CFP SDL Free Spirit (BYYQC27) 160.7pAssets: £66.9 millionInvestors seeking to position portfolios for a re-rating of UK small and mid cap companies and a return to favour for the quality growth style should buy the CFP SDL Free Spirit (BYYQC27) fund. Admittedly, the sister vehicle to Sanford DeLand?s bigger CFP SDL Buffettology (BF0LDZ3) fund lags the IA UK All Companies sector over one and three

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

Former publishing industry professional John is in his 50s and has been investing for decades, starting at a very early age.John became an investor in his late teens and has started devoting more time to it over the last 20 years. He has always had an interest in markets, even when he was a young boy of seven or eight.A CHILDHOOD INTEREST IN STOCK MARKET SUCCESSES AND FAILURESHe says: ?I read the

An investor blessed with Nostradamus-like predictive powers who put money to work with Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B:NYSE) in 1964 and held the shares until 2022 would have enjoyed a gargantuan overall gain of 3,787,464% in terms of per share market value, leaving the stellar 24,708% return from the S&P 500 index with dividends included for dust.Under the direction of legendary investor Warren Buffett

Festive trading better than expectedOnline channel drives growthConsumer backdrop looks ?more benign?Clothing and homewares colossus Next (NXT) has once again raised its pre-tax profit guidance for the year ending 27 January 2024, after sales around the key Christmas period proved better than expected.As a result, Lord Wolfson-led Next has bumped up its earnings guidance by £20 million to £905 m

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

888 rejected a 156p per share offer from PlaytechPotential cost savings of £170 millionJefferies estimates deal could add 20% to combined profitShares in William Hill owner 888 Holdings (888) jumped as much as 18% on Monday to 84p after The Sunday Times revealed the gambling firm received a takeover offer from gambling technology company Playtech (PTEC) at 156p per share back in July.Playtech sha

Stock prices in London opened in the green on Monday, ahead of a US government funding deadline and key inflation data, as insurer Phoenix rose after upgrading its cash generation targets.The FTSE 100 index opened up 48.40 points, 0.7%, at 7,408.95. The FTSE 250 was up 27.17 points, 0.2%, at 17,880.26, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.1 of a point at 701.02.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.7% at 739.62, t

Investor concerns on the US interest rates outlook hurt stocks in Europe on Friday, although investors in New York still bought despite recent hawkish comments from US central bankers.Among London shares, Diageo was by far and away the worst FTSE 100 performer. There was some slight strength in oil stocks, as Crude prices recovered, while defence firms also climbed with contract-winning Babcock In

888 issues profit warning on soft Q3 tradingWarning follows similar Entain updateFlutter caught in share-price fall-outGlobal online gambling firm 888 Holdings (888) saw its shares drop 16% on Thursday after it lowered full-year profit guidance amid weaker-than-expected third quarter trading.The news weighed on the shares of fellow gambling companies Entain (ENT) and Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) w

Sales and earnings guidance upgradedInflationary pressures easingWolfson concedes Next was 'overly cautious'Retail bellwether Next (NXT) has upgraded its full-year profit guidance for the third time in four months following a better-than-expected first half sales performance delivered in the face of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.Shares in the FTSE 100 retailer rose 2.5% to £72.86 on the positi

Consensus forecasts may have been trimmed this year, largely because of currency headwinds and the delayed launch of its atgPay feature, yet the anticipated £36.4 million net profit would still smash last year's £6 million loss, based on Stockopedia data.FTSE 250 constituent Auction Technology runs an online platform that helps connect auctioneers with a global pool of bidders, including busines

The FTSE 100 edged higher early Thursday, as investors nervously wait for the European Central Bank's interest rate decision.The FTSE 100 index opened up 20.25 points, 0.3%, at 7,546.24. The FTSE 250 was down 17.36 points, 0.1%, at 18,544.14, and the AIM All-Share was up 3.46 points, 0.5%, at 744.21.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 751.99 the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.1% at 16,198.03, and the Cboe Smal

It has been a mixed and up and down week for US stocks as AI-related excitement linked to Nvidia's (NVDA:NASDAQ) shoot the lights out performance has gradually been outweighed by concern about interest rates.It's probably not the healthiest situation for the entire market's fortunes to be so heavily tied to one stock and US stocks looked increasingly sickly as the week went on. There was real trep

Shares in EV (electric vehicle) maker Tesla (TSLA:NASDAQ) slumped last week on the announcement the company would cut prices again in China, the number one market for its products.Just last month, the US firm and 15 of its Chinese rivals signed an agreement promising to compete 'fairly' with each other and refrain from what the government called 'abnormal' pricing.Yet two days later the commitment

Q2 full-price sales up 6.9%Full year pre-tax profit guidance upgradedBut growth slowed in last six weeksClothing and homewares retailer Next (NXT) has coped surprisingly well with the challenging consumer backdrop and downpours in July to deliver a second unexpected profit upgrade within two months.This follows solid trading in the second quarter to 29 July, with full price sales up 6.9% year-on-y

US consumer strength data takes investors by surpriseWalgreens Boots Alliance S&P 500's biggest loser over the weekDelicate balance between recession miss versus higher for longer ratesSurprisingly bullish economic data across the pond this week handed investors the doubled-edged sword of lower recession risk while stoking the threat of higher interest rates for longer.In a week largely devoid of

Our investor this week is Andy, who is in his early thirties and has been investing since he left university around a decade ago.A history graduate, Andy puts his initial interest in finance and markets down to his father who is an accountant.'I can't remember exactly what the trigger was,' says Andy, 'but around the time I was leaving university the economy was still just coming out of the global

Matthew Moulding will lose unilateral hostile takeover vetoCompany set to qualify for premium listing and spot in FTSE 250Private equity buyers could return, sparking buyout battleThe founder of THG (THG) is to give up his much-publicised special share, the company announced ahead of its annual general meeting today (21 Jun).The planned move means founder and chief executive (CEO) Matt Moulding lo

Markets in Europe received a double boost on Tuesday, with an easing of US inflation and hope for stimulus measures in China lifted stocks.Inflation in the UK is running hotter than the Bank of England would like, however. The spotlight was back on Threadneedle Street on Tuesday after UK jobs data and as Governor Andrew Bailey speaks in front of a House of Lords committee.Among individual shares,