magazine archive
magazine archive
Feature
Why Darktrace is getting exciting again
Thursday 25 Apr 2024I t must be maddening for analysts that every time they’ve put forecasts for Darktrace (DARK) into the market, they’re forced to tear them up and start again. It happened for the third time already this year earlier this month (11 April), in the wake of a surprisingly strong third fiscal quarter...
Tap into micro caps for a slice of UK innovation
Thursday 25 Apr 2024A key rationale for investing in the smallest companies on the UK market is that these businesses have the most capacity for growth. However, for several reasons investing in micro-cap businesses is not for everyone and has, with some notable exceptions, proved less than fruitful in recent years...
Chinese manufacturing PMI data needs to be closely watched
Thursday 25 Apr 2024The world’s second largest economy and most dominant emerging market remains China and to get a window into the prospects for growth investors often look to PMI (purchasing managers’ index) data. One influential reading is the Caixin/S&P Global China General Manufacturing PMI. Manufacturing...
Emerging markets: China rebound, Indian elections and valuations
Thursday 25 Apr 20241. China–Signs of a rebound: Purchasing manager indexes in China rebounded in March, with the Caixin/S&P Global index reaching its highest level in over a year. Drivers of the rebound included rising raw material purchases and inventories. Chinese industrial companies may be restocking ahead of...
Small World: read about Gresham Technologies, T Clarke, REDX Pharma and more
Thursday 25 Apr 2024It’s been a busy month in small-cap land with good news, bad news and downright weird news for investors to digest. First the good news, as the persistent undervaluation of UK companies – and small caps in particular – draws increasing numbers of corporate buyers. Financial services software...
Are corporate spin-offs a good hunting ground for profitable investments?
Thursday 25 Apr 2024This feature explores spin-offs or de-mergers, looking at the rationale for them and how they have performed, and asks if they can be a promising hunting ground for investors. One of the UK’s largest recent spin-offs was GSK’s (GSK) demerger of its consumer healthcare division in 2022. GSK...
Dividend Machines
Thursday 25 Apr 2024Interest rates are expected to stay higher for longer to combat the sticky inflation which remains a threat to investors’ hard-earned wealth and purchasing power. During periods of high inflation, it is crucial to invest in companies that possess pricing power, because these firms can pass on...
Cheap UK stocks
Thursday 18 Apr 2024UK stocks look cheap on so many different valuation metrics, not just one or two, suggesting a robust, genuine investment opportunity is available to long-term investors. So why does nobody seem convinced? This article explores the scepticism surrounding the UK’s market’s attractive valuation and...
Cruise operators have the wind in their sails as demand soars
Thursday 11 Apr 2024The cruise industry is enjoying an unprecedented boom with around 35.7 million passengers expected to book a trip this year, up from 31.5 million in 2023 and 6% more than the number of passengers who set sail in 2019 according to the CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association). Going on a cruise...
How our 2024 picks beat the market in the first quarter
Thursday 11 Apr 2024Our portfolio of picks for 2024 is off to a solid start in what proved an uneven first quarter for the stock market as a whole. Our return of 9% is comfortably ahead of our FTSE All-Share benchmark at 3.9%. It’s a tale of feast and famine, however, with half of our selections achieving double-digit...