Shares magazine
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Editor's View
Shareholder activism isn’t a ticket to short-term share price gain
Thursday 14 Dec 2017Activist investors are back on the agenda thanks to hedge fund Sachem Head Capital taking a small stake in Whitbread ( WTB ) and a high profile spat between TCI and London Stock Exchange ( LSE ) . While these events have been headline-grabbing news, it is worth bearing in mind that activist...
Cash pressures weigh on Harvester owner
Thursday 07 Dec 2017Pubs and bars operator Mitchells & Butlers ( MAB ) must have very patient investors given it has lagged its rivals for many years. It’s a great example of a business with decent scale in the UK but which seems stuck in the mud. Investors have lost 10.3% over the past five years by owning shares...
Don’t rule out a UK general election in 2018
Thursday 30 Nov 2017We’re approaching the point where investment experts give their predictions for big themes in the year ahead. We will publish our analysis of the key issues facing investors in 2018 in a fortnight’s time (14 Dec). Ahead of that article, it is worth touching on one issue which has the potential to...
When should you sell an investment?
Thursday 23 Nov 2017Investors share a common goal: finding an investment which subsequently goes up in value. Knowing when to sell that investment depends on a variety of factors. This could include hitting a valuation target, a company (assuming you’ve bought a stock) experiencing a change in circumstances or you...
Is it time to be brave and buy depressed UK-focused stocks?
Thursday 16 Nov 2017Some of the best valuation opportunities lie among UK domestic-focused stocks. Your challenge is to shift through the pack and find ones which stand a chance of re-rating in a market where sentiment remains poor towards companies doing business in the UK. Weighing on sentiment is renewed political...
Why you should look beyond ‘the story’ with stocks
Thursday 09 Nov 2017One of the golden rules of investing is to never overpay for stocks. There are plenty of good companies on the stock market, yet that doesn’t mean they are all good investments. Overpaying for a stock greatly reduces the chances of the investment working out well. Over time a pricey company will...
Are the housebuilders built on soft foundations?
Thursday 02 Nov 2017A rally in the housebuilding sector on expectations of further state support in the Budget on 22 November is coming to a juddering halt amid sceptical analyst comment, a slowdown in mortgage approvals and data which reveals the perilous state of Government finances. Investors have to decide if the...
We need to help more people understand money management
Thursday 26 Oct 2017More needs to be done to encourage people of all ages to save for the future and to avoid getting into financial difficulty through inappropriate use of credit cards and loans. A new report by the Financial Conduct Authority, the City regulator, finds that millions of people are struggling with...
Is a flurry of IPO announcements bad news?
Thursday 19 Oct 2017October and November are on course to be two of the busiest months for new stock market entrants this year. By my calculations there are 12 confirmed IPOs (initial public offerings) about to happen on the UK stock market and rumours of nearly another 20 companies set to float in the coming months...
How to spot trouble brewing with one of your investments
Thursday 12 Oct 2017A shock profit warning and share suspension from toilet roll maker Accrol ( ACRL:AIM ) provides a timely reminder to look for negative signs in trading updates. It was impossible to spot all the negative points that led to Accrol saying current year earnings would be significantly below market...