This feature explores spin-offs or de-mergers, looking at the rationale for them and how they have performed, and asks if they can be a promising hunting ground for investors.One of the UK?s largest recent spin-offs was GSK?s (GSK) demerger of its consumer healthcare division in 2022.GSK reportedly rebuffed a £50 billion offer from personal goods giant Unilever (ULVR) to buy the division, named H

The FTSE 100 hit an all-time high on Tuesday, before returning some gains after somewhat hawkish words from a UK monetary policymaker.The FTSE 100 index closed up 20.94 points, 0.2%, at 8,044.81. The FTSE 250 shot up 200.33 points, 1.0%, at 19,799.72, and the AIM All-Share ended up 5.69 points, 0.8%, at 754.87.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.2% at 803.32, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.9% to 17,156.66, and the

Stock prices in London closed up on Friday, but investors remained tentative as Israel carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran.The FTSE 100 index closed up 18.80 points, or 0.2%, at 7,895.85. The FTSE 250 ended down 59.37 points, 0.3%, at 19,391.30, and the AIM All-Share closed up 0.38 of a point, 0.1%, at 745.67.Across the week, they were down 1.3%, 1.7% and 1.4% respectively.The Cboe UK 100 ende

Stock prices in London declined as investors were cautious due to concerns that the Iran-Israel conflict could escalate, following reports by Iranian state media about explosions in the province of Isfahan.The FTSE 100 index was 47.06 points, 0.6%, at 7,829.99. The FTSE 250 was down 166.79 points, 0.9%, at 19,283.88, and the AIM All-Share was down 4.00 points, 0.5%, at 741.29.The Cboe UK 100 was d

Stock prices in London closed lower on Tuesday as hopes continued fading for three US Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year, and as tensions between Iran and Israel added to investors? fears.The FTSE 100 index closed down 145.17 points, 1.8%, at 7,820.36. The FTSE 250 ended down 354.35 points, 1.8%, at 19,344.54, and the AIM All-Share closed down 12.00 points, down 1.6%, at 738.28.The Cboe

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Abby Glennie and Amanda Yeaman, managers of abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth TrustThe long-awaited turnaround in smaller companies is unlikely to happen just because shares are lowly-valuedHowever, an improving economic and interest rate backdrop could spark renewed interest in the sectorM&A activity is also providing support for the smaller companies sectorInvest

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE The mining sector is not homogenous. On the BlackRock World Mining Trust, we believe this year its fortunes may be particularly disparate, as a range of factors weigh on individual commodities and regions. As we see it, there are three key factors that will determine the performance of mining companies for the remainder of 2024: geopolitics, global growth and infras

Nelson Peltz?s failure to get a seat on the board of directors at Disney (DIS:NYSE) has raised the question: are activist investors losing their touch?Peltz might have enjoyed success with earlier campaigns at Kraft Heinz (KHC:NASDAQ) and Wendy?s (WEN:NASDAQ), yet he sits alongside big names such as Pershing Square?s (PSH) Bill Ackman where campaigns have not gone their way.Peltz wanted to shake u

The cruise industry is enjoying an unprecedented boom with around 35.7 million passengers expected to book a trip this year, up from 31.5 million in 2023 and 6% more than the number of passengers who set sail in 2019 according to the CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association).Going on a cruise holiday is slowly become a more popular alternative then jumping on a plane or a high-speed train to E

European stocks reversed course after Wednesday afternoon?s US inflation, but largely clung on to earlier gains, though it was a bearish start in New York as investors re-assessed the interest rate outlook on the back of the red-hot data.The Federal Reserve?s latest dot-plot suggested three rate cuts could materialise this year. Since the March meeting, however, data has been robust and the odds o

Apollo looking to break up businessLeaderless status leaves firm vulnerableActivist Eminence Capital has board seatShares in bookmaker Entain (ENT) topped the FTSE 100, climbing 5% to 826p on rumours private equity groups including Apollo are eying a potential break-up of the Ladbrokes and Coral owner after it initiated a formal review of the group?s structure amid activist pressure.The Times news

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.As developed markets see higher interest rates feeding through into the real economy, activity is likely to slow. But there are stronger prospects for investment growth in many emerging markets,

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE David Goldman, manager of the BlackRock Income & Growth Investment Trust gives his perspective on the year ahead. Marketing MaterialCapital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.Amid the macro-driven markets of the last three to five years,

One of the chocolate industry?s seasonal peaks, Easter is upon us with eggs from the world?s major brands adorning retailer?s shelves.Chocolates are tough for consumers to resist at this time of year, but is this an opportune time to put money to work with purveyors of one of the world?s most popular little luxuries?SWEET CONSUMER CATEGORYAccording to MarkNtel Advisors, the global chocolate market

Total revenue and other income up 13.8% to $1.2 billionPre-tax profit up 21.5%Strong passenger and capacity growthKazakhstan-based airline Air Astana (AIRA) reported a 21.5% increase in pre-tax profit to $68.7 million for the 12 months ending 31 December 2023.The company reported total revenue of $1.2 billion, up 13.8% on the prior year as passenger numbers increased 10.1% to a record 8.1 million.

Food ingredients business Tate & Lyle's (TATE) recent third-quarter update (21 February) saw an 11% decline in its Food & Beverage Solutions business as it was hit by a mixture of customer destocking and weaker consumer demand. Foreign exchange headwinds are also having a negative impact, while contracts for 2024 have been more competitive due to softer demand.Berenberg analyst Samantha Derbyshire

JPMorgan Global Growth & Income (JGGI) 551.1pMarket cap: £2.44 billionInvestors looking for a balance of dependable income and growth should look no further than JPMorgan Income & Growth (JGGI) which is the top performer in the AIC?s (Association of Investment Companies) global equity income category over the last five and 10 years.The objective of the fund is to provide superior total returns an

More and more UK companies are buying back their own shares. Data collected by Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, shows share buybacks at FTSE 100 companies are running at an aggregate value of £18.3 billion so far in 2024.Despite being only two months into the year, the value of buybacks already equates to 35% of the whole value of buybacks in 2023.This isn?t just a UK phenomenon either

Every investor understands the basic trade-off when it comes to where to put your money: the more risk you take, the more potential reward you garner. The flip side of this golden rule is the less risk you take, the lower the returns you should expect from your investments.Cautious investors are no doubt aware of this risk-reward trade-off, but they may be surprised by the scale of the returns the

The FTSE 100 fell into the red in afternoon trade, as housebuilding stocks fell again, while Imperial Brands slid on a report that the UK government is sizing up a tax on vaping products.Mainland European equities ended higher, meanwhile, though stocks in New York were mixed on underwhelming US data.The FTSE 100 index ended down 1.28 points at 7,683.02. The FTSE 250 rose 36.74 points, 0.2%, at 19,