Activist Elliott halves stakeDiscount to NAV narrowed to 6%Elliott maintains big holdingActivist investors usually prepare for a long and hard-fought battle when targeting underperforming companies and management teams. It must therefore be rather pleasing when events conspire to allow a profitable early partial exit.That seems to be the case for Elliott Investment Management after the investor re

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,

Nelson Peltz?s failure to get a seat on the board of directors at Disney (DIS:NYSE) has raised the question: are activist investors losing their touch?Peltz might have enjoyed success with earlier campaigns at Kraft Heinz (KHC:NASDAQ) and Wendy?s (WEN:NASDAQ), yet he sits alongside big names such as Pershing Square?s (PSH) Bill Ackman where campaigns have not gone their way.Peltz wanted to shake u

Cancer drug gets positive readoutPotential for personalised medicinesModerna has over 45 drugs in developmentUS biotechnology firm Moderna (MRNA:NASDAQ) was the top performer in the S&P 500 on Tuesday (9 April) jumping as much as 10% after its personalised cancer vaccine showed positive results in an early stage trial.The shares closed 6% higher at $11.60, a new three month high, but are down 30%

City of London most bought second month in a rowNvidia tops stock buys againRenewables trust UK Greencoat Wind sparks interestInvestors across the AJ Bell platform have been piling into artificial intelligence (AI) 'darling' Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) and oil giant Shell (SHEL) before the end of the tax year.FTSE 100 aero-engine maker Rolls Royce (RR.) also makes appearance in the top five of most bough

Mercadolibre (MELI:NASDAQ) $1,528.95Market cap: $77.5 billionReaders that have come across MercadoLibre (MELI:NASDAQ) before will likely be familiar with the badge some pin on it ? the ?Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ) of Latin America?. And just like its US peer, the Uruguay-based business has spent the past couple of decades emerging as one of the region?s ecommerce leaders.It may have started out as a mark

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

Unlike investment funds, trusts can trade at a discount or premium to the underlying assets which can be to the advantage of potential buyers but a thorn in the side for existing shareholders and trust boards alike.Poor performance is often a key factor driving the share price below NAV (net asset value). Scottish Mortgage Trust (SMT) and multi-manager Witan Investment Trust (WTAN) sit on double-d

?At least? £1 billion earmarked for buy-insPortfolio delivering strong resultsSignals confidence in portfolio valuationsFallen growth star Scottish Mortgage (SMT) has set aside at least £1 billion for share buybacks over the next two years as the FTSE 100 trust seeks to narrow its wide share price discount to NAV (net asset value), news which sent the shares up 2.1% to 797.2p on Friday morning.F

City of London most bought in FebruaryScottish Mortgage most sold last monthAI winner Nvidia tops stock buysInvestors across the AJ Bell platform have been piling into popular City of London (CTY), JP Morgan Global Growth & Income (JGGI) in February and selling Scottish Mortgage (SMT) and Smithson Investment Trust (SSON).Overall, 11.44% of all buy deals placed on the AJ Bell platform were for City

For the first time in years Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT) investors are contemplating selling up and moving on. Over the past month, it is the most sold investment trust on the AJ Bell platform, accounting for 14.6% of all trust sales.This is almost unheard of, and it is meaningful too. For most of the 21st Century, long-term investors have backed Scottish Mortgage to the hilt, enjoying

Equity income trusts in demandCity of London most boughtScottish Mortgage, Finsbury Growth & Income divide opinionWith conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine creating uncertainty, and investors grappling with cost-of-living pressures as falling inflation is expected to be a drawn-out process, dependable income trusts have proved popular on the AJ Bell platform over the past month.At the same time

It is the best of times, and the worst of times for investment trust fans. Discounts are at their widest since the financial crisis, at an average of 16.9%, according to data compiled in early November by the Association of Investment Companies.That's not good news for anyone looking to sell out, but on the face of things, it's manna from heaven for hungry buyers, especially those with a contraria

A big question facing growth-oriented investors is whether the popular investment style can regain its mojo and get back to winning ways in a world of high interest rates.Despite a strong recent rally which has seen the technology heavy Nasdaq Composite rise 14% over the last six months, growth stocks have struggled relative to value over the last three years.The arrival of Pfizer?s (PFE:NYSE) Cov

FTSE All World Index up 4.3% in six monthsInterim dividend remains at 1.60p per shareNet asset value falls by 2.7%Scottish Mortgage Trust (SMT) has underperformed its benchmark - the FTSE All-World Index - reporting a 2.7% fall in NAV (net asset value) for the six months to 30 September 2023 compared with a 4.3% gain.The fall in NAV could be attributable to the investment managers' stock selection

Despite having worked in finance since the mid-1980s, Geoff admits he didn't actually start thinking about investing for his future seriously until the mid-1990s.After returning to the UK following a secondment in Europe, he was surprised to receive a cheque from HMRC for the overpayment of income tax while he was abroad.'It was only £3,000, but I was 31 and at the time that was a decent chunk of

Fallen growth star loses net 6% trade volumes on AJ BellTerry Smith's Smithson also an autumn loser so farInvestors snap up reliable growth and income trustsOnce one of the UK's favourite investment trusts, Scottish Mortgage (SMT) continues to lose backers hand over fist as investors stay wary of private company valuations. Last month, the Baillie Gifford-run trust accounted for nearly 15% of all

Shares in pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna (MRNA:NASDAQ) have had a difficult time since we emerged from the pandemic. However, they've started to move up since mid-August.The company's success in developing a Covid-19 vaccine using mRNA technology helped propel it to highs of around $450 in 2021 but as demand for these vaccines has eased, the shares dwindled to $96 a few weeks ago

Updated 13 September 2023. Giant UK microchips designer ARM has filed its highly anticipated Wall Street IPO (initial public offering) prospectus, firing the gun on a long mooted and highly anticipated return to equity markets for the Cambridge-based company that has been owned by Japan's Softbank (9984:TYO) since 2016.ARM by numbersFounded: 1990Headquarters: Cambridge, UKNumber of employees: 6,00

Questions have been raised over RIT Capital's (RCP) capital preservation credentials of late thanks to its exposure to private investments. The shares have notably underperformed those of rival trusts and the discount to NAV (net asset value) has widened significantly.In this article we look at whether the criticism and discount is warranted and consider the recent underperformance of the trust in