Given the depressed valuation of the UK stock market ? and the even more depressed valuation of UK commercial property ? it was only a matter of time before someone came up with a fund to seize on the opportunities on offer.Enter Special Opportunities REIT, a new internally-managed real estate investment trust aimed at capitalising on the abundance of value in the UK commercial property sector...

London's FTSE 100 edged 0.21% higher to 7,356.94 points on the last full trading day before Christmas, as investors welcomed news that the Omicron variant may not be as severe as previous strains.Citing data from an Oxford University laboratory study, drugs giant AstraZeneca (AZN) said a three dose course of its Covid-19 vaccine is effective against the highly transmissible new strain.This...

Shares in retail and leisure property company NewRiver REIT (NRR) jumped 14% to 84.75p on above-average volume after the firm posted a sharp increase in earnings and raised its dividend.Thanks to an improving market background in the retail sector and a large dose of self-help, the shopping mall and retail park owner reported a 67% rise in underlying funds from operations to £15.5 million for...

Among the stock market's most spectacular share price appreciation stories of recent years is Premier Foods (PFD). The cake, gravy and cooking sauces maker known for brands including Mr Kipling, Bisto, Ambrosia, Sharwood's and Loyd Grossman.Languishing at 19.4p in March, Premier Foods' shares are now priced at 95p, having enjoyed a stunning re-rating thanks to improving earnings momentum as...

UK stocks continued to fall throughout trading on Friday morning, having been led down by the airlines after the Government's sudden decision to quarantine arrivals from France, the Netherlands and Malta.The new quarantine rules for British travellers helped take the shine off what had been a strong week of stock market gains that were mostly powered by bets of more economic stimulus.Also...

UK markets retreated in early trading on Friday as a surprise dip in Chinese retail sales dashed hopes for a swift post-pandemic recovery. New quarantine rules for British travellers also helped take the shine off a strong week of stock market gains that were powered by bets of more economic stimulus.The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 0.73% at 6,140.24, with investors also treading water ahead of...

Travel operator TUI (TUI) is to lose its place in the FTSE 100 after its recent share price slump made it too small to qualify for the blue chip index.Index provider FTSE Russell reshuffles the FTSE 100 basket every quarter, ejecting any stock whose ranking drops below 110, and promoting into the index any that ranks 90 or higher.TUI shares have fallen by 42% year-to-date as investors worry...

Investors in LF Woodford Equity Income Fund (BLRZQ62) will have to wait until at least December before they can access their money.Buying and selling in the fund has been suspended since 3 June and will stay that way until later this year while fund manager Neil Woodford restructures the portfolio to focus mainly on large and mid-cap stocks in the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices.Analysis of...

After a disappointing day on Friday, the FTSE 100 is building on the record high set last week, up 0.6% to 7,823.96. The weekend saw some progress on trade talks between the US and China.Ryanair (RYA) posts a 10% increase in annual profit after it carries more passengers and fills a greater proportion of seats on each flight.The budget carrier, however, says it expects profit to fall in the...

The FTSE 100 opens down by nine points to 7,404.34 after US and Asian markets posted gains overnight. US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen has indicated that any interest rate raises would be gradual which seems to have calmed markets worried about unexpected hikes.Struggling construction services company Carillion (CLLN) gets some reprieve as its shares recover 10.3% to 61.15p. The firm has...

One of the areas worst affected by the EU referendum was the UK property sector whose performance is dependent on the health of the economy. Many of the real-estate investment trusts (REITs) suffered sharp falls in their share prices, but confidence has improved due to the resilience of the economic data.Neil Woodford thinks that people are too downbeat about the UK economy and has included...

A lot of people moan about how difficult it is to get a decent income from the market, but is it really that hard?The FTSE 100 index currently yields 3.86%, so you can buy a low-cost tracker fund and get that level of income with relative ease. Getting a higher level of income is also fairly easy if you do some research.This article discusses the stocks, ETFs and funds with the potential - but...

The search for income has been at the top of many investors' agenda in 2015. We all love to sit back and scoop up the cash from dividends. Sadly, the risks associated with dividends are becoming elevated amid corporate cash flow pressures.Anyone who depends on dividend income to pay the bills or maintain a decent lifestyle should take a close look at equity income funds. For a small fee you...

Whether it is to be celebrated or viewed as an ominous sign, the UK economy is once again relying on consumer spending to sustain growth as other sectors misfire. Exports are weak, investment is low but the British consumer, buoyed by rising wages and the benefits of the commodity market rout, is proving a resilient source of demand.Researchers have recently shown a marked pick-up in consumer...

Income is the main attraction for people investing in a real estate investment trust (REIT). These property-focused funds avoid paying corporation or capital gains tax on their rental income or cash generated from asset sales if they return 90% of their profits to shareholders as dividends.Not only do REITs hand more of their earnings to shareholders than most other listed companies, but the...

Bank of England governor Mark Carney's hint earlier that interest rates could start rising by the 'turn of the year' is unlikely to dampen the attraction of equities as a core source of income for a considerable amount of time.Any rise in the base rate from the 0.5% at which it has been held for more than six years is expected to be modest with some believing it could take three years to reach...

Latham (James) (LTHM:AIM) 577.5pSheet and hardwood supplier Latham has been consistently profitable for the past 10 years, more than doubling operating profit in the same period. The Hemel Hempstead-based company is expected to grow earnings per share 19% to 39.5p this year.Leaf Clean Energy (LEAF:AIM) 34pRenewable energy investor Leaf Clean is a closed-end fund in run-off. At a meeting in...

London's leading shares open modestly lower in the first trading session of 2015 as traders back at their screens after the Christmas break keep close watch on a falling euro and another on latest data about the state of the Eurozone's manufacturing sector. In early deals the benchmark FTSE 100 index eases off around 5 points to 6,660, with engineering group Weir (WEIR) heading the Footsie...

This year Christmas came slightly early for those looking to buy property. After revolutionising the pensions industry in April's Budget, Chancellor George Osborne turned his attention to property in the Autumn Statement (3 Dec) cutting the cost of buying a home for the majority of house-hunters in England and Wales.The development prompts Shares to look at the various options available to...

UK stocks remain largely flat on Wednesday with little corporate news to stimulate trading and the Chancellor's Autumn Statement announcement due out at 12:30. The FTSE 100 is fractionally off, down 2.5 points at 6,740 in early deals.Online takeaway delivery service Just Eat (JE.) is a major drag as a group of shareholders behind its initial public offering earlier in the year raise £139...