Companies tend to list on the stock market when conditions look ripe for a healthy reception from investors so as to get a deal away at the best price.After a fallow period for IPOs (initial public offerings) in 2022/23, activity appears to be gathering pace buoyed by the FTSE 100 and FTSE All-Share notching up new all-time highs in recent weeks.In an unusual turn of events, London could benefit f

Discounts and premiums to NAV (net asset value), which is the value of all the investments an investment trust holds minus any debt or loans, are among the trust universe?s unique quirks and can confuse novice investors. At the moment the vast majority of trusts trade at a discount.Annabel Brodie-Smith, the AIC?s (Association of Investment Companies) communications director, says: ?Only around 20

London stocks were mixed at midday on Monday, ahead of Wednesday?s US consumer price reading, though analysts believe potential London floats by Shein and Raspberry Pi could be a game-changer for UK-listed equities.The FTSE 100 index was up 7.05 points, 0.1%, at 8,440.61. The FTSE 250 was down 33.65 points, 0.2%, at 20,611.59, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.45 points, 0.1%, at 789.42.The Cboe UK

The last couple of years have seen outsized returns for stocks, especially those in the US, but that doesn?t mean now is a bad time to invest. The truth is there is never a bad time to invest as long as you are looking to stay invested for the long term.From its inception in 1984 to 2022, the FTSE 100 index has gained around 5.5% per year in price terms and 7.5% per year in terms of total return,

Just when investors think they have got the measure of Tesla (TSLA:NASDAQ), Elon Musk drops a bomb. Having feared the worst, Tesla?s first quarter (Q1) 2024 report (25 April) gave investors the clarity they were seeking on mass-market vehicles, and while detail remains thin, Musk said production would likely begin ?in early 2025, if not later this year? and would include ?more affordable models.?T

London equities finished in the green on Monday, outpacing its European peers, ahead of the Federal Reserve?s eagerly awaited interest rate decision on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index closed up 7.20 points, 0.1%, at 8,147.03. The FTSE 250 ended up 260.63 points, 1.3%, at 20,084.79, and the AIM All-Share closed up 8.05 points, 1.1%, at 763.33.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.1% at 814.08, the Cboe UK 250 cl

After last week?s market spasm over hints from Fed officials that rates may need to rise rather than fall due to the resilience of the US economy, this week the focus moved on to earnings with around one third of S&P 500 companies posting first-quarter updates.So far most firms have beaten estimates, leading to slim gains for the indices, but an increasing number have tempered their guidance for t

A key rationale for investing in the smallest companies on the UK market is that these businesses have the most capacity for growth.However, for several reasons investing in micro-cap businesses is not for everyone and has, with some notable exceptions, proved less than fruitful in recent years. WHAT IS A MICRO CAP?The definition of what constitutes a micro cap varies. Natalie Bell, fund manager a

Digital coupons business jumps 17% post New York IPOJoins Reddit and Astera Labs as major new listings this yearAt $103.25 day one close, Ibotta market cap over $3 billionThere?s been plenty of talk about an IPO (initial public offering) market revival this year, and Ibotta?s (IBTA:NYSE) blistering New York debut will only bolster that narrative.On its first day as a public company, shares in the

Private equity firm hoping for valuation up to ?16 billionGoing public would allow firm to expand and diversify modelAmsterdam market picked over New York and LondonPrivate capital investment firm CVC Capital Partners hopes to get an IPO (initial public offering) away at the third attempt later this month.The London-based buyout giant, which owns stakes in Liptons Tea, upmarket watch maker Breitli

Encouraging start for small caps trustHulse sees value opportunity in UK small capsWindward?s potential excitesShares in Onward Opportunities (ONWD:AIM) rose 1.5% to 111.5p after the smaller companies-focused trust reported an 11.3% NAV (net asset value) total return to 106.5p for the nine months from its March 2023 IPO (initial public offering) to the end of December.That performance compares to

Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ)-backed cybersecurity firm Rubrik (RBRK:NYSE) plans to raise up to $750 million as it becomes the latest company to unveil plans for an IPO (initial public offering) in the US. The roster of companies planning to go public is starting to fill out after two years of relative drought following recent successes by social media platform Reddit (RDDT:NYSE) and semiconductor conn

The shrinking UK stock market is a worry for fund managers and has wider implications for the UK as a listing venue as well as the UK?s economic growth, say analysts at Peel Hunt.This article explores the so-called de-equitisation of the UK stock market, or plainly put the substitution of debt for equity via share buybacks and cash acquisitions.More than 45 companies exited the UK market in 2023 d

Kitwave shares up 41% year-to-dateCash and banking facilities funded purchaseTotal Foodservice has around 4,000 product linesShares in Kitwave (KITW:AIM) were up 4.5% to a new all-time high of 372p in morning trading as the food and drink wholesaler announced it was buying Total Foodservice, a leading independent food wholesaler in the North of England for £21 million.The purchase has been made i

We begin this article with the cautionary tale of former high-flying cloud telephony and conferencing firm LoopUp (LOOP:AIM).At the beginning of March, the firm dropped a bombshell on investors by announcing the board had unanimously decided that canceling its listing on AIM and raising money from a handful of private backers was ?in the best interests of the group and our shareholders?.The stock

The London Tunnels is a major new heritage and cultural experience in central London.The company intends to apply for admission on a major stock exchange, as part of its plans to extensively restore, adaptively reuse and bring back to life the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels, near Holborn, originally built in the early 1940s, and designed to shelter 8,000 people during the London blitz.In collaboration

It has been a busy time for shareholders in Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT), but it has been a fruitful time too with the shares hitting new 12-month highs in March.First, the board announced it would buy back at least £1 billion worth of shares in order to help narrow the discount to NAV (net asset value).Then, Delaware-based Elliott Advisors revealed it had taken a 5% stake in the trus

Shares priced at $34 a share, top end of range$750 million raised from the IPOReddit begins trading under ticker RDDTAfter eyeing a New York listing since 2021, social media company Reddit (RDDT:NASDAQ) was finally granted its wish on 21 March.The shares finished the day 48% higher than their IPO price of $34, giving the company a market cap of about $9.5 billion.The website, which hosts millions

Major US indices notched-up further all-time highs this week on dovish comments from Fed chair Jay Powell in the press conference following the central bank?s decision to leave interest rates unchanged.The Fed?s summary of economic projections sees stronger economic growth and stickier inflation, but it still anticipates a couple of rate cuts later in the year.The small-cap, economically sensitive

Retail pharmacy firm Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA:NASDAQ) is set to report its second-quarter earnings as speculation continues to swirl about a return to the London market for its UK chain Boots. Trading as Alliance Boots after a 2006 merger with pan-European wholesale and retail pharmacy outfit Alliance UniChem, the business was acquired by private equity in 2007 before merging with North Ameri