In light of the implications of the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine, the global growth outlook has dimmed, which means now more than ever, portfolios should be as diversified by asset class as possible to in order to maximise returns relative to risk.Higher risk assets they may be, yet 'micro caps', the London stock market's smallest quoted companies should form at least a portion of a well-diversifi

The biggest director deal over the past week comes from FTSE 250 gold and silver miner Hochschild Mining (HOC), whose chairman and founder Eduardo Hochschild sold a huge chunk of stock.Investment bank JP Morgan placed 61.7 million shares in the company at 200p each for Pelham Investment Corporation, Hochschild's personal investment vehicle.Following the share placing, which represents a 12% stake

The FTSE 100 opened on the back foot Wednesday, falling 1.2% to 6,249 after a spike in coronavirus cases across the globe compounded fears of a second wave.In overnight trading China's Shanghai Composite nudged up 0.3% while Japan's Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.2%.Brent Oil prices were 0.6% lower at $42.4 dollars a barrel and Gold prices were slightly higher at $1,769 an ounce. The pound was 0.3% lo

Fund managers, banks and City lobby organisations are understood to be working on ground breaking proposals that could cut stock market trading hours in the UK and across Europe, opening an hour later at 9am and closing an hour earlier at 3.30pm.The talks, which are reportedly at a very early stage, are aimed at helping investment industry workers improve their work/life balance and encourage the

Alpha Financial Markets Consulting (AFM:AIM) 231pLoss to date: 2.1%Original entry point: Buy at 236p, 7 February 2019Full year results from Alpha Financial Markets Consulting (AFM:AIM) show the business is still growing at a decent clip.Revenue for the 12 months to 31 March was up 15% to £76m and group operating profit expanded by 47% to £12.6m, all due to organic growth.Growth softened in the s

Alpha Financial Markets Consulting (AFM:AIM)Price 242p. Gain to date: 2.5%Original entry point: Buy at 236p, 7 February 2019Alpha FMC (AFM:AIM) may not be a household name but it is a leading global provider of specialist consultancy services to the wealth and asset management industry and counts three quarters of the world's top 20 firms measured by assets under management as its clients.In its l

Vietnam has witnessed volatile stock market swings of late, yet risk-tolerant investors seeking exposure to a rapidly growing economy should not rule out putting money to work in Vietnam.Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 7.1% in 2018, powered by positive demographics with a population of around 95m and an emerging middle class.The market consensus is for GDP to grow between 6.5% and 6.7% in

Small cap stock Alpha Financial Markets Consulting (AFM:AIM) may not be a household name but it provides consultancy services to over three quarters of the world's top 20 wealth managers measured by assets under management.For a firm founded just over 15 year ago, it has an enviable client list including fund management giants BlackRock, Fidelity and Vanguard.Alpha has scope to keep growing this l

When investors buy shares in quoted companies they know that their capital is at risk and that the companies they own could underperform or in the worst-case scenario go bust.If a stock underperforms the market for a long period of time, sometimes a big activist investor will step in and demand changes in order to raise the value of the business and the shares.Edward Bramson took a stake in Barcla

Tender offers are an unappreciated attraction to owning investment trusts. Investors - particularly institutional ones like asset managers or pension funds - like them because they provide comfort that they will be able to sell a stake in the trust without having to worry about market liquidity (namely whether someone wants to buy the shares from them).A tender offer is an invitation by an investm

Alpha Financial Markets Consulting (AFM:AIM)Gain to date: 52%Original entry point: Buy at 166.5p 23 November 2017Our advice to buy Alpha Financial Markets Consulting (AFM:AIM) looks to have paid off and with the majority of the world?s biggest asset managers as clients it shouldn?t be a surprise.The support services group?s results on 6 June really super charged the share price and with a 65% incr

The FTSE 100 is on the front foot, up around 16 points to 7,702 after a poor showing yesterday. The performance follows a strong session overnight in Asia although many are still concerned about the situation in Italy and President Trump's continued rhetoric over trade wars.Book retailer WH Smith (SMWH) gains 4.1% to £20.56 on news that its third quarter sales figures are up by 4% year-on-year. I

Investors owning Latin America and emerging markets funds should check for any exposure to Argentina after the country lifted interest rates to a staggering 40% in a desperate attempt to prop up the peso and gain control over rampant inflation.Three investment trusts stand out for their notable exposure to Argentina. The country accounts for 16% of BlackRock Frontiers' (BRFI) net asset value (NAV)

Alpha Financial Markets Consulting (AFM:AIM) 180pGains to date: 8.1%Original Entry point: Buy at 166.6p, 23 November 2017Shares in Alpha Financial Markets Consulting (AFM:AIM) have burst into life despite the absence of any recent news.The company provides services to 75% of the top 50 asset managers and has enjoyed sustained growth over the last few years.In March, the company released a trading

Management and performance fees may not be the most important consideration when weighing up the merits of particular investment trust, but they are certainly key. The greater the costs of a fund, the harder your investments have to work to generate a positive return.Investment companies pay a fee to fund managers for managing the portfolio. They may also pay a performance fee, if the manager outp

For many investors, the person running an investment trust is a key part of the reason they choose it. They may be attracted to a fund manager's impressive track record, contrarian style or the years of experience they bring.What many investors fail to appreciate is that there's someone sitting above the fund manager overseeing the investment trust. That's the board of directors. They play a very

Many investors are wary about recent stock market floats as they want to see how a company performs as a listed business before investing.We can understand why many people are nervous about new market entrants, given several recent examples of companies issuing profit warnings soon after IPO (initial public offering).However, there occasionally comes along a newly-floated business which has a soli

When weighing up investment trusts to add to your portfolio, cost is a key consideration. The greater the charges associated with a fund, the better your investments must perform to deliver you a return.One of the biggest costs are the fees investment trusts payto fund managers for managing the portfolio; investment trusts may also pay a performance fee if the manager outperforms certain targets.F

Plunging stock markets in China have highlighted the risks of investing in what some have described as 'insanely' volatile emerging market equities. Market moves of 8% in a day - especially when that movement is downward - are not for the faint-hearted.If you own an emerging markets fund, or even one of the popular global growth-style funds, there is a high chance China's wobbles will have had a n

The stock market's smallest and riskiest companies have always held fascination for private investors. On the premise that 'elephants don't gallop, but fleas leap,' to borrow Jim Slater's often quoted phrase, it's easier for a tiny company to double its size, and investor's money, than for a big one. Let's face it, a blue chip company worth £1 billion will find it much harder to double or even tr