A big question facing growth-oriented investors is whether the popular investment style can regain its mojo and get back to winning ways in a world of high interest rates.Despite a strong recent rally which has seen the technology heavy Nasdaq Composite rise 14% over the last six months, growth stocks have struggled relative to value over the last three years.The arrival of Pfizer?s (PFE:NYSE) Cov

Everyone hates small and mid-cap stocks right now. Their performance has badly lagged those of their larger counterparts in recent months.Seen as more vulnerable to the vagaries of the economy and without the scale and financial strength to withstand higher borrowing costs, investors have been abandoning them in their droves. The chart shows how the MSCI World Small Cap index has been lagging the

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 manager

After a decent showing in 2022, the UK stock market has failed to fire in 2023. The good news for investors is shares in other parts of the world have done much better and it has never been easier to have a globally diversified portfolio.There is an excellent range of products and instruments which allow you to participate in the returns from markets across the globe and, in this article, we provi

Finally, everyone is talking about UK stocks. The spotlight is back on the country after the UK's FTSE 100 was one of the few major indices globally to record positive returns in 2022 and this year it has broken through the 8,000 level and hit a new record high. Hopefully, this will lead to the return of foreign investors who have shunned the UK since the Brexit vote in 2016.Investors can either b

We believe that many smaller companies have fallen too far amid the indiscriminate sell-off this year, and that there is real scope to pick up many well-run, high-quality business at knock-down prices.One of the best ways to take advantage, in our view, is to buy the BlackRock Throgmorton Trust (THRG), one of the very best smaller company investment trusts available.This is a multi-award-winning t

Look at the investment trust space if you want to outperform the market when it comes to investing in UK smaller companies.Using data from FE Fundinfo, Shares compared the sector performance to the FTSE All-Share and the Numis Smaller Companies indices.Only seven out of 17 open-ended funds in the UK Smaller Companies sector have beaten the market over the past five years, according to analysis by

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 cohort

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREDan Whitestone, Portfolio Manager of the BlackRock Throgmorton Trust plc, explains why he believes that high-quality smaller companies are tapping into powerful long-term trends, including digital payments, business transformation and cloud computing. Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. In

UK stocks represent a 'once in a generation' opportunity for investors, say fund managers. After years dogged by political and economic uncertainty, and soggy stock market performance, this is a welcome change of mood music.'UK equities are on a 30 year low versus peers, and we see this as a once in a generation opportunity to get involved in some fantastic businesses,' said Rory Bateman, manager

BlackRock Throgmorton (THRG) 916.59pGain to date: 30.4%Original entry point: Buy at 702.79p, 26 November 2020Our call to buy investment trust BlackRock Throgmorton (THRG) for its focus on quality companies which had been sold off in the initial value rally has proved a canny trade.The portfolio is dominated by small and mid-cap names which have performed strongly in the interim. A portfolio update

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREThe COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented dispersion of financial performance between individual companies. From here, differentiated companies with financial strength and a compelling product offering will continue to get stronger, whilst industry disruption continues to accelerate says Dan Whitestone, Portfolio Manager of the BlackRock Throgmorton Trust plc.Ca

Many high-quality companies have recently been shunned by investors in favour of beaten-down value stocks amid coronavirus vaccine hopes. That presents an opportunity to be contrarian and we've spotted a way to take advantage of such price weakness.Investors have started to realise they don't need to pay high multiples to find growth. As such, many stocks on higher ratings like the lockdown winner

I am quite new to investing and my portfolio is invested in shares and funds. I am interested to know how shorting a share works. I don't really understand it so I'm not willing to try it. Could you explain it and also if there are any funds that attempt to cover this kind of trade?Helen HoweJames Crux, Funds & Investment Trusts Editor replies:Novice investors should not be tempted by short sellin

As the UK continues to step lightly through the coronavirus pandemic's social distancing minefield, many investors have turned their back on the small cap space. This is a mistake.We can understand why small caps might not appeal to everyone at the moment, given this space can include unproven business models and fragile balance sheets. It can also be harder to sell small cap shares when you want

With just a few trading days left to go, 2019 has been good for the markets. As we write the MSCI World index is up more than 20% since the start of January.Despite this positive backdrop there has still been considerable market volatility, making life difficult for stock pickers including fund managers.The funds industry has also been hit by various star fund managers disappointing investors, as

In the same manner a football team's fortunes can turn upwards when a new manager enters the dressing room, performance can also improve when a new portfolio manager takes over or assumes sole responsibility for an investment trust.A long-standing manager can benefit a trust if they have experience of how to navigate both good and bad markets. However, by bringing a fresh pair of eyes, a new broom

Investors will be familiar with the phrase 'past performance cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance'. These words, or something very similar, have become the investment industry's ubiquitous risk warning. They are designed to make clear to investors that no matter how good an investment has been in the past, there are no guarantees that it will continue to perform in the future.Thi

Mike Prentis will step down as manager of BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust (BRSC) at the company's June AGM, calling time on a distinguished 32-year fund management career.Prentis has managed the fund since August 2002, originally at 3i Investments, then for 14 years at BlackRock. Under his stewardship, the portfolio has delivered sparkling NAV total returns of 957% or 15.3% per year, substantial

Investment trust BlackRock Throgmorton's (THRG) equity exposure is at its lowest level in nine years according to broker Stifel, reflecting its manager Dan Whitestone's concern about an economic slowdown.Around 90% of assets are invested in equities on a net basis; this distinction reflects the trust's ability to go long or short. Or in other words it can look to benefit by betting on share prices