magazine archive
magazine archive
Editor's View
Why corporate governance matters
Thursday 01 Jun 2017Companies often pay lip service to good corporate governance but it is not necessarily top of the list for investors when deciding which stocks to buy or sell. Oil services firm Petrofac ( PFC ) is just the latest example of why you ignore the way a company is run at your peril. Shares in the...
A lesson on opportunistic takeover bids
Thursday 25 May 2017A successful business which encounters a bump in the road can quickly become a takeover target if its share price drops far enough. We saw it last year with industrial suppliers Premier Farnell and Brammer; and now we’ve got textiles specialist Berendsen ( BRSN ) . Many investors will be kicking...
Is this loss making firm really worth £140m?
Thursday 18 May 2017Investors looking for the ‘next big thing’ may want to take a closer look at Eve Sleep ( EVE:AIM ) , which joins the stock market today (18 May). You may think its £140m market valuation is completely unjustified for a loss making business. However, many investors were also quick to dismiss...
The mining sector revival didn’t last long
Thursday 11 May 2017Last year’s 100%+ hike in the value of the FTSE 350 mining index seems a long distant memory. A recent pullback in commodity prices has resulted in a sea of red for anyone watching the share prices of miners on their screen. Is this cause for panic or just a natural pullback? ‘Based on our meetings...
Investing requires a little more patience
Thursday 04 May 2017What’s the longest you’ve ever held a stock? The world has become impatient, people demand information in an instant or shop online and expect same-day delivery. This desire for instant gratification is also spreading to the investment world. Increasingly I see people on social media like Twitter...
Why can’t firms see basic flaws in their business?
Thursday 27 Apr 2017It amazes me how some companies get into a mess over the most basic flaws in their business model. Common sense should have prevailed in the board room and ensured that problems are fixed straight away. Too many companies limp along until they reach crisis point and a ‘turnaround’ expert is...
A dose of realism no bad thing for stocks
Thursday 20 Apr 2017The markets kicked off the week with a bang following the long Easter weekend. News of a surprise UK general election in June and heightened geopolitical tensions in Syria and North Korea all served to push and pull at equity valuations. What’s interesting is that stock markets didn’t go into full-...
Portfolio holdings: too many versus not enough
Thursday 13 Apr 2017How many stocks, funds and bonds should you hold in a portfolio? While there is no definitive answer, it is a question we’re regularly asked by readers and so we will endeavour to explore this subject matter over the coming months in Shares . Having a large amount of holdings in an investment...
Don’t lose sight of what stocks can deliver
Thursday 06 Apr 2017The old Chinese curse ‘may you live in interesting times’ has rarely felt more apt than it does in 2017. Amid all the noise about Trump, Brexit, European elections and the rest it can be useful to take a step back and appreciate just what the humble share can deliver in the long-term. AJ Bell’s...
Rising debt and falling mortgage approvals spells trouble
Thursday 30 Mar 2017A rise in personal debt and a fall in mortgage approvals could point towards more difficult times ahead in the UK. Investment bank Liberum says get out of retail and housebuilding stocks now. The BBA says consumer credit is expanding at an annual rate of 6.6% with growth being fuelled by credit...