Leading provider of critical power components to the electronics industry XP Power (XPP) has seen its shares drop 55% over the last six months to a low of 898p prompted by two profit warnings.The drop continues the fall from grace for the shares which peaked around £55 in August 2021.In a year-end trading update (16 February), the company warned 2024 revenues would be ?significantly? below market

There is no question the dominant theme in stock markets last year was AI (artificial intelligence), in particular generative AI.In an interview with Time magazine last June, Sam Altman ? the former chief executive of OpenAI, whose ChatGPT product has been at the forefront of the AI trend ? said he believes the technology will ?transform the way people work and the way people learn. It?s going to

For the second part of our annual survey, we asked fund managers if they had changed their view on any stocks this year, for better or for worse, and what lay behind their decisions.As with the winners and losers survey last week, the answers were often frank and once again we would like to thank everyone who took part.Thomas Moore - Aberdeen Equity Income Trust (AEI)THE STOCK THAT I CHANGED MY MI

Sky-high interest rates and unruly inflation make the future direction of the economy more uncertain than usual. It is certainly no time to be complacent.Against such a tough backdrop now is a good time for investors to take stock and consider if the income they expect from dividends in their portfolios are safe.Investors are often attracted to the highest yields, but this can indicate markets do

XP Power (XPP) £11.20Loss to date: 52.6%We flagged power switching and electronic controls specialist XP Power (XPP) at the start of the year, believing a 2022 sell-off had created a good entry opportunity into a high-quality business which had been too harshly punished for a stretched balance sheet and weakness in some of its end markets.WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE WE SAID TO BUY?The shares made dec

Firm blames fall in end-demandGearing seen 'close to or above covenants'Second-half dividend scrappedInvestors in XP Power (XPP), which manufactures and supplies critical power control components to the electronics industry, received an unwelcome wake-up call at the start of the quarter after the firm lowered its full-year outlook on weak demand in China.The shares, which were trading close to a s

XP POWER (XPP) £23.65Loss to date: 9.9%XP Power is an electronics engineer, a science-based designer of complex power switching and control solutions. Its kit is used when off-the-shelf solutions simply won't do, such as AC-DC (alternating current - direct current) power supplies, DC-DC converters, high voltage power and radio frequency power capability. Target markets include defence, aerospace,

Markets are gradually re-engaging with growth stocks as inflation and supply chain pressures ease and economic data shows signs of promise. We believe XP Power (XPP) stands to benefit, and analysts agree - Berenberg sees earnings doubling within five years thanks to end-market structural growth and market share gains.XP Power is an electronics engineering gem, a science-based designer of complex p

- Index changes to be announced tonight- Three new names to join the FTSE 100- Four new faces in the mid-cap FTSE 250Investors with FTSE tracker funds will be keenly waiting for details of the latest index reshuffle due to be published after the market close tonight.As well as changes to the FTSE 100 big-cap index there are expected to be several changes to the FTSE 250 mid-cap benchmark and the F

The FTSE 100 clawed back Monday losses in positive trading on Tuesday as investors looked for oversold bargains and took a more sanguine view of inflationary pressures and potential rising interest rates.At the close, the benchmark FTSE 100 finished around 0.5% higher at 7,491.70, above the 7,485.28 level at which it started the trading week. Mid-caps ended roughly flat at 23,000.US stocks lost ea

The FTSE 100 clawed back all of its Monday losses by lunchtime on Tuesday as investors looked for oversold bargains and took a more sanguine view of inflationary pressures and potential rising interest rates.At 1pm, the benchmark FTSE 100 is around 0.7% higher at 7,496.21, above the 7,485.28 level at which it started the trading week. Mid-caps are also making robust gains, the FTSE 250 roughly 0.5

UK stocks opened higher on Tuesday as profit upgrades from the likes of FTSE 100 constituent Electrocomponents (ECM) and cyber security firm Darktrace (DARK) brightened investors' mood ahead of the release of key US inflation data on Wednesday.The consensus forecast is for inflation to have hit 7.1%, meaning all eyes will be on the Federal Reserve and how quickly it plans to take action to try and

The cost of living in the UK rose at its fastest pace since 2008 in November, surging 5.1% and adding to Bank of England pressure to raise interest rates.The Office for National Statistics reported on Wednesday (15 December) that consumer prices increased far faster than analyst predictions of 4.7%, and up from 4.2% in October.The monthly rate of inflation rose 0.7%, compared with a fall of 0.1% i

XP POWER (XPP) £52.475Gain to date: 14.7%Original entry point: Buy at £45.75, 20 August 2020Component shortages continue to dog global manufacturing but some companies have navigated the supply chain strain better than others.Power components designer XP Power (XPP) recently admitted near-term challenges yet analyst at broker Numis came away from a management meeting brimming with confidence for

This is the final part of our three-part series on the FTSE 250. Read our introduction here and catch up on the growth versus value debate in part two here.In this last part of our mini-series on the FTSE 250 we take a look at some of the higher quality stocks that inhabit the UK's mid-cap universe. We will discuss some of the companies that demonstrate real financial strength and balance sheet he

UK stocks began August on the front foot, lifted by further UK merger and acquisition activity in mid-caps.Oil and Gold prices were lower with Brent Crude down 0.9% to $74.7 per barrel and Gold was 0.4% down at $1,807 per ounce.At the close the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was up 50 points or 0.7% at 7,082 points led by aerospace and retail stocks.The mid-cap FTSE 250 index was up 260 points o

UK stocks started the month on the front foot, lifted by strong gains in Asia after China signaled support for the economy and further UK merger and acquisition activity.China's SE Composite index gained close to 2% reversing some of last week's heavy losses while Japan's Nikkei 225 also added 2%.Oil and Gold prices were lower with Brent Crude down 0.9% to $74.7 per barrel and Gold was 0.4% down a

UK stocks opened on the front foot on Monday boosted by strong gains in Asia after China signaled support for the economy and further UK merger and acquisition activity.China's SE Composite index gained close to 2% reversing some of last week's heavy losses while Japan's Nikkei 225 also added 2%.Oil and Gold prices were lower with Brent Crude down 0.9% to $74.7 per barrel and Gold was 0.4% down at

As the world economy starts to get back to something approaching normal, and with supply chains struggling to keep pace, inflation has once again reared its head.From the UK to Europe, the US and China, consumer and producer prices are rising at a faster pace than politicians and central bankers would like.For investors, this year has been a test of how their portfolios might perform if there were

Amid a backdrop of rising share prices as market optimism over the reopening generally continues its upward trajectory, a number of company directors having seemingly taken the opportunity over the past week to pocket a big chunk of cash.One of the most interesting deals comes from FTSE 250 cruise company Carnival (CCL), which is also listed in New York.Non-executive director Randall Weisenburger