Investment trusts have experienced challenges this year, with discounts remaining wide across various sectors and some consolidation occurring. However, certain trusts have performed well compared to both the wider market and their peer group. This article highlights the top performers across four of the Association of Investment Companies' most widely followed equity-facing sectors.GLOBALAn inves

When AMC Entertainment (AMC:NYSE) reported second quarter earnings a few weeks back (4 August) it's better-than-expected revenues and lower losses were not the only surprise for investors. Chief executive Adam Aron also unveiled plans to issue new preferred stock. This may have left many ordinary shareholders baffled.What is preferred stock, who gets them, and what the wider implications for the A

Video games developer Sumo (SUMO:AIM) delivered better than expected growth in sales and profits for the year to 31 December 2020.However, the shares dropped 2% to 354.9p after more than doubling over the last year and reflecting a shift in investors' focus from lockdown winners to reopening beneficiaries.Revenues grew 40.7% to £68.9 million last year, of which roughly a quarter was generated org

If you're looking for a value stock with very attractive immediate growth prospects, we've got just the one. Scottish free-to-air broadcaster STV (STVG) is ITV's (ITV) counterpart north of the border and outperforming its one-time parent.STV trades on 9.7 times forecast earnings for 2021 and its pre-tax profit is forecast by analysts to grow by 37% this year to £20.2 million and then hit £23.3 m

The UK's FTSE 100 made gains for the seventh day straight on Wednesday as its November rally continued with investors still in the grip of optimism fuelled by the potential Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough. Fresh economic stimulus in both the US and across Europe in the wake of Joe Biden's Presidential victory has also added to the upbeat mood.At the close, the benchmark FTSE 100 had posted a 1.35% r

The FTSE 100 continued its November rally through to midday trading on Wednesday as investors remain gripped by optimism around the potential Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough. Fresh economic stimulus in both the US and across Europe in the wake of Joe Biden's Presidential victory has also added to the upbeat mood.At 12.15pm, the benchmark FTSE 100 improved on its opening 0.3% rise, building a 0.66% r

London's FTSE 100 was in positive territory early on Wednesday, with optimism around the potential Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough continuing to buoy global markets.The blue chip benchmark improved 0.31% to 6,316.62, while the FTSE 250 rose 0.02% to 19,032.BAE SEES BIDEN BOOSTAerospace and defence contractor BAE Systems (BA.) added 1.4% to trade at 470p after it maintained its full year guidance for

The shocking news from German mobile payments firm Wirecard, one of the supposed gems of the country's technology sector, that the €1.9 billion 'missing' from its accounts may never have been there in the first place, will ring bells with investors who remember the tech bubble 20 years ago and the numerous frauds perpetrated by 'new economy' German firms.Shares in Wirecard traded as low as &e

Investment trust 'Dividend Heroes' are those which have increased their dividends every year for at least 20 years in a row.Published by the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), this list reveals those closed-ended funds with the most formidable dividend growth records, although it doesn't tell you the level of growth and what it would be in real terms when adjusted for inflation.This is imp

Investment trust investors put money to work with an active fund. So if the fund fails to beat the market or its assigned benchmark, you'll understandably feel aggrieved.The aim of active management is to outperform a benchmark and if the manager to which you entrust your hard earned savings fails to beat the market, then why not just invest in a low-cost passive fund?As a way of trying to spot th

Investment trust dividend heroes are classified as funds that have increased their dividends every year for at least 20 years in a row. While this list, published by the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), will help you spot products with a dividend growth track record, it doesn't tell you the level of growth and what it would be in 'real terms' when adjusting for inflation.If growth in div

Lack of confidence may be holding many women back when it comes to investing - that's despite the fact that they may be naturally more suited to it than men.While women are more likely to be in charge of the household finances, when it comes to investing they are still far less engaged than men.The number of female investors is certainly growing - women opened some 892,000 stocks and shares ISA ac

Is it worth putting money into investment trusts with high fees? Historical performance data would suggest higher-cost trusts are worth exploring although you cannot draw any firm conclusions from the data.Three of the most expensive trusts in the UK All Companies sector, as measured by ongoing charges, delivered some of the best returns on a five-year total return basis. These were Fidelity Speci

Investors tend to spend most of their time looking for assets that will appreciate in value over time. Yet according to loss aversion theory, most of us get a bigger kick out of side-stepping disaster than picking runaway successes.We are not talking about share prices falling 15% or 20% as the market mood takes a downswing, as we have all witnessed during recent weeks. Those sort of events will b

Shares in branded fashion retailer and wholesaler Superdry (SDRY) have shed almost 60% of their value since the start of January, dropping from £20.76 to a bombed-out 875p on disappointing trading and earnings downgrades.This share price fall from grace has stirred Superdry co-founder Julian Dunkerton (pictured) to try to get his old job back running the business.Dunkerton was chief executive unt

Investors are frequently told they should a) always look to the long-term; and b) they should not put their money into the stock market unless they are willing to leave it there for at least five or 10 years. But what happens when a fund you had backed as a long-term winner suddenly closes?Number-crunching by analysts at data provider Morningstar reveals just how short-term an affair investing in

Lack of confidence may be holding many women back when it comes to investing - that's despite the fact that they may be naturally more suited to it than men.While women are more likely to be in charge of the household finances, when it comes to investing they are still far less engaged than men.The number of female investors is certainly growing - women opened some 892,000 stocks and shares ISA ac

Income-seeking investors should consider investment trusts to boost their income and capital returns, as new research shows an elite group of trusts yield up to 10% on a 10-year basis.A select group of investment trusts have been given 'Dividend Hero' status, denoting those that have generated dividend increases every year for 10 consecutive years or more.However, looking at the trusts' current di

In his revered investment book One Up on Wall Street, US fund manager Peter Lynch wrote: 'Before buying a stock, I like to be able to give a two-minute monologue that covers the reasons I'm interested in it, what has to happen for the company to succeed, and the pitfalls that stand in its path?'Once you're able to tell the story of a stock to your family, your friends, or the dog? so that even a c

Generating an income from investments is one of the key reasons why people put money into the markets. The average yield on FTSE 100 stocks at present is 3.8% which is significantly higher than both the current rate of inflation (3.1%) and the top rate of interest on cash savings accounts (1.3%).As Alex Crooke, head of global equity income at asset manager Janus Henderson, observes: 'The absolute