Even today?s market giants started out small. Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ) may now be the world?s largest company with a $3 trillion valuation which rivals the GDP of some major global economies but it began life as a start-up founded by Harvard College drop-out Bill Gates and his childhood friend Paul Allen. Few then would have predicted its global domination today.While we are not expecting the names

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

After a strong 2022 as energy prices surged in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UK's contingent of UK small and mid-cap oil and gas companies has endured a much more challenging time in 2023. Windfall taxes have taken a big bite out of profits and commodity markets have fallen back as fears of recession dampen demand expectations.Facing the prospect of an unstable and more onerous fis

There was little doubt about the part of its latest results which Harbour Energy (HBR) wanted the market to focus on.Whereas companies often look to flatter their headline profit numbers, the opposite seemed to be true when Harbour, previously known as Premier Oil, reported full-year results on 9 March. Pre-tax profit of $2.46 billion had effectively been wiped out by the energy profits levy with

- Open letter expresses 'unmitigated disgust' with Serica's proposed acquisition of Tailwind Energy- Writer claims entities he manages have a beneficial interest of 1.3 million shares- Company had hailed the deal as 'increasing scale and diversity of asset base'An open letter was published online this morning voicing strong criticism of Serica Energy's (SQZ:AIM) £367 million acquisition of fellow

- Multi-cap trust underperforms due to small cap bias- Dividend cover restored- Cranswick and Marshalls among new purchasesJanus Henderson-managed Lowland (LWI) underperformed the FTSE All-Share in the year to September 2022 as the multi-cap trust's bias to higher-yielding shares and smaller companies lagged an index with a pronounced large cap bent.On the positive side of the ledger, the annual d

As investors debate whether the next move in markets is up or down, it's worth noting that there are a group of stocks which are quietly making new 52-week and multi-year highs and even a few making new all-time highs.While some are involved in special situations, such as bid talks, and some are related to the unprecedented surge in energy prices, the most interesting from our point of view are th

A healthy number of lesser-known businesses have done very well in share price terms since coming to market in the last two years, with price appreciation reflecting strong operational performances or the fact they sate voracious investor appetite for a particular theme.Readers will be familiar with high-profile post-pandemic newcomers on the London Stock Exchange (LSGE) trading above their issue

Geopolitical ructions and rising interest rates have seemingly failed to stem the appetite for global takeover activity according to analysis from consultants Earnest & Young (EY).And the UK financial services industry recorded a seven-year high of 136 deals in in the first half of 2022, although their £8.6 billion combined value was 18% down on 2021 levels.While a recent survey of UK M&A profess

A potential merger between North Sea gas producers Kistos (KIST:AIM) and its larger peer Serica Energy (SQZ:AIM) could create a FTSE 250 outfit with wider strategic importance.Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its recent renewed threat to cut off gas supplies to Europe, plus the role of gas as a bridge between more polluting fossil fuels and renewables as countries advance their net zero ambitions,

Oil and gas investor Kistos (KIST:AIM) has revealed plans for a £1 billion tie-up with its larger rival Serica Energy (SQZ:AIM).London-based energy industry investor Kistos said its proposed combination terms valued Serica at 382p per share or a 25% premium to yesterday's closing share price of 305p.Kistos is offering 0.2932 new Kistos shares and 246p in cash for each Serica share. Under the term

It's time to sell shares in FTSE 100 oil producer Shell (SHEL), according to Henderson Opportunities Trust (HOT) manager James Henderson.The trust will slowly reduce its position and recycle the proceeds into unloved AIM shares.Sentiment has shifted for AIM stocks. Two years ago, a wave of retail money bid them up but now many of these investors have bailed out, and few institutional investors hav

The human tragedy unfolding in Ukraine is having dramatic ramifications across the world, not least in the energy market.The US has banned the import of Russian oil, LNG (liquefied natural gas) and coal. Europe is not able to turn the taps off overnight as it is more reliant on Russia to meet its energy needs. However, the direction of travel is clear - the West is committed to weaning itself off

For now, the escalating conflict in Ukraine shows no signs of easing. After the initial shock, markets were hopeful the economic impact of the war might be contained as the West's opening salvo of sanctions in response to Russia's invasion (24 Feb) were weaker than some had anticipated.However, any relief soon dissipated as Ukraine put up stiff resistance against the Russian invaders and sanctions

'Form is temporary, class is permanent' runs the old adage often used to describe sportsmen and sportswomen, though the maxim can also be applied in the investment industry, where you'll find a cohort of collectives that consistently do the business for their holders.Funds that routinely outperform over economic and stock market cycles must be pursuing a winning process that should pique the inter

Soaring energy prices and fuel shortages are leading to punch ups at the pumps and spiralling bills for consumers and businesses. However, the current turmoil is not bad news for everyone.The oil and gas sector, which has been a strong performer so far in 2021, is gathering even greater momentum as we head into autumn as natural gas markets reach record levels and oil trades above $80 per barrel f

It may have started in Europe, but the mounting energy crisis is going global as a combination of factors affecting supplyand a post-pandemic surge in demand create a perfect storm.There are two main upshots. First, the increased cost of energy could threaten to stop the post-Covid rebound in its tracks, increasing costs for businesses and affecting consumers' ability to spend.Second, it will only

Investors have been spoiled for themes that could act as share price catalysts of late.Sometimes you need to act quickly as often the big share price movements have already been made before the theme hits the mainstream news. That shouldn't stop you looking, as many trends can remain intact for longer than you think.There are currently some clear trends relevant to the stock market, including a su

The double-digit discount to net asset at Henderson Opportunities Trust (HOT) looks unjustified given its long-term track record.Trading 14.7% below its NAV, the investment trust has delivered a total return of 318.5% over the last 10 years.This puts it near the top of the AIC's UK All Companies category in terms of performance and yet it offers the largest discount.A focus on UK value opportuniti

The FTSE 100 struggled for direction on Tuesday as inflation levels continued to accelerate in the US, with the blue chip benchmark ending the session pretty much flat at 7,124.72 points.By 4.30pm UK time the S&P 500 index in the US was up 0.1% at 4,390.52.The CPI print of 0.9% for June was very much stronger than expectations of a 0.5% advance, leaving the Federal Reserve's repeated assertions th