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 ...

Shares in research and data analytics firm YouGov (YOU) jumped 6% to £12.10 following the announcement of strong results for the six months ended January 2022. Management have reaffirmed its full year outlook, with trading marginally ahead of management expectations. The market has been particularly encouraged by the higher visibility of group revenues now that a much larger proportion is ...

London’s blue chip benchmark closed Friday’s session 1.2% lower at 7,466.07 points, while the FTSE 250 finished almost 1% down at 21,643.3, rounding off a volatile week for markets as investors fretted over inflation and rising interest rates as well as the threat of conflict in Ukraine. Despite higher yields, banking stocks dragged on the blue chip benchmark with HSBC (HSBA) off 1.9% at ...

Following a reasonably steady start, the FTSE 100 was down materially by midday, with a 1.2% fall to 7,462.81 points, while the FTSE 250 was off 0.8% at 21,673.64. This followed weak trading in the US overnight as well as strength in sterling, which hits the relative value of the overseas earnings which dominate the blue chip benchmark index. Negative sentiment was compounded by persistent ...

UK equity markets came under selling pressure on Friday morning following weakness in both US and Asian markets. This negative sentiment was compounded by persistent geopolitical concerns surrounded Ukraine. In early trading, the blue chip FTSE 100 index lost 0.69% to 7,502.33 and the mid-cap FTSE 250 index drifted 0.7% to 21,702.23. Today marks the final day that mining leviathan BHP ...

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 ...

It’s been relatively quiet in terms of director deals over the past week, but two deals that caught the eye involve major stakes traded by bosses at two technology companies. The biggest transaction over the last week involves Jonathan Satchell, chief executive of Learning Technologies (LTG:AIM), and his wife who, via The Satchell Trust, yesterday sold 2.1 million shares at a price of 170p ...

UK stocks opened lower on Tuesday, despite a fall in the local unemployment rate, as Germany imposed stricter Covid-19 lockdown measures in a sign the pandemic is far from over. London’s FTSE 100 softened 0.5% to 6,691.8 points early on, while the FTSE 250 fell 0.4% to 21,361.91. The UK unemployment rate fell to 5.0% in November to January, down from the last reading of 5.1% in October to ...

UK stocks ended the week firmly lower as investors were handed a GDP reality check after two days of substantial corporate losses. The benchmark FTSE 100 closed 1.3% down on Friday to close at 5,913.30, a level last seen in the middle of May, with massive losses reported by British Airways-owner International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) and the renamed NatWest (NWG) giving investor pause for ...

The UK’s leading shares traded flat at midday as earlier gains evaporated as a darker mood settled over investors at lunchtime, offsetting strong results from US technology stocks overnight and mixed earnings commentaries from major UK firms. The benchmark FTSE 100 was trading virtually flat at midday, nudging 0.04% lower to 5,987.63, with massive losses reported by British Airways-owner ...

The FTSE 100 was 1% higher at 5,703 points as global stock markets took a breather after the wild swings in sentiment following the crash in oil prices earlier this week. Stocks in Asia were mixed as investors continued to worry about the pace at which global economies could open. The SEE composite closed up 0.6% while the Nikkei 225 was 0.7% lower. Brent crude traded 6% lower at $20.5 while ...

According to chief executive Steve Rowe, a 35-year veteran of Marks & Spencer (MKS), the venerable retailer is roughly at the halfway point in its three to five-year journey of transformation to ‘restore the basics’ and create a ‘profitable, growing family of businesses’. However, true to his nickname of ‘Nails’, he pulls no punches in assessing the scale of the task. When he ...

Something has finally happened with Brexit. MPs have finally agreed to have a general election on 12 December in attempt to find a way forward. The market appears to be taking the news in its stride for now, however there is little question that uncertainty has been ratcheted up. The timing of the election and a volatile electorate, which seems less attached to the main parties, mean ...

Despite a lack of progress both on US-China trade talks and the Brexit process, UK stocks edged ahead on Tuesday with the FTSE 100 index of leading stocks up 18 points or 0.2% to 7,216. The best-performing sectors were Basic Materials, such as Mining and Paper & Pulp, and Industrial Goods & Services. HK WALKS AWAY The biggest loser on the FTSE was London Stock Exchange (LSE) which ...

Continuing our look at the FTSE 350, this week we consider consumer stocks and pick five of our favourites. Three are from the FTSE 100 and two are from the FTSE 250. We’ve woven our picks in with some brand-new market research on Britain’s Favourite Brands which came out at the start of the month. During June and July YouGov (YOU:AIM) surveyed some 9,000 British consumers to find out ...

Investors who prefer to entrust capital allocation decisions to a professional money manager as opposed to buying individual stocks are exceptionally well served by the FTSE 350. Within its ranks, you’ll find a highly-diverse batch of investment trusts spanning all the key asset classes. Shares’ number-crunching reveals a grand total of 57 investment trusts within the FTSE 350 – that is ...

Shares in research and polling outfit YouGov (YOU:AIM) are down 1.6% to 470p despite first half results coming in ahead of expectations. Revenue is up 18%, and stripping out acquisitions is up 10% (against 9% forecast), while adjusted earnings came in at £12.5m against a forecast £10m. The company also outlines an ambitious new five-year plan for the business. As AJ Bell investment ...

UK stocks fall in line with continental Europe and US index futures as worries over the strength of the US economy begin to weigh on sentiment. In early trade the FTSE 100 index gives up almost 2% to 6,792.10, a new two-year low, while the FTSE 250 gives up 1.5% to a low for the year of 17,995 points. Tomorrow sees the release of three closely-watched indicators of the health of the US economy ...

In the Budget last week Chancellor Philip Hammond announced three measures to try to revive beleaguered UK high streets. The first is the creation of a £675m Future High Streets Fund to support and finance local areas’ plans to re-invigorate their high streets and town centres making them ‘fit for the future’. The second is a one-third cut in business rates for companies with a ...

One of the best ways to pick funds is to look at the long-term track record and to see how a product has performed through different economic cycles. You should try and find out if a fund has been able to deliver again and again, and hasn’t merely had a few spectacular years to help lift the long-term average figure. A good way to help filter the market is to use something called ‘the ...