magazine archive
magazine archive
Editor's View
If supermarkets are profiteering why are their margins so skinny?
Thursday 18 May 2023One of the big reasons why inflation remains stubbornly high in the UK is the continued appreciation in food prices. This is having a damaging impact on lower-income households because the weekly shop accounts for a larger proportion of their overall budget and is, self-evidently, a non-...
Listing rule changes could see more names jostle for a slot in the FTSE 100 or FTSE 250
Thursday 11 May 2023We could potentially see changes to the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices as a knock-on effect to proposals by the UK financial regulator to change the UK stock market listing rules. The Financial Conduct Authority wants to make it easier for companies to join the UK stock market by revamping the...
Turnaround situations – when is right time to buy the shares?
Thursday 04 May 2023When is the right time to buy shares in a turnaround situation? That’s a hard question to answer, but typically it is before the recovery effort translates into higher reported earnings. By the time we see the numbers in writing, the market will have already priced in better news. Hotel Chocolat (...
Investors should follow Warren Buffett and seek out the attractions of Japan
Thursday 27 Apr 2023It has been quite the year for Japan. The country has received a rare visit from the world’s most famous living investor, Warren Buffett, who sees big opportunities in that part of Asia. Japan has just had its biggest stock market flotation in five years with the listing of Rakuten Bank (5838:TYO...
Are European or US oil firms taking the right approach to renewables?
Thursday 20 Apr 2023US oil giant ConocoPhillips (COP:NYSE) recently unveiled its 10-year plan for growth. Conspicuous by its absence was any plan to shift investment into the renewables space. Conoco is not alone, with most US peers also avoiding putting money into solar and wind. Yes, there was a nod towards the...
The Creme Egg effect: ‘How do you pick your stocks?’
Thursday 13 Apr 2023For years, Cadbury’s has tempted chocolate fans with its Creme Egg adverts asking, ‘how do you eat yours?’. While Shares readers may have enjoyed their fill of the gooey stuff at Easter, Cadbury’s marketing technique has led me to think about how investors find stocks for their portfolio. ‘How do...
What to do in an ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’ market?
Thursday 06 Apr 2023How do you react when you are overwhelmed? A common response is to be paralysed into inaction or to panic and make hasty decisions. These are both risks for investors right now. One could easily look at stories about banking crises, volatile rate expectations, geopolitical tensions and inflationary...
Greggs classified as a retailer? It’s in the wrong sector and this needs to change
Thursday 30 Mar 2023Have you ever come across a company whose shares are classified as being in one sector, but in reality, should sit in a different one? It matters from a valuation perspective. For years, catering group Compass ( CPG ) was in the travel and leisure sector, sitting alongside travel agents, airlines...
Learning the hard way only to invest in stuff you really understand
Thursday 23 Mar 2023The events of the past week have underlined the importance of only investing in things you really understand. We look more deeply at the fallout from the Credit Suisse (CSGN:SWX) rescue job in a separate feature but a key reason it has not fully ended the concern over the banking system is the way...
Higher rates on cash savings could drive more generous dividends from shares
Thursday 16 Mar 2023There is a powerful headwind for company directors and fund managers. It’s an issue causing all kinds of a stir behind closed doors. I’m talking about how you can get more than 4% on cash without taking any investment risks. Even the one-year gilt (UK government bond) is yielding 4.1%. That’s very...