Over the long haul, small-caps have historically outperformed large caps, fuelling the research highlighting the so-called 'small-cap effect' ? the idea that smaller companies offer higher risk-adjusted returns than larger ones. Unfortunately, the higher interest rate environment of recent years has proved tough for the stock market's small fry, who've spent more than a decade lagging more sizeabl

At the end of last year the market was pricing in 1.7% worth of US rate cuts for 2024 but here we are in late August and the Federal Reserve is yet to pull the trigger, largely due to stickier-than-expected inflation.However, after a series of false dawns, we may finally be approaching the point where the Fed acts, with a rate cut widely expected on 18 September. The debate largely centres on whet

If you had £10,000 to invest in a single fund, which would you choose ? one of the most popular with retail investors for more than a decade, or a relative new kid on the block with a similar asset allocation approach?In a manner of speaking, it is what billionaire City grandee Michael Spencer challenged formidable money man and Fundsmith Equity (B41YBW7) founder Terry Smith at the end of 2023, t

Semiconductors are the bedrock of the digital economy, core enablers of the data revolution and at the forefront of technological innovation. The semiconductor industry could be set for exponential growth driven by the mega forces of AI (artificial intelligence) and digitalisation, as well as those of geopolitics and economic competition.Investors looking to gain semiconductor exposure have the op

Lots of people gift money to charity every year, but many aren?t aware there are big tax breaks for doing so.Research commissioned by HMRC showed that although 94% of higher earners donating to charity had heard about gift aid, only 52% were aware they could claim a tax rebate on their donations. Staggeringly, just one in five higher and additional rate taxpayers had claimed a rebate which goes so

Until Thursday's sell-off, US stocks had been enjoying their best run for several years, with more than a week of back-to-back gains for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, leading commentators to predict a 'Santa rally' into the end of the year.At the same time, investors seem to be betting the US economy is back in 'Goldilocks' territory, where growth, employment and inflation are 'just right', meaning

Huge swathes of Europe, North America, Asia and Africa have endured boiling conditions this summer, with the majority of scientists pinning the blame for the planet's exceptional heat and rain, as well as wildfires in countries such as Greece and Canada, on human activity.Data from the EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service showed that the first three weeks of July were the warmest three-week

Shares in Paddy Power, Betfair and FanDuel owner Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) have gained around 80% over the last year, handsomely outperforming the FTSE 100 and UK gambling peers which have registered losses.Rival Entain (ENT) which operates the Ladbrokes and Foxy Bingo brands has seen its shares lose around 15%, while 888 Holdings (888) shares are down around 70% and bingo and casino operator R

In 2021, global semiconductor revenues hit a record 527.9 billion, yet so far, 2022 has been horrible for microchip stocks. Since the end of December 2021, the 30-stock Philadelphia Semiconductor benchmark, or SOX for short, has fallen 43%.For comparison, the S&P 500 has lost about 23%, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite 33%.Stock valuations have been ransacked, even for standout sector names, like N

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 acr

Three key factors look set to dominate the UK gambling sector in the coming years: big global dealmaking; a continued shift towards online gaming and an increased regulatory burden.In this feature we take a closer look at the individual stocks in this space and highlight potential winners and losers.We will focus in particular on Flutter Entertainment (FLTR), Entain (ENT), 888 Holdings (888) and

The UK's technology sector has been hammered in recent months as investors ditched high growth companies for safer havens amid stock market and geopolitical uncertainty. Hot running inflation risks eating into future profits, which means investors now prefer lower growth companies which are enjoying good profit today, not waiting for bigger earnings years down the line.This shift has had a savage

This year's new VCT (venture capital trust) offer season, where investors can apply for new shares and enjoy immediate tax benefits, is in full swing. Each year, VCTs seem to attract money faster than the previous year, meaning interested investors need to act fast once offers go live, although it is important to understand all the risks involved before making an investment decision.Experts believ

Among the best kept investment secrets is the fact smaller companies typically outperform larger companies over the medium and long term thanks to characteristics ranging from innovation and faster organic growth to entrepreneurial management, agility in the face of change and the greater likelihood of a takeover bid.Within the UK's small cap funds and investment trusts sectors is an elite cohort

A good deal of the excitement surrounding e-commerce play The Hut Group, aka THG (THG), is linked to its Ingenuity logistics and technology platform.This is an end-to-end solution offered to third parties in the same way Ocado's (OCDO) online groceries platform is sold to global supermarkets.But hiding within established retailer Next (NXT) is a little-known platform business of its own which coul

A slump in earnings triggered a 20% sell-off in HeiQ's (HEIQ) share price to 105.85p on 28 September. That means its share price has now halved year-to-date.The materials company suffered a 14.3% drop in first-half sales to $25.8 million, partially due to delays in starting a major contract.Compounding matters was a 7.2 percentage points decrease in gross margins to 50.2% caused by price pressures

The CEO of digital advertising firm Dianomi (DNM:AIM), Rupert Hodson, tells Shares the group is benefiting from the demise of third party cookies that has prompted many advertisers to embrace contextual advertising, and its cost per click model.Contextual advertising is when the content of an advertisement is directly linked to the content of the web page a person is viewing.Dianomi is a provider

Focusrite (TUNE:AIM) £14.16Gain to date: 106.1%Original entry point: Buy at 687p, 23 July 2020Music and audio products firm Focusrite (TUNE:AIM) continues to mark record share price highs driven by earnings upgrades.The company's latest trading statement (20 Jul) once again lifted revenue and profit expectations for the financial year to 31 August 2021.Focusrite has done well as musicians, both f

Commodities have enjoyed a surge in the first half of 2021 as the global economic recovery gathers pace and the outlook for demand gets stronger and stronger.Copper and iron ore have been two of the standout stars, their prices rising sharply over the past year as the rollout of coronavirus vaccines sparks a surge in economic activity and optimism over the worldwide recovery.A range of metals, cop

Focusrite (TUNE:AIM) Price: £12.09Gain to date: 75.9%Original entry point: Buy at 687p, 23 July 2020Global music and audio products company Focusrite (TUNE:AIM) continued its impressive growth in its first half achieving a 91% increase in revenue to £95.3 million and a 310% increase in adjusted operating profit to £26.3 million.Organic constant currency revenue growth was 64.3%, reflecting reco