magazine archive
magazine archive
Feature
The best and worst first quarter performers in emerging markets
Thursday 28 Apr 2022It has been a tough start to 2022 for emerging markets. The MSCI Emerging Markets index was down sharply in the first quarter, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine resulting in large falls for one of the bigger constituents of the index. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story and some emerging...
Why Unilever has a 10.5% stake in this small cap drug developer
Thursday 28 Apr 2022Just why does consumer goods giant Unilever ( ULVR ) have a 10.5% stake in small cap clinical stage drug developer Arecor Therapeutics ( AREC:AIM ) ? The company listed on AIM in June 2021 at 226p per share after raising £20 million of new capital. The shares have since gained 73% driven by...
Enough is enough: The FTSE 100 companies which face a grilling from investors
Thursday 21 Apr 2022A significant number of FTSE 100 companies could face shareholder rebellion over the coming weeks as investors increasingly put pressure on boards over key issues. There is a long list of topics which could dominate this year’s annual shareholder meeting season, which gets into full swing at the...
Specialist distributor Diploma is a rare winner from global supply chain constraints
Thursday 21 Apr 2022Ever since the world economy regained its footing after the first round of the pandemic, supply chains have been struggling to keep pace first with consumer demand then with industrial demand. Some UK companies have opted to stockpile components to meet future sales while others have taken the...
How investors including people in retirement should deal with 7% inflation
Thursday 21 Apr 2022Inflation hit a 30-year high of 7% in March and there are expectations the cost of living will surge even higher in April. The extent of the impact of rising prices on savers and retirees will depend on a range of factors including income, spending patterns and how long spiralling prices persist...
A complete exit from Russia is likely to cost companies dearly
Thursday 21 Apr 2022Just when it seemed as if Russia’s standing in the international community couldn’t sink any lower, evidence of war crimes in Ukraine has seen the US and its allies take an even tougher line. As well as imposing harsher sanctions on Russian banks and state-owned enterprises, the US has proposed a...
Looking for an ESG investment? They tend to fall into six different baskets
Thursday 14 Apr 2022The performance of funds with an ESG (environmental, social and governance) focus has taken a bit of a turn for the worse of late. The average global ESG fund has returned 6.6% over the last 12 months to 5 April, compared to 8.7% from the typical non-ESG fund, according to data from Morningstar...
Is your favourite investment trust in safe hands?
Thursday 14 Apr 2022Experience counts in the asset management industry and in a phenomenal achievement, Peter Spiller ( pictured ) recently celebrated his 40th anniversary at the helm of wealth preservation specialist Capital Gearing Trust ( CGT ) . The mind boggles when you consider that during his four decades as...
Stocks and funds which could power up on nuclear's glowing prospects
Thursday 14 Apr 2022One of the biggest takeaways from the UK’s new ‘Energy Security Strategy’ announced on 7 April was that nuclear power would be a crucial part of the Government’s plan for secure and sustainable energy. The issue has become particularly pressing amid surging energy costs and the impact of Russia’s...
Why there is more to come from AstraZeneca as its shares hit a new record high
Thursday 14 Apr 2022Shares in pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca ( AZN ) are trading at a record high and it is battling Shell ( SHEL ) to be the largest company by value on the UK stock market. There are plenty of reasons to expect shareholders to receive further rewards in time, given a packed schedule of new...