Beazley and Lancashire shares rallyLancashire to pay a special dividendConduit Holdings shares drop 10%Given the succession of devastating storms which hit the US this autumn, investors in insurers covering catastrophe loss had every right to be nervous when it came to reporting season.In the event, two of the biggest UK-listed property and casualty insurers - Beazley (BEZ) and Lancashire Holdings

Anniversaries are often an opportunity to take stock so the Shares team has had a look at the best performing shares, funds and investment trusts since the magazine's first issue in September 1999.Read on to discover the identity of the top performers and find out names we think will continue to impress in the years to come and those where we think the good times might be over. But first, Ian Conw

Shares in specialist insurance underwriter Beazley (BEZ) reached an all-time high at the beginning of August after the firm posted sharply higher half-year earnings and said it saw more business opportunities in underwriting cyber risk insurance. The company, which manages six Lloyd's of London syndicates, reported pre-tax profit of $729 million for the six months to June or almost double last yea

Stocks in London ended lower on Thursday, though avoided deeper losses thanks to a better-than-expected US jobless claims reading.The FTSE 100 index ended down 21.91 points, 0.3%, at 8,144.97. It had been 1.3% lower earlier on Thursday, however.The FTSE 250 fell 67.45 points, 0.3%, at 20,508.58, and the AIM All-Share lost 2.11 points, 0.3%, at 765.21.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.2% at 813.12, the

Stock prices were lower at midday Thursday in Europe, ahead of New York Stocks which are called to open mixed as markets remained cautious.The FTSE 100 index was down 80.43 points, 1.0%, at 8,086.45. The FTSE 250 was down 257.43 points, 1.3%, at 20,318.60, and the AIM All-Share was down 5.58 points, 0.7%, at 761.74.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.9% at 807.71, the Cboe UK 250 was down 1.3% at 17,811.02

Stocks in London opened in the red on Thursday amid a slew of earnings, ahead of Irish consumer price inflation and US jobs data.The FTSE 100 index opened down 84.56 points, 1.0%, at 8,082.32. The FTSE 250 was down 282.48 points, 1.4%, at 20,293.55, and the AIM All-Share was down 5.40 points, 0.7%, at761.92.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.9% at 807.54, the Cboe UK 250 was down 1.4% at 17,786.75, and th

The FTSE 100 shrugged off a subdued start to push higher at midday on Tuesday, although an underwhelming session for miners held back further gains.The FTSE 100 index traded 27.12 points higher, or 0.3%, at 8,225.90. The FTSE 250 was down 17.71 points, 0.1%, at 21,120.97, while the AIM All-Share was down 1.33 points, 0.2%, at 781.91.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 821.39, the Cboe UK 250 was 0.2% l

Group premiums up 7%Property premiums up 26%No change to estimatesLondon market insurance group Beazley (BEZ) posted an in-line first-quarter trading update and confirmed its full-year guidance for written premiums and costs.The shares, which closed at an all-time high of 694p in March, continued to ease down 0.4% to 636p. STRONG PROPERTY PREMIUMSInsurance written premiums for the three mon

After almost closing at a new high in early April, the UK?s blue-chip FTSE 100 has finally made it into the ranks of indices hitting new all-time highs thanks to a 4.5% gain since the start of January.On 22 April the index reached its highest ever close and on 23 April it moved through its previous intra-day high.The UK clearly isn?t in the same league as the US, where the S&P 500 has notched up n

Profit at both firms tops forecastsAviva announces £300 million buybackBeazley plans $325 million buybackShares in FTSE 100 insurance groups Aviva (AV.) and Beazley (BEZ) were among the gainers after both firms posted positive results and announced plans to buy back their shares.Aviva shares climbed 4% to 473p while Beazley shares added 2.5% to 670p. AVIVA ON SOLID GROUNDAviva reported ful

It was a generally positive Thursday for London and European stocks, as markets reacted to the latest European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve meetings.The FTSE 100 index closed up 21.98 points, 0.3%, at 7,684.49. The FTSE 250 ended up 144.53 points, 0.8%, at 19,263.50, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.06 of a point at 749.96.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.3% at 769.77, the Cboe UK 250 closed u

Stock prices in London were in the green at midday Thursday, as UK purchasing managers? index data indicated that the UK recession is ?already? over.Eye are now on US jobless data, which will be released at 1330 GMT.The FTSE 100 index was up 20.96 points, 0.3%, at 7,683.47. The FTSE 250 was up 135.16 points, 0.7%, at 19,254.13, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.86 of a points, 0.1%, at 750.88.The Cbo

Combined portfolio valued at £6.4 billionMerged group would be worth £3.9 billionPromotion to the FTSE 100 could followIn a sign consolidation in the UK real estate market is far from over, LondonMetric Property (LMP) and LXI REIT (LXI) have confirmed market rumours they are in talks over a possible all-share merger.Shares in potential acquirer LondonMetric traded sideways at 197p, giving it a m

The FTSE 100 was held back by miners and oil firms on Tuesday, while other stocks finished on the up, amid a slight recovery for the dollar.The FTSE 100 index closed down 7.72 points, 0.1%, at 7,410.04. The FTSE 250 ended up 14.24 points, 0.1%, at 17,761.71, and the AIM All-Share closed up 0.75 of a point, or 0.1%, at 698.63.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.2% at 739.72, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 0.1%

Quarterly review due in weeks Four likely winners and losersA further three stocks could drop outWe may only be half-way through the third quarter, but already it looks as though there will be quite a few changes to the benchmark FTSE 100 index when the topic comes up for review next month.Promotion to, and demotion from, the index can have a big effect on the share prices of the firms concerned a

The events of the past three years have completely altered the investment backcloth against which fund managers are trying to earn above-average returns.Fund managers can have an investment framework to operate within, but what do they do when a 'black swan' lands? How do they adapt their strategies and reshuffle portfolios when a once-in-a-century event happens - like a global pandemic or an outb

Stock prices in London climbed on Wednesday as softer-than-expected UK inflation lifted hopes for a lower peak for interest rates, while large-cap overseas earners got a boost from a weaker pound.The FTSE 100 index opened up 88.26 points, 1.2%, at 7,541.95. The FTSE 250 was up 460.88 points, 2.4%, at 19,079.10, and the AIM All-Share was 4.52 points, 0.6%, at 758.88.The Cboe UK 100 was up 1.2% at 7

I think the legendary US investor Warren Buffett once said, 'an investor must understand a company's products and its business model before making an investment' which loosely translates to 'buy what you know'.I tried to adopt this strategy when filling my SIPP (self-invested investment plan) in 2019 after combining several smaller pension pots from former employers.WHAT IS IN MY SIPP?I chose a mi

Investec Bank CEO sells shares as he readies for retirementDowlais CEO snaps up shares with a value just under £500,000 Beazley non-executive director sells £60,000 worth of sharesRichard Wainwright, CEO of the banking arm of Anglo-South African wealth management and international banking group Investec (INVP), sold two tranches of shares on the 19 June - 110,144 at 459p worth a total of £505,0

Each year, natural disasters around the world destroy assets worth hundreds of billions of dollars.According to German reinsurance giant Munich Re (MUV2:ETR), losses incurred from natural disasters amounted to $270 billion last year with less than half that figure covered by insurance.For insurers, it is essential to have in-depth knowledge of risks and how they are developing in order to be able