King Day holiday (15 Jan), major US equity markets ended pretty much where they starte

Midwich director Fenby adds to his portfolioBodycote non-executive director snaps up 10,000 sharesWise CFO sells over £211,000 sharesStephen Fenby group managing director at Midwich (MIDW:AIM), the global specialist audio visual distributor to the trade market, has bought 50,000 shares at 376p for a total value of £187,885 on 30 October 2023.Following this transaction, Fenby and 'persons closely

Insurance non-exec buys sharesBig Technologies sets up employees trustMidwich director buys after strong resultsMohit Joshi, a non-executive director at UK insurer Aviva (AV.), bought 59,300 shares at 409p on 12 October for a total value of £242,537.The deal comes after several Aviva employees bought shares over the past few weeks, including chairman George Culmer and chief executive Amanda Blanc

Construction equipment rental specialist Ashtead (AHT) has setitself quite a high bar when it comes to its first-quarter earnings report on 5 September.The firm has beaten revenue forecasts in nine out of the last 10 quarters. Moreover, the comparison with the same quarter last year is a tough one as rental revenue was up 26% to just over $2 billion and adjusted pre-tax profit was up 29% to $555 m

First half revenue up 7.5%, pre-tax profit up 14%Momentum expected to continue for the rest of the yearNew acquisitions to boost earningsGlobal specialist audiovisual distributer to the trade market Midwich (MIDW:AIM) has maintained growth momentum in the first half to 30 June, despite tough comparatives, with revenue up 7.5% and adjusted pre-tax profit climbing 14% to over £21.5 million.In the f

Midwich (MIDW:AIM) 456pGain to date: 1.3%We highlighted specialist distributer of AV (audio visual) equipment to the trade market Midwich (MIDW:AIM) as an opportunity to buy above-average growth at a below-average price on 23 March.The shares are showing a small gain since we said to buy, but in general have drifted sideways while consensus earnings estimates have remained steady.WHAT'S HAPPENED S

Specialist distributor of AV (audio visual) equipment to the trade market Midwich (MIDW:AIM) has established a strong track record of growth since coming to the stock market in 2016.Although there are added risks to consider when investing in smaller companies, we believe Midwich is a great opportunity to buy above average growth at a below average price.Sales and adjusted operating profit have gr

Direct LineCan the insurer win back the market's support after dividend fiasco?Having paid out over £1.5 billion to shareholders in the last decade, including during the pandemic, Direct Line (DLG) was a well-liked and widely-owned stock.However, after dropping a bombshell in January with the news it was pulling its dividend in order to rebuild its balance sheet, Direct Line has a mountain to cli

Shares in London closed on Monday steady as markets were closed in New York, with investors looking ahead to the minutes of the US Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index closed up 9.95 points, or 0.1%, at 8,014.31 on Monday. The FTSE 250 ended up 9.48 points, flat, at 20,098.41. The AIM All-Share closed up 1.06 points, or 0.1%, at 866.76.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.2% at 802.15, th

Share prices in London were steady on Monday at midday, as New York markets closing for a public holiday characterised an expected quiet start to the week.The FTSE 100 index was up just 1.82 points at 8,006.42. The FTSE 250 was down 15.42 points, or 0.1%, at 20,073.51, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.85 points, or 0.1%, at 866.55.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 801.35, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.1%

-First half revenues up 46%, operating profit up 45%-Bolt-on acquisitions supplement organic growth-Trading in line with prior increased full-year guidanceSpecialist audiovisual distributer Midwich (MIDW:AIM) continued to exhibit strong growth with first-half revenues jumping 46% year-on-year to £568.6 million and adjusted operating profit climbing 45% to £20.2 million.Excluding acquisitions org

London stocks prices were lower early Thursday, as UK investors joined the selling seen in other European markets, while also digesting another reminder of the pain being caused by rising inflation - this time in the form of rising government borrowing costs.The FTSE 100 index was down 57.83 points, or 0.8%, at 7,032.39. The FTSE 250 index was down 83.98 points, or 0.4%, at 18,807.24. The AIM All-

Some of the UK's best-known businesses are being targeted by hedge funds this year as investors' nerves are shredded by inflation risks, rising interest rates and Russia's war in Ukraine.British retailers such as ASOS (ASC), B&Q-owner Kingfisher (KGF) and Currys (CURY) have seen short sellers make big bets that they will struggle as the cost-of-living crisis spirals, potentially leading to large s

Having rallied immediately after the Federal Reserve's hawkish turn midweek, forecasting three interest rate rises in 2022, US equities are running out of puff as the trading week draws to a close. The central bank also approved plans to ease its bond-buying programme by March, decreasing the risk of runaway growth in consumer prices.The S&P 500 closed at its second-highest level on record on Wedn

The FTSE 100 finished the day on a down note, falling 48 points, or 0.7%, to 7,170.75 as consumer prices increased 5.1% in November, the highest level in more than a decade, ahead of a Bank of England meeting.'At 5.1% it's uncomfortably above most analyst's expectations and reaches the level the Bank of England had predicted for next spring,' said AJ Bell analyst Danni Hewson.But few experts predi

Major UK stocks remain in the red at lunchtime on Wednesday as investors digest the fastest growth in the cost of living in Britain since 2008. 'At 5.1% it's uncomfortably above most analyst's expectations and reaches the level the Bank of England had predicted for next spring,' said AJ Bell analyst Danni Hewson.However, it seems unlikely the Bank will move on rates tomorrow as the UK looks ahead

UK stocks edged lower on Wednesday after the latest UK inflation reading came in higher than expected, stoking concerns that interest rates might rise, with the FTSE 100 off 0.19% at 7,205.20 early on.The UK consumer price index rose by 5.1% in November, above expectations for a 4.8% increase and marking the highest annual increase in a decade, putting renewed pressure on the Bank of England to ta

UK stocks made modest gains on Tuesday, clawing back some of Monday's losses as bargain hunters looked to take advantage of the biggest correction in shares since early January.In the US, the economically sensitive Russell 2000 index traded 2.5% higher and US bond yields rose while technology stocks lagged.IBM jumped after reporting strong second quarter results, trading up 3% while investors awai