Industrial end-demand solid Medical demand disappoints New chief executive arriving Considering how weak the stock has been over the past few years, investors in specialty chemicals firm Victrex (VCT) were probably expecting the market to take today's third-quarter trading update in its stride. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of love out there for the business, and the shares dropped as much...

AB Dynamics (ABDP:AIM)Price: £18.05Market Cap: £413 millionFor those unfamiliar with the story, AB Dynamics (ABDP:AIM) is a leading provider of development, test and verification solutions to the global automotive market. The business was founded in Bradford-on-Avon in 1982 by Tony Best, who remains the company's largest shareholder.The company's proprietary services help manufacturers...

It's now 10 years since the government allowed AIM shares to be held in a stocks and shares ISA, opening the door to investors protecting themselves not just from income and capital gains tax, but from inheritance tax too.That's because many AIM companies, though not all, are free from inheritance tax (IHT) if held for two years or more, under business property relief rules that are designed...

Over the last 15 years the electronics and electronic equipment space, home to some of the UK market's highest-quality engineering and capital goods firms, is the best performing sector in the FTSE 350 with an 11.7% compound annual return.The industrial engineering sector is not too far behind with its own annualised return of 9.7%. For comparison, the FTSE All-Share's annualised return over...

The automotive sector is in flux amid a transition to electric and hybrid vehicles as well as developments in assisted driving technology and frequent changes in safety and regulatory standards. That's good news for UK engineering champion AB Dynamics (ABDP:AIM) which is one of the best performing AIM companies of the last decade.If you invested £1,000 when the company floated in May 2013,...

Following on from the pandemic and war in Ukraine, UK stocks are being buffeted by headwinds from hot inflation, rising rates and the cost-of-living crisis. But it is UK small and mid-cap investors that have endured the toughest period over the past year, with the small cap, mid cap and AIM indices all suffering severe setbacks.The good news, however, is this sell-off has created opportunities...

UK stocks represent a 'once in a generation' opportunity for investors, say fund managers. After years dogged by political and economic uncertainty, and soggy stock market performance, this is a welcome change of mood music.'UK equities are on a 30 year low versus peers, and we see this as a once in a generation opportunity to get involved in some fantastic businesses,' said Rory Bateman,...

The brains behind two of the best performing UK equity funds in recent years is to launch its first investment trust, targeting smaller companies that look cheap and which have the right characteristics to grow for many years to come.Sanford DeLand-run Buffettology Smaller Companies Investment Trust is seeking to raise at least £100 million with its IPO offer open to both retail and...

UK shares ended the week firmly in the red as markets got increasingly worried about rising coronavirus cases and the economy-damaging lockdowns that could potentially happen as a result.Health secretary Matt Hancock refused to rule out a second UK national lockdown in an interview with Sky News earlier today after the Financial Times reported that government-appointed experts had suggested a...

UK shares were lower on Friday, despite an improvement in local retail sales, as mounting cases of Covid-19 in the UK and elsewhere in Europe stoked fears of more national lockdowns.Health secretary Matt Hancock refused to rule out a second UK national lockdown in an interview with Sky News after the Financial Times reported that government-appointed experts had suggested a two-week lockdown...

UK stocks opened on the back foot on Friday with the FTSE 100 falling 0.5% to 6,017 points while the mid-cap FTSE 250 opened marginally lower.Mining shares were in demand with Fresnillo (FRES) one of the top gainers up 2% to £13.10, while International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) and Rolls Royce (RR.) were the biggest fallers losing more than 5% each.Banks were the main drag on the...

UK stocks rallied on Wednesday after two days of losses with domestically focused banks and insurers the main drivers amid thin corporate news.Leading the gains were Lloyds Bank (LLOY) and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) up 3% apiece to 36.3p and 135p respectively, supported by insurers RSA (RSA) and Phoenix (PHNX) up 2% to 423p and 675p respectively.At 9am the FTSE 100 index was up 0.4% to 6,360...

Car sales in China fell 92% in the first half of February because of the coronavirus, with potential knock-on impacts for several UK listed companies.According to industry trade body the China Passenger Car Association, nationwide car sales slumped 96% in the first week of February to a daily average of just 811 vehicles, with many dealerships closed while buyers stay away to prevent the...

Miners led the market higher on Wednesday as investors eyed a US-China trade announcement ahead of the long Thanksgiving weekend. The FTSE 100 traded 0.13% higher at 7,412 while the more domestically focused FTSE 250 was 0.2% lower at 20,824 points.Tobacco giant British American Tobacco (BATS) released its second half pre-close trading update and guided for currency adjusted revenues growth in...

Its easy to get sucked into the noise about uncertainty in the UK created by Brexit and the impact this is having on the markets.This is clearly a live issue, and no-one would deny it is having a tangible impact on market and business confidence. However, there are still lots of excellent and thriving companies listed in London.The upcoming FTSE reshuffle, when stocks are promoted to or...

UK markets start the week flat with energy stocks such as BP (BP.), Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) and John Wood Group (WG.) supporting the FTSE 100 at 7,437 as Brent crude prices continue to move up while Travel stocks are the main losers.On a quiet day for company news, airline Ryanair (RYA) reports full year profits down 29% to €1.02bn as strong traffic growth is offset by lower fares.Growth...

On the day that the top job is advertised at the Bank of England it is figures from fast fashion businesses Boohoo (BOO:AIM) and Primark, and its owner Associated British Foods (ABF) that are likely to grab investor attention.Primark-owner AB Foods has reported half year revenue of £7.5bn and adjusted operating profit of £639m, largely flat year-on-year but it is the low cost fashion arm...

Many retail investors avoid small cap companies as there is a perception that the space is littered with too many inexperienced management teams, unproven business models and threadbare balance sheets.Then there's the extra volatility and difficulties in even buying and selling these types of shares.This is perhaps why tapping into the expert help of a specialist fund manager is often seen as...

Meeting global energy demand will be a key challenge in the decades ahead but it should also create opportunities for investors.In this article we will discuss how you could benefit from some of the long-term trends in the power generation market through both funds and individual stocks.Global energy demand will rise by at least 30% until 2040, according to investment bank UBS.The need to...

Our annual portfolio of share picks has outperformed the market yet again, although we didn't deliver a positive return. The average share price return from our portfolio of 10 stocks was a 6.4% loss versus a 10.2% decline from the FTSE All-Share.It was a very difficult year for all investors, including fund managers, and anyone who managed to deliver positive returns deserves considerable...