THIS IS AN ADVERTISING PROMOTION It has long been part of the Aberdeen Standard Investments philosophy that returns from ‘quality’ companies are more resilient over the long-term. We believe quality becomes particularly important in difficult environments, such as those in which we find ourselves. In this podcast, we are joined by Bruce Stout, manager of Murray International Trust, Hugh ...

After the whirlwind of around a month ago when it seemed there were bargains galore with company share prices, significant director dealing activity has tailed off somewhat in the past few weeks. But there are still plenty of notable transactions, with two multi-million pound buys and sells catching the eye. HIKMA BOSS SELLS £33M WORTH OF SHARES According to an announcement ...

Former ‘market darling’ WH Smith (SMWH) has revealed the extent to which its business has been impacted by the coronavirus and the subsequent global lockdown. While sales in the first six months of its financial year to 29 February were up 7%, thanks to a 19% increase in travel revenues, the enforced closure of the majority of its UK high street and UK and international travel operations ...

Shares in high end timepiece purveyor Watches of Switzerland (WOSG) ticked 2.75p higher to 223.25p on news of better than expected full year sales, boosted by a surge in online sales during the lockdown period. Understandably Watches of Switzerland has pulled previously issued guidance for 2021 amid COVID-19 uncertainty, yet there was relief as the Rolex watches-to-prestige jewellery retailer ...

Emerging markets in Asia present a great opportunity for both growth and income investors, says the world's largest active fund manager, BlackRock. ‘While many unknowns remain, we believe emerging markets and Asia can get through this well on a relative basis,’ says Gordon Fraser. He manages the BlackRock Emerging Markets Fund (B4R9F68) alongside sidekick Kevin Jia. The fund manager ...

Shares in specialist infection prevention and control company Byotrol (BYOT:AIM) surged 18% to 5.5p today after the company announced two new licence agreements and said it expected record first quarter sales. Chief executive David Traynor commented, ‘our team is now increasingly focused on the longer term, positioning for the post COVID-19 world by entering into new agreements that will ...

The FTSE 100 slumped in early trade on Thursday as investors mull the threat of a resurgence in coronavirus cases. This comes after several countries, which have recently eased lockdown restrictions, reported a renewed spike in infections. Germany, China and South Korea have struggled to put a lid on new Covid-19 cases and are bracing themselves for a second wave of outbreaks and re-imposing ...

Shares in luxury sports carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) are now worth less than 10% of their IPO value after the latest share price plunge. The British marque was worth £4.3bn when its shares starting trading on the stock market in October 2018 at £19. That valuation is equivalent to £5.50 today. But after reporting a sharp fall in first quarter sales, ballooning losses and pulling ...

Shares in Anglo German holiday giant TUI (TUI) dropped 1.5% to 260p after it warned that the impact from the coronavirus pandemic is the ‘greatest crisis the tourism industry and TUI has ever faced’. Its half year results to 31 March revealed a cruel twist of fate for the tour operator, as it said the first five months of its current financial year saw an ‘exceptional start’ to its ...

The board of Brunner Investment Trust (BUT), managed by Allianz Global Investors, has announced that lead manager Lucy Macdonald has stepped down and Matthew Tillett, who has worked on the trust for several years, has taken over the lead role. Tillett will be supported by global manager Jeremy Kent and Marcus Morris-Eyton, a long-standing member of Allianz’s European Growth team. The ...