magazine archive
magazine archive
Editor's View
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...
Levelling the playing field on IPOs
Thursday 23 Mar 2017The IPO market is picking up again after the post-Brexit vote hiatus. Some high-profile names are reportedly preparing to list in London in the coming months including warehouse company Logicor and mobile network O2 . At the same time the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is making progress with...
Searching for ideas with stock screens
Thursday 16 Mar 2017I’ve been having a play with some of the pre-populated stock screens on financial website Stockopedia, in the hope of finding some ideas for companies to research for future articles in Shares. One screen, in particular, caught my attention as it flags some interesting names in the small cap space...
New film makes me hungry for McDonald’s shares
Thursday 09 Mar 2017By pure coincidence, the last three films I’ve seen have involved the stock market and the world of business. I can recommend all of them if you are looking for entertainment value and valuable lessons about investing. Although billed as an action thriller, the plot of The Accountant includes...
Learn from Buffett’s words of wisdom
Thursday 02 Mar 2017The publication of Warren Buffett’s annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letter is often treated like a release of a new book from a best-selling author. The media gives it significant publicity and pore over the legendary investor’s every word. The broader investment community also latch on to...
Miners are churning out more and more dividends
Thursday 23 Feb 2017Very large dividend hikes have been a common theme this year in the mining industry. This is somewhat unusual behaviour for the sector. I believe you should enjoy the juicy dividends while they last as historically miners have preferred to spend their money on growth projects rather than cash...
Two ways to access the revival in corporate bonds
Thursday 16 Feb 2017In, out and back in favour: what is going on with the corporate bond market? US corporate bonds have rallied since the presidential election in November thanks to higher risk appetite and higher expectations for corporate earnings. Also in swinging in favour of the bond market are reduced...
Time is ticking on race to invest in VCTs
Thursday 09 Feb 2017Venture capital trust ( VCT ) offers are selling out in record time, suggesting that investors shouldn’t wait until the end of the tax year if they want to put their money in these types of products. VCTs come with an array of attractive tax benefits, as well as being a good way to get exposure to...