Year to March 2024 mixedMedium-term strategy excitesShares jump 11% to year-highHigh-tech equipment maker Oxford Instruments (OXIG) posted a relatively unexceptional set of results for the year to March with a drop in operating margins and EPS (earnings per share) but outlined a plan to simplify the business and improve returns.Investors responded enthusiastically to the strategy reset,...

Whenever there is a discussion about ?quality? UK industrial stocks, the name Spectris (SXS) is often thrown into the ring although we suspect many investors, while being familiar with the company in a general sense, have little idea what it actually does.Looking on Stockopedia, the company has a 99th percentile quality ranking, which backs up its reputation, but it is classified as a...

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...

Over the last 15 years the electronics and electronic equipment space, home to some of the UK market's highest-quality engineering and capital goods firms, is the best performing sector in the FTSE 350 with an 11.7% compound annual return.The industrial engineering sector is not too far behind with its own annualised return of 9.7%. For comparison, the FTSE All-Share's annualised return over...

Oxford Instruments' (OXIG) shares have typically traded above 20 times earnings over the last 10 years - a premium rating, but plenty of investors have regretted not buying them over the years.It has delivered a total return upwards of 100% over that period and the company is becoming an even more high-quality business capable of generating yet more impressive returns.Earnings forecasts have...

- Full year 2023 operating profit to be above prior expectations- Strong trading expected to lead to broker upgrades- CEO Barkshire to be succeeded by Richard TysonTechnology products and services provider to industry and scientific research communities Oxford Instruments (OXIG) saw its shares gain over 5% to £25.80 on Thursday after it increased operating profit guidance above prior...

With engineering software company Aveva (AVV) poised to exit the stock market thanks to a takeover, it will mean losing the UK's largest 'tech' firm by market value, at £9.15 billion.Aveva has been majority owned by French industrial group Schneider Electric (SU:EPA) since 2017 and this shareholder now wants the whole business.That's a slightly different bid situation to most of the other...

The economic instability in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine continued to spread after electronics giant Spectris (SXS) pulled the plug on its $2.4 billion acquisition of science equipment designer Oxford Instruments (OXIG).'Oxford Instruments is a quality company and the strategic and financial rationale for a combination of our businesses is highly compelling,' said Spectris chief...

Among the best kept investment secrets is the fact smaller companies typically outperform larger companies over the medium and long term thanks to characteristics ranging from innovation and faster organic growth to entrepreneurial management, agility in the face of change and the greater likelihood of a takeover bid.Within the UK's small cap funds and investment trusts sectors is an elite...

UK investors have witnessed a steady if unspectacular pandemic recovery for UK shares in the main. But some parts of the market have bounced further and faster, and the BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust (BRSC) is a great way to tap into the strength of the UK smaller company universe at a larger than usual discount to net asset value.In 2021 the FTSE Small Cap index has risen 22% while the...

The promise of a quick return to form at fast-fashion chain Primark saw investors pile into owner Associated British Foods (ABF) in early trading on Tuesday, but FTSE 100 gains were capped by weakness in UK banks.Barclays (BARC), HSBC (HSBA), Lloyds (LLOY) and NatWest (NWG) were all off by varying degrees.Leading shares have indeed made an underwhelming start as the downbeat mood of the week...

OXFORD INSTRUMENTS(OXIG) £26.95Gain to date: 98.2%Original entry point: Buy at £13.60, 7 November 2019Excellent companies often go about their business quietly and with little fanfare but, as one analyst said, 'it is one thing to grow sales and improve margins in strong markets, quite another to do it amid a global pandemic.'Oxford Instruments (OXIG) is a cutting-edge science tools designer...

London's FTSE 100 ended Tuesday with decent gains after closing 0.25% higher to 7,095.79 despite a slow start on Wall Street for US stocks.The UK's benchmark index was lifted by insurer Aviva (AV.), which gained after the arrival of activist investor Cevian, while the index also shook off an issue involving several major websites, which were down thanks to a problem at cloud computing firm...

London's FTSE 100 gained 0.3% to 7,097 by midday as shares in UK insurer Aviva (AV.) were lifted by the arrival of activist investor Cevian, while the index shook off an issue involving several major websites, which were down thanks to a problem at cloud computing firm Fastly.With little on the economic agenda apart from US job openings and trade figures, investors are keeping their powder dry...

Major UK shares edged higher in early trading but gains modest as investors take a breather. The benchmark FTSE 100 inched less than four points higher, or 0.04%, to 7,079.25, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 was equally unenthusiastic, up a miniscule 0.08% at 22,925.64.With little on the economic agenda apart from US job openings and trade figures, investors are keeping their powder dry until the...

OXFORD INSTRUMENTS (OXIG) £19.64Gain to date: 44.1%Original entry point: Buy at £13.60, 7 November 2019While the surge in other stocks have grabbed headlines Oxford Instruments (OXIG) has relatively quietly gone about its business, paying off brilliantly for investors.The cutting edge science tools designer and maker has demonstrated beyond doubt its world class expertise and the enormous...

UK markets were dragged lower in early trade on Tuesday by worries of investor over-exuberance after another surge for Wall Street overnight.Monday's rally in US stocks pushed the S&P 500 back into the green for the year as easing lockdowns bolstered optimism on an economic rebound. The benchmark closed at a 15-week high, bringing its rally from the March low to almost 45%, while the Nasdaq...

World stock markets staged a decent rally last week with major indices bolstered by huge financial stimulus packages. Most pertinently, a deal has been reached between President Trump's administration and Congress on a $2trn fiscal support deal, equivalent to just under 10% of GDP, dwarfing the global financial crisis plan, which amounted to around $800bn.Global equities, measured by the MSCI...

After falls in Europe and the US on Friday, Asian markets were mixed at the start of the week as the coronavirus death toll continued to climb.On currency markets the pound lost 0.5% to $1.239 while in commodities gold lost 0.8% to $1,612/oz.However, the big news was in the oil market where the price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia pushed Brent crude to an 18-year low of $23/barrel and New...

The FTSE 100 got off to a good start on this morning as investors await the latest UK jobs data to be published today with cautious optimism.It follows yesterday's data on the UK economy, which showed the country avoided a recession as it recorded 0.3% growth in gross domestic product (GDP) for the third quarter of the year.The UK's benchmark index rose 21.44 points, or 0.29%, to 7,349.39.B&M...