A central bank interest rate cutting cycle is well underway, the Federal Reserve having slashed US rates by 50 basis points and further cuts expected from the Bank of England following August's 25 basis point reduction. Falling rates mean lower rates on cash and bonds, so this seems like a sensible time for investors searching for long-term income and capital growth to review their portfolios.Help

Many events came together to shape investors? decisions in 2023, from rising interest rates and high inflation to war in Ukraine and the Middle East. With 2024 just around the corner, what lessons should investors take away from the last 12 months?First, according to Tim Bennett, head of education at broker Killik, it is important to remember that turmoil and uncertainty on the world stage doesn?t

A turbulent year for markets is brewing amid rising geopolitical tensions, stubbornly high inflation and interest rate hikes by central banks which have precipitated a fresh banking crisis.Given this uncertain backdrop, tilting portfolios towards stocks with defensive characteristics seems an eminently sensible strategy and one overlooked consumer staples name to consider is Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP:

Gordon retired in his late 50s after a successful career in media planning including a period working for The Sunday Times. He is a big fan of investing and calls his SIPP (self-invested personal pension) 'my family's future'.Dividing his time between a rented flat in Mexico City and a house in the UK, Gordon's investment journey stems from his interest in the general management of companies, thei

Coca-Cola's (KO:NYSE) shares rose 2% to $60.60 on 14 February after the beverages group served up fourth quarter revenue ahead of Wall Street expectations, as thirsty consumers continued to swallow price hikes across its formidable portfolio of drinks.Despite what chief executive James Quincey described as a 'dynamic operating environment' and a 1% dip in global unit case volumes, price hikes of 1

During volatile market conditions and high inflation, investors are looking for ways to protect their income. Investment trusts have an income advantage which is particularly important for seekers of rising payouts.This is because they are able to hold back up to 15% of the income they receive from their investments in their revenue reserves. They can use these reserves to boost dividends during l

The coronavirus crisis has had a big impact on businesses and their finances - it has also left some firms vulnerable to opportunistic bids.Companies running the gamut from retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone (MCS) to telecoms firm TalkTalk (TALK), have been the subject of approaches of late.Meanwhile G4S (GFS) is doing its best, against pretty unfavourable odds, to fight off a hostile £3 bi

The market has come storming back since it bottomed out on 23 March from a coronavirus-inspired plunge. As we write the FTSE 100 is above the 5,700 mark and some 16% off its lows.Suggestions that some countries are past the peak of infections, a cautious reopening of the Chinese economy and reports of progress on a coronavirus treatment have all helped sentiment.In the FTSE 350, travel operators a

The recent fiasco surrounding Neil Woodford's Equity Income fund will have left many people burnt by the experience and unsure of how to get a decent income on their money.However, cases like Woodford are actually very unusual and there are excellent funds and investment trusts with track records of consistently paying out generous dividends over the long-term. In this article the Shares team reve

As part of my day job I'm often asked to help readers of national newspapers come up with ideas for how to invest their hard-earned cash.One such question landed on my desk from Times reader Julie recently. In brief, Julie had spent the past 26 years working and living in Hong Kong and Singapore, but planned to retire in the UK in about two years' time.She had over £1m sat in a deposit account wh

European economies have had a tough time recently, having been singled out as the global laggards when it comes to growth.Proclamations of doom were made at the start of the year, when fears grew that the euro area could be heading for a recession.But there are signs, particularly in the advanced markets that have slowed the most, that things could be turning round.Data shows that the Eurozone eco

The boardroom fight at Athelney Trust (ATY) has resulted in chaos with multiple directors being given the boot, leaving shareholders wondering if the investment trust has a future.Robin Boyle has failed in his attempt to be reinstated as a director and to run the investment trust portfolio.The existing fund manager Manny Pohl has been voted off the board, so too chairman Simon Moore and two other

Veteran investor Robin Boyle, the founder and former managing director of small cap focused Athelney Trust (ATY), wants back in at the trust he founded in 1994.Boyle has called a shareholder meeting (22 Jan) to restructure the board and restore him to his former roles as managing director and investment director of Athelney.In response, Athelney is consulting shareholders over a possible tender of

The FTSE 100 opens in positive territory, up 9.58 point to 7,282.72. This comes despite a heightening of tensions over trade wars between the US and China, with the latter appealing to the World Trade Organisation for permission to impose tariffs on US goods.Energy provider SSE (SSE) drops 8.2% to £11.48 after saying that warm weather and high gas prices have negatively impacted profits. The comp

Shareholders in investment trust Strategic Equity Capital (SEC) will be hoping that the buyout of its investment manager GVQ will bolster the share price and narrow the widening gap to net assets.GVQ has secured a management buyout from backer RIT Capital Partners (RCP) which will make the investment manager 100% independent. The deal is believed to have been led by GVQ chief executive (CEO) Jamie

By the Shares teamInvestors are spoiled for choice when it comes to small cap stocks with exciting events. As a taster for what's to come in 2018, we've scoured the markets to look for some of the most interesting activities.Read on to discover 19 stocks either expecting big news in the very near future or ones which are in the middle of developments which could have a big impact on their longer t

Savannah Resources (SAV:AIM) 5pGain to date: 25%Original entry point: Buy at 4p, 3 November 2016A 6% decline in the copper price has weighed on shares in miners with projects involving the base metal. That includes Savannah Resources (SAV:AIM) which is one of our top picks in the copper space as it is fast approaching maiden production from one of its projects in Oman.Stockbroker Peel Hunt says th

The publication of Warren Buffett's annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letter is often treated like a release of a new book from a best-selling author. The media gives it significant publicity and pore over the legendary investor's every word.The broader investment community also latch on to Buffett's annual tome, looking for new insights into how the man became one of the world's most successf

London markets post a modest gains in early trade on Friday as investors continue to digest the implications of Donald Trump's presidential victory on a relatively empty day in the corporate and economic calendar.Insulation products group SIG (SHI) spooks the market with a substantial profits warning and sees its chief executive, Stuart Mitchell, axed. The shares crash 23.5% to 88.6p as SIG states

UK equities are set a drift in early deals on Friday with little corporate news to provide direction despite a solid session of gains on Wall Street overnight. The FTSE 100 index slides around 50 points, or 0.8%, to 5,869, declines closely tracked by main European bourses.Metals diggers are among the big losers led by Anglo American's (AAL) 9%-plus fall to 238.6p, closely followed by FTSE 100 dive