The world of fantasy is clearly having a moment. The rise of ?romantasy? authors like Sarah J Maas, who has been a big part of UK publishing outfit Bloomsbury?s (BMY) recent success, have taken the genre out of its previous male-dominated realm to a whole new audience.Bloomsbury?s surging sales and the ongoing phenomenon that is Games Workshop (GAW) are two examples on the UK market which show the

Q3 trading in line with expectationsDividend of 105p declaredRecord first halfFantasy miniatures maker Games Workshop (GAW) gave its customary brief trading update and declared a dividend of 105p per share, equating to total dividends in the current financial year to 420p.The shares traded up 2% to £102.50 on the news, taking gains over the past year to 17.3% compared with a 5% rise in the mid-ca

Deal inked following long hiatusCompanies yet to ?agree creative guidelines?FY24 guidance left unchangedFantasy miniatures-maker Games Workshop?s (GAW) deal with Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ) to develop the Warhammer 40,000 universe into films and TV series has been signed at long last.It has been almost a year to the day since the company announced an ?agreement in principle? with the US tech, retail and

There were several trends in the UK stock market this year which, if you managed to identify them, served you well.Most obviously, although it may not have seemed it at the index level, large-cap stocks generally performed better than small- and mid-caps, although for the lucky few the small-cap space has been rife with takeover activity.In terms of sectors, aerospace and defence topped the FTSE 3

Trust returns to long-run outperformance trendBenchmark-beating 17.6% returnUK mid-caps cheaper than large-capsJean Roche-run investment trust Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund (SCP) returned to form in style over the year ended 30 September 2023, delivering a net asset value total return of 17.6% versus the disappointing 30% decline in the previous year.This beat the 13.6% total return from the benchmark

Shares fall on unexpected Q2 slowdownFirst half core operating profit up 16%First half dividends up 18%Fantasy miniatures maker Games Workshop (GAW) provided a customarily brief half-year trading update with management estimating core interim revenue of at least £235 million and operating profit of at least £82 million.That implies year on year growth in revenue to 26 November of just over 10% a

We are now a little more than a fortnight away from Christmas Day with TV adverts pushing festive products, high streets adorned with Christmas decorations and shops flush with discount offers.The so-called 'Golden Quarter' including Black Friday is the most hotly contested period of the year amongst retailers and those that suffer disappointing sales or resort to overly-promotional strategies typ

If there is one thing investors can agree on, it is that the UK stock market is cheap.How cheap depends on who you ask, but the strategy team at Morgan Stanley believe the FTSE 100 is trading at a 35% discount to the MSCI World Index on a PE (price to earnings) basis.If inflation pressures continue to ease and the economy shows further signs of cooling, there is a fair chance the Bank of England m

Better than expected quarterly sales and profitStrength seen across the boardDividend hiked 63%Often companies provide the briefest of commentary to investors when the news is unpalatable and endless detail when things are going swimmingly well.That has never applied to fantasy miniatures maker Games Workshop (GAW) which, true to form, released a short trading update on Friday.Fortunately for inve

Investors seeking to position portfolios for a rally in small and mid cap stocks should buy BlackRock Throgmorton Trust (THRG), a fund with a strong long-run performance record trading at a 7.2% discount to net asset value (NAV), wider than the 4.7% 12-month average.The sell-off in quality growth stocks caused by rising interest rates has been a headwind for the portfolio, but Shares sees manager

Firmly out of favour with investors since the Brexit vote seven years ago, the FTSE 250 index rallied strongly on the release of the latest UK inflation data (19 July). This showed UK CPI rising by 7.9% year-on-year in June, lower than forecasts of an 8.2% rise, theoretically reducing expectations for the scale of future interest rate hikes from the Bank of England.Yet even after a big one-day jum

Sales and profit higher for eighth consecutive yearDividend hiked 77% year on yearPositive outlook for continued growthFantasy miniatures and board games company Games Workshop (GAW) has delivered an eighth consecutive year of sales and profit growth for the period ended 31 May and the highest since coming to the stock market 29 years ago.The headline numbers were in line with the trading update o

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

Equity markets were trading more confidently early Wednesday in Europe, amid growing confidence that the US central bank will pause its current cycle of interest rate hikes.Data showing renewed growth in UK economy and a promise of higher returns by key dividend payer Shell were contributing to the positive mood in London.The FTSE 100 index opened up 10.82 points, or 0.1%, at 7,605.60. The FTSE 25

Finally, everyone is talking about UK stocks. The spotlight is back on the country after the UK's FTSE 100 was one of the few major indices globally to record positive returns in 2022 and this year it has broken through the 8,000 level and hit a new record high. Hopefully, this will lead to the return of foreign investors who have shunned the UK since the Brexit vote in 2016.Investors can either b

Investors instinctively know sectors such as utilities, consumer staples and healthcare are defensive and have historically provided shelter during stock market turbulence. Yet the analysis usually focuses on sector performance alone.This article takes a different approach and seeks to identify stocks within the S&P 500 and FTSE 350 indices which have had the least number of down years over the pa

Retiring as a millionaire has been the dream of many people for years. In the fanciful world of 'what if' chats over a pint, it didn't matter how you did it, the endgame is what mattered, not the journey. Buying that Ferrari, taking luxurious cruises around the Caribbean, or owning that stately pile in the country was the dream of millions of us, and we played the pools or bought National Lottery

- Revenue up 7.1% in the first half- Pre-tax profit dips amid rising cost and falling licensing income- Dividend increased 65%Some of the recent momentum behind table-top fantasy games outfit Games Workshop (GAW) stalled on Tuesday. First half results lacked any new detail on a possible tie-up with Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ) and provided evidence of some challenges at the business.Games Workshop shares

Fantasy miniatures maker Games Workshop (GAW) delighted investors on 16 December after announcing a tie-up with Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ), potentially one of its biggest licensing deals to date.The two parties have agreed 'material commercial terms' which involve developing Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe into film and TV productions as well as granting Amazon merchandise rights. The product

- Amazon tie-up is potentially huge- Forecasts unchanged for now- Expert highlights one 'big risk'Shares in Games Workshop (GAW) surged 14.6% higher to £83.65 after the fantasy games and miniatures maker announced a tie-up with Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ) for the latter to develop the former's intellectual property (IP) into film and TV productions, starting with the Warhammer 40,000 universe.While the