It?s been a busy month in small-cap land with good news, bad news and downright weird news for investors to digest.First the good news, as the persistent undervaluation of UK companies ? and small caps in particular ? draws increasing numbers of corporate buyers.Financial services software provider Gresham Technologies (GHT) agreed a 163p per share cash offer from funds managed or advised by STG P

The cost-of-living crisis which has engulfed the UK over the last year or so has hit people in different ways. All of us have been hit with much higher energy and food bills, and a significant proportion of the population is now facing a housing cost crunch, whether that's in the form of higher rent or bigger mortgage payments.People have had to adjust in different ways, depending on their financi

Deal sees veteran Pease bow outConsolidation gathering paceListed UK firms could be vulnerable to takeoversCompetition for customers and the need for economies of scale are driving another round of consolidation in the UK wealth management industry with the announcement this week of yet another deal.Yesterday it emerged that hedge fund Lansdowne Partners had agreed to acquire equities specialist C

If you're looking to play the expected reopening for China and its economy in 2023, FTSE 100 insurer and asset manager Prudential (PRU) could a good way to get exposure while also benefiting from the transparency of investing in a UK-listed company.Following the demerger of M&G (MNG) in the UK in 2019 and the sale of its Jackson Life annuity business in the US last year, Prudential is now exclusiv

- Shares rise on encouraging first-half results- Fund inflows vindicate changes implemented by management- 2023 prospective dividend yield of over 9%Shares in British insurer and asset management firm M&G (MNG) rose by 2% to 222p following the announcement of an encouraging set of first-half results.Although both interim profits and assets under management declined there was a marked improvement i

With stock markets wrestling with the twin concerns of too little growth and too much inflation, cautious investors who want to spread their risk might want to look at multi-asset funds.Rather than just owning shares, these funds own a mixture of equities (another term for stocks and shares), bonds, currencies, and alternative assets such as property and infrastructure.As such they take the guessw

Every chief executive talks about creating shareholder value, but which ones walk the walk?While the investment trust industry can count on 27 managers with at least 20 years under their belt at the same firm, there are very few FTSE 100 chief executives with that kind of track record.The most obvious is Simon Wolfson (pictured), who has headed Leicestershire-based high street retailer Next (NXT)

We all like to have some cash put aside for a rainy day, but if you have more than you reasonably need to meet most contingencies you really need to think about investing the surplus.With inflation running high you need to get more from your money than simply leaving it sitting in cash. Inflation will eat away at the spending power of this money, but you can fight back by putting the cash in the m

British insurer and asset management firm M&G (MNG) surprised the market with better-than-expected full year results on 8 March. This has made investors look more closely at the investment opportunity and we think you should do the same.M&G's shares are cheap, trading on 8.3 times 2023 forecast earnings, and the dividend is very attractive with a 9.2% prospective yield based on next year's expecte

Shares in UK insurer and asset management firm M&G (MNG) surged by 12% to 200p following the release of better than expected full year results for 2021.Investors also took encouragement from the announcement of a £500 million share buy-back.Operating profit declined 9% to £721 million in the year to December 31, which M&G said was due to "lower benefits from changes to longevity assumptions". Ho

Investors welcomed news that City of London Investment Trust (CTY) outperformed the UK market and income indices in the six months through December 2021, sending the shares 0.7% higher to 409.8p.The 6.9% growth in net asset value nudges the trust ahead of both the FTSE All-Share and the UK Equity Income sector performance over one year, notching up a 20.1% total return compared with 18.3% and 19.2

UK stocks closed on a positive note with the FTSE 100 index ending 1.3% higher at 7,470 points and the FTSE 250 Index firming 1% to 21,873 points at the bell.Brent crude futures hit $90 per barrel for the time since 2014, fueling concerns over inflationary pressures and the need to further raise UK interest rates. Goldman Sachs recently increased its oil price forecast to $100 per barrel.However,

The major UK equity markets continued to build on earlier gains at lunchtime trading on Wednesday.Travel stocks were in demand following the government's confirmation that Covid testing will be dropped for double jabbed travellers arriving in England.At lunchtime the blue chip FTSE 100 equity index was 1.76% higher at 7501.16 and the mid-cap FTSE 250 firmed 1.5% to 21,976.03.All eyes will be focus

Leading UK shares have shrugged-off concerns currently upsetting Wall Street as expectations grow that the Federal Reserve will act more swiftly than previously predicted to try and tame rampant inflation. At the same time, tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to grow, adding another volatile factor into the mix.At 9am, the benchmark FTSE 100 is close on 1.5% ahead at 7,479.13, not far fro

City of London Investment Trust (CTY) has been a popular choice for investors over the years, but a period of underperformance versus the UK Equity Income investment trust sector average on a three and five-year basis is a worry.Typically investing in FTSE 100 companies, City of London has been a hit with certain types of investors, particularly those approaching retirement or already in it. The

The FTSE 100 is poised for some significant changes in the coming 12 months such as the removal of BHP (BHP) from the index and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) splitting into two businesses.The importance of sectors like resources, pharmaceuticals and insurance is likely to be reduced with consumer goods and banks potentially enjoying an increased weighting.Over time structural changes in the economy and di

Insurance giant Prudential (PRU) is poised for a major change as it plots the imminent demerger of its US Jackson Life business.In October 2019 Prudential spun off its fund management arm M&G (MNG), crystallising a £5.6 billion valuation with investors receiving shares in both companies.Prudential is now close to demerging Jackson Life, with the process set to take place later in September. Inves

Having struggled for direction all morning, the FTSE 100 index surged from its lunchtime lows to tack on 32 points or 0.45% to 7,164 by the close, led by cyclical stocks including media companies ITV (ITV) and WPP (WPP).Gambling company Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) was the top FTSE performer, rallying 8% to £139.78 after it reported a better-than-expected trebling of first-half profit amid a boun

Shares in asset manager and insurer M&G (MNG) plunged more than 3% to 230.5p in morning trading as investment outflow worries continued to trump operating profits that came in ahead of market expectations.The FTSE 100 business saw an £800 million outflow from its retail arm - which includes the flagship Prufund - shocking analysts who had anticipated a largely flat flows performance. Property fun

Having underperformed the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 350 for the best part of 10 years, September 2020 saw the FTSE 350 banks index stop making decade lows and start to make short-term highs, much to the excitement of analysts and investors.As the market rotation towards value stocks took hold, the UK's unloved banks jumped sharply in the final quarter of last year.At the start of this year, the narrat