Ageas made two approachesDirect Line board entrenchedGroup relying on new targetsShareholders in insurer Direct Line (DLG) were dealt a hammer-blow late on Friday evening with the news Benelux suitor Ageas (AGS:EBR) had upped sticks and walked away.This morning the shares slumped more than 28p or 13% to 180p, meaning they have given back more than half their gains since Direct Line first revealed

One of the most popular investment trusts with AJ Bell?s ISA millionaires, City of London (CTY) is a favourite with investors seeking long-term income and capital growth and a gateway to large international companies.However, while the long-run performance record is strong, Curtis? cautious approach means the fund can underperform in some market conditions. On a 10-year share price total return ba

Shares in hundreds of UK and US-listed companies have not fully recovered since the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a global stock market crash in February 2020, even though most major market indices are now trading above that level.According to SharePad data, 196 stocks in the FTSE 350 and 149 stocks in the S&P 500 are still trading below the day before markets crashed four years ago (21 February 202

Spin-offs, demergers and disposals are often good news for investors, although it's not often a firm sees its share price rise when it has to pay someone to take assets off its hands, especially when those assets were previously thought to be earnings positive.In the case of hospitality firm Restaurant Group (RTN), however, that is exactly what happened.The group, best known for its Wagamama chain

Stocks in London were a mixed bag around midday on Thursday, as the FTSE 100 ticked higher after Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey hinted at a peak in interest rates.The FTSE 100 index was up 25.33 points, or 0.3%, at 7,451.50. The FTSE 250 was virtually flat at 18,445.22, and the AIM All-Share was down 4.34 points, or 0.6%, at 732.64.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.4% at 741.94, the Cboe UK 250 w

Motor premiums hiked by 25%Brokered commercial business soldDividend passed to conserve cashAfter last week's unwelcome surprise of a £30 million provision for overcharging some motor and home insurance customers, Direct Line (DLG) delivered some more positive news this week with its half-year results and the sale of its large commercial insurance arm.The shares jumped 14% to 171p, the biggest on

Total interim payout down over 50%Chief executive sees market turning upShares accelerate to top of FTSE 100Shares in car and home insurance group Admiral (ADM) raced ahead in early trading with a gain of 7.8% to £23.70 despite the firm cutting its interim dividend due to 'continued challenging market conditions'.Sensing conditions in the car insurance market may be changing for the better, inves

Most investment trusts provide investors with a diversified portfolio invested across many different stocks and sectors which lowers the volatility or variability of returns.They typically own small stakes in anywhere between 30 to over 100 companies which can be sold without disturbing the market price.Castelnau (CGL) is different in that it takes big stakes in a few companies. It is a higher ris

While motorists have benefitted from falling petrol and diesel prices this year - helping to offset some of the increased cost of the weekly shop - many are finding their motor insurance quotes have gone through the roof, typically with no explanation.According to the ONS (Office for National Statistics), car insurance prices have jumped more than 40% in the last 12 months, while the ABI (Associat

Claims inflation running in high single digitsAverage Q1 motor renewals increase 19% year on yearUnchanged capital bufferBeleaguered insurer Direct Line (DLG) signaled continued headwinds on Tuesday as high single digit claims inflation is expected to impact 2023 earnings.The shares dropped 6% to 154.8p following a strong rally in April which took the shares 27% higher from the March lows. In earl

This article attempts to uncover the least favoured stocks in the UK market. The idea is to identify contrarian investment ideas which have the potential for a strong rebound when sentiment improves.Betting against the crowd when they are wrong is a sure-fire way to make money in the stock market, but it's much easier said than done.Picking individual stocks is hard to get right. Even the professi

For years, Cadbury's has tempted chocolate fans with its Creme Egg adverts asking, 'how do you eat yours?'. While Shares readers may have enjoyed their fill of the gooey stuff at Easter, Cadbury's marketing technique has led me to think about how investors find stocks for their portfolio.'How do you pick yours?' is an interesting question for investors and one that can probably be put into six buc

-Full year 2022 profit wiped out-Company plans to rebuild capital buffer and margins-New dividend outlook will be shared at half year resultsA perfect storm comprised of elevated motor claims inflation, higher than expected weather related claims and challenging investment markets resulted in a 95% drop in full year 2022 operating profit at insurer Direct Line Group (DLG).After plunging 25% in Jan

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

- Annual dividend cut by 40%- Pre-tax profit down 39%- Company suffers higher costs and claimsHome and motor insurance business Admiral (ADM) produced a disappointing set of results with news of a cut to its dividend hitting sentiment.At least unlike rival Direct Line (DLG) the company is not cancelling its payout altogether and the sell-off was relatively modest with the shares falling 4.1% to £

AdmiralInvestors are hoping the insurer doesn't deliver the scale of bad news served up by Direct LineOver the past year, a nasty profit warning by Direct Line (DLG), the cancellation of its dividend and suspension of a share buyback programme have put the shivers into anyone holding shares in the general insurance sector. The company was hit by a rise in claims and an increase in costs associated

- Chief executive steps down after dividend ditched- Slim capital position leaves future dividends in doubt- New deal signed to shore up solvency ratioInsurer Direct Line (DLG) said its chief executive Penny James had agreed with the board to step down with immediate effect as the company initiates a process to find her successor.In the meantime, chief commercial officer Jon Greenwood has been app

Insurance company Direct Line (DLG) sparked a more than 25% drop in its share price after announcing (11 January) it wouldn't pay a final dividend due to poor trading which has put pressure on its balance sheet.Direct Line was hit by a combination of extreme weather and higher motor claims inflation which dented profit and caused the company to reassess what it needed to do with its cash.What is m

- Business hit by 'perfect storm'- Company cuts dividend for the first time- Focus on rebuilding the balance sheet Insurance company Direct Line (DLG) shocked investors on Wednesday after pulling the final dividend to restore its balance sheet and raising the spectre of a possible rights issue.The shares dropped 28% to 167.3p to sit almost 50% below where they were a year ago.The company appears t

- New proposal to take company private at 525p per share- Priced at 25% premium to prior close - Alternative public and private options to remain investedFuneral services group Dignity (DTY) jumped 25% late Wednesday (4 January 2023) after the company announced it was in advanced takeover talks with a newly formed consortium of investors intent on taking Dignity private. The offer was pitched at 5