The equity markets have just endured a difficult period but over the long term they remain an excellent vehicle for growing your cash and, in turn, helping to fund a comfortable retirement. In this article, and with the help of the head of active portfolios at AJ Bell Ryan Hughes, we have identified four compelling fund picks for a retirement portfolio. These products look to capture a range of ...

Defence and security firm QinetiQ (QQ.) said full year revenues to 31 March 2020 grew 18% and operating profit was up 7%, around 5% higher than analysts were expecting, lifting the shares 5.6% higher to 321p. The company has so far seen limited impact from the global lockdowns, limited to some delays in trial activity and reduced orders. This is because the work QinetiQ does is vital to ...

Defence and security group Qinetiq (QQ.) said it had continued to perform in line with expectations in the final quarter of its financial year to 31 March, despite the impact from coronavirus. Unlike many other UK firms, Qinetiq has not axed its dividend but will kick the decision down the road and make the call on its shareholder payout later in the year. Shares in the company fell 5% to ...

The FTSE 100 dropped sharply in opening trade as banks were told to suspend dividends and buybacks, while investors also brace for a likely global recession as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The UK’s benchmark index opened 3.24% lower to 5,488.27, mirroring falls seen in Asian stock markets with the Nikkei 225 in Japan down 4.5%, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong dropping 2.17% and China’s ...

QinetiQ (QQ.) 372.4p Gain to date: 9.2% Original entry point: Buy at 341p, 12 December 2019 Shares’ positive view on QinetiQ (QQ.) was based upon its underappreciated transformation into an integrated global defence and security business with sustainable growth prospects. The third quarter trading update on 4 February confirmed that the group is on track to deliver high single ...

Global markets continued their recovery from last week's wave of selling as solid corporate earnings and a better than expected industrial confidence survey in Germany helped boost spirits. The pound recovered against the dollar and the euro, while crude oil prices firmed with Brent futures trading at $54.80/barrel. UK stocks built on Monday's strong close with a 1.4% gain in the FTSE 100 ...

Perceived as a sleepy and slightly secretive provider of innovative test and evaluation of military platforms to the Ministry of Defence, QinetiQ (QQ.) has transformed its commercial capabilities under chief executive Steve Wadey. Management implemented a new growth strategy three years ago with the goal of building an integrated global defence and security business. The prize being to ...

Luxury brand Burberry (BRBY) shot to the top of the FTSE 100 leader board on Thursday after reporting a rise in half year profit as new collections boosted sales. Shares in the company rallied close to 7% in early trading to £22.02 as the £9bn business delivered an 11% hike in pre-tax profit to £193m for the 26 weeks ended 28 September, although the UK fashion brand said it expected a ...

The basic principle of value investing is buying stocks on low valuations and waiting for them to re-rate. Warren Buffett calls it buying a dollar of earnings for 50 cents, or in the case of UK stocks buying £1 of assets for 50p. In theory this makes a lot of sense; in practice, it’s far from simple and in today’s market not a lot of stocks sell for 50p on the pound. Value investing has ...

UK markets were weaker on Thursday with the FTSE 100 down 0.5% to 7,545 despite a much-anticipated cut in US interest rates overnight. The major US stock indices lost more than 1% after the chairman of the US Federal Reserve said that the 0.25% rate cut did not mark the beginning of a lengthy easing cycle. The Hong Kong central bank cut rates by 0.25% in line with the Federal ...

UK stocks are in sharp reverse in early trade on Thursday as growing tensions between the US and China, and doubts over Theresa May's government leadership because of Brexit continue to gnaw away at investor confidence. The benchmark FTSE 100 slumps more than 80 points, or roughly 1.2%, to 7,247.66, although a swathe of companies going ex-dividend today (when new shareholders lose the right to ...

At just under 3,900, the FTSE 350 index stands about 10% below its mark of a year ago, which may depress some investors, especially those less experienced ones who did not experience the bear markets, of 2000 to 2003 and 2007 to 2009 or – going further back the Asian crisis of 1997-98 or the Black Monday crash of 1987. But it has still been possible to make healthy gains. Five stocks ...

UK stocks open lower following the weaker trend in Asian and European markets with the FTSE 100 index giving up 0.5% to 6,872 and the FTSE 250 index giving up 0.2% to 18,373. On a busy day for retail updates supermarket giant Tesco (TSCO) beats estimates with a 2.2% rise in UK like-for-like sales over the key Christmas period, sending its shares up 2% to 216p to top the FTSE 100 ...

The FTSE 100 starts the week on the front foot, after a higher finish on Wall Street Friday night and mixed trading in Asia overnight. Early on the index is up 0.3% to 7,070.46. Budget airline Ryanair (RYA) books an 9% fall in first half profit after it was hurt by strike action, lower ticket pricing and higher fuel costs. Pre-tax profit for the six months through September fell to ...

Construction firm Balfour Beatty (BBY) looks in good shape judging by today’s first half results. The shares are up 3.6% as the dividend is hiked by a third to 1.6p per share with underlying operating profit up nearly 70% on a big recovery in margins. The company was arguably on course to go the same way as its ill-fated peer Carillion when Leo Quinn took over as chief executive in 2014. It ...

‘I am higher conviction than I’ve ever been on how we add value, why we do what we do, how it works and why it works,’ says Alex Savvides, senior fund manager of his brainchild product, the JOHCM UK Dynamic Fund (GB00B4T7HR59). This collective seeks to profit by backing positive corporate change and offer investors a compelling combination of recovery situations, and restructuring and ...

As we write the US first quarter corporate earnings season is in full swing. Whereas in the UK most companies report results just twice a year, US firms report in full once a quarter. This has attracted some criticism on the basis it leads to too great a focus on short-term performance among investors and, more crucially, management teams. Short-term expectations this time are high. Overall ...

UK stock markets are expected to remain quiet in the early session on Wednesday as investors look ahead to today’s Budget speech. In one of the most eagerly awaited in years, finance minister Philip Hammond will announce on Wednesday how much he can afford to help unhappy voters as he faces a potentially sharp deterioration in the economy’s growth prospects. Hammond will begin his speech ...

London-listed companies issued 75 profit warnings in the three months to 30 September and there have been plenty more in recent weeks. Among the latest offenders is Ultra Electronics (ULE) whose profit warning on 13 November was blamed on Ministry of Defence expenditure. That in turn led to share price weakness among its peer group including BAE Systems (BA.), QinetiQ (QQ.) and Babcock ...

The FTSE 100 gains 0.4% to 7,460.39, clawing back some of Friday’s losses, as news of a possible vote of no confidence in prime minister Theresa May puts sterling under pressure. FTSE 250 defence business Ultra Electronics (ULE) crashes 23.3% to £11.71 as it confirms the immediate departure of chief executive Rakesh Sharma and warns mounting pressure on UK defence spending will mean full ...