UK stocks look cheap on so many different valuation metrics, not just one or two, suggesting a robust, genuine investment opportunity is available to long-term investors. So why does nobody seem convinced?This article explores the scepticism surrounding the UK?s market?s attractive valuation and examines the underlying evidence to support it. Shares concludes UK stocks really are a compelling inve

Mitie (MTO) 105pMarket cap: £1.4 billionFounded in 1987, Mitie Group (MTO) is the UK?s largest facilities management company looking after two and a half million assets for more than 3,000 customers.The firm takes care of buildings from banks to retailers, schools, hospitals and critical government sites, as well as the people who work in them, helping make them safer, more efficient and greener.

Value stocks have outperformed growth stocks by 12% since Pfizer (PFE:NYSE) announced the first effective Covid-19 vaccine on 9 November 2020. That's comparing the MSCI World Value index against the MSCI World Growth index.We have reason to believe the value investing style could soon deliver even bigger outperformance given the shift in the backdrop from cheap money to more normalised interest ra

Fidelity Special Values (FSV) investment trust has outperformed the AIC UK All Companies sector over the past year delivering a 13.06% total return to investors compared to a 10.5% gain for the sector.The trust, run by Alex Wright and Jonathan Winton, co-manager since 3 February 2020, has achieved 11% dividend growth over five years. It currently yields 2.7% and trades at a 5% discount to NAV (net

Optimism that the UK economy may not be as weak as once feared has lifted numerous UK stocks so far in 2023. Yet many investment trusts continue to trade at wide discounts to their net asset values - both relating to UK stocks and overseas ones. It means their share prices are worth less than the value of the investments in their portfolios.According to Winterflood data, the average investment tru

Achieving decent returns has been difficult in 2022 as shareholders in many investment trusts have found to their cost. According to data from the Association of Investment Companies, the average one-year share price total return from all trusts (excluding venture capital trusts) is -13.7%.However, several trusts have really stood out from their sector peers this year. In this article we highlight

Shareholders in UK banks won't need reminding of their sudden loss of income during the pandemic after the regulator put a stop to dividend payments.With the country now forecast to go into recession and gloomy forecasts of up to a 30% drop in the housing market, could we be facing a similar situation in a year's time?The recent results from the big high street lenders were generally robust, as ri

During volatile market conditions and high inflation, investors are looking for ways to protect their income. Investment trusts have an income advantage which is particularly important for seekers of rising payouts.This is because they are able to hold back up to 15% of the income they receive from their investments in their revenue reserves. They can use these reserves to boost dividends during l

Special situation funds should, in theory, be busy making new investments in the current market environment. Their strategy includes finding unloved stocks which could either bounce back thanks to corporate self-help measures or the market eventually spots hidden value within a business which then attracts more buyers for the shares.Given how so many stocks have slumped in value this year - many f

FIDELITY SPECIAL VALUES (FSV) 283.5pLoss to date: 7.5%Original entry point: Buy at 306.6p, 11 November 2021We remain positive on Fidelity Special Values (FSV) despite the 7.5% loss since highlighting its attractions last November.First-half results showed net asset value total return down 4.5% versus a 2.4% rise for the FTSE All-Share index. However, Fidelity Special Values' net asset value and sh

A year ago Shares said it was feeling more optimistic about the year ahead. Despite inflationary pressures, stock markets overall have delivered good rewards for investors in 2021 and Covid vaccines have helped to restore some sense of normality.As we move into 2022, the outlook is still upbeat although there are plenty of factors which could trip up markets.This article pieces together all the ke

Risk-averse investors wary about rising rates and their potential to roil long-duration assets including highly rated growth stocks should look at Fidelity Special Values (FSV), the investment trust with stakes in cheap UK stocks that boast significant recovery potential.While the shares have swung from a net asset value discount to a modest premium, this reflects the fund's strong performance and

There has been a wave of takeover approaches for listed companies, both from rivals and from private equity buy-out firms in 2021.Something we have noticed is that, where private equity is concerned, rather than looking for companies which are on their knees and in desperate need of turning round, buyers seem to prefer companies which have already begun the turnaround process and therefore require

After more than a decade of domination for growth stocks, global markets are finally seeing a shift into value.This in turn has benefited funds pursuing a value investing style. Growth performed relatively well through the initial course of the pandemic with technology stocks leading the way, but the key catalyst for the long-awaited rotation into value was 'Pfizer Monday' on 9 November last year.

Leading UK shares fell throughout morning trading on Friday as a jump in retail sales lifted the pound and hurt export-orientated companies.The benchmark FTSE 100 lost 0.47% to 6,905 by lunchtime with large dollar-earning exporters like consumer staples companies Unilever (ULVR), Diageo (DGE) and British American Tobacco (BATS) slipping by up to 1% as the pound strengthened against the dollar.Heav

Leading UK shares fell in early trading on Friday despite a surge in March retail sales as a stronger pound weighed on export-oriented companies.The benchmark FTSE 100 lost 0.26% in early deals at 6,919.95 with large dollar-earning exporters like consumer staples companies Unilever (ULVR), Diageo (DGE) and British American Tobacco (BATS) slipping by up to 1% as the pound strengthened against the d

With 'value' investing still in the ascendancy in global markets, and with UK stocks still trading at a hefty discount to their international peers, we have screened the FTSE All-Share index for cheap stocks which we believe offer significant upside potential.As well as looking at straightforward price to earnings ratios for the next 12 months, we have included returns on capital - in order to wee

The 5 April deadline for people to use up this year's £20,000 ISA allowance is fast approaching. To help investors who are looking for last-minute ideas, we've scanned the market for good opportunities that can be added to ISA portfolios. The beauty of ISAs is that any capital gains and dividends from investments inside the account will be tax-free.Investors will struggle to get even 1% from a Ca

While we regularly look at how our Great Ideas are getting on we have had reader feedback about providing more clarity on the performance of our investment ideas elsewhere in the magazine.This feature will therefore be the first of several in the coming months where we look retrospectively at these other ideas to see if they have added value.As a starting point, we are revisiting our article on va

Recognising that investors are often keen to deploy their hard earned savings in the market but don't know where to invest, AJ Bell fund expert Ryan Hughes has pulled together a list of eight funds that he thinks will do well in 2021.He's separated them into four categories, thereby appealing to investors either with different risk appetites or specific investment needs.Cautious Investment TrustPe