It is one thing for analysts to forecast which stocks and sectors will do well in a rising-rate or inflationary environment, but when it actually comes to pass it's always fascinating to see what works in practice.Judging by the list of stocks making 12-month highs over the past week, those who favoured real assets were on the money.Standing tall are 3i Infrastructure (3IN), AEW UK REIT (AEWU), GC

The year so far has seen significant volatility for global stock markets driven by concerns over red-hot inflation, the impact on share prices of rising interest rates and war in Ukraine.Crunching the latest data from Winterflood Investment Trusts, Shares has spotted that discounts to net asset value have widened on a variety of trusts with interesting strategies and prospects.BANKERS ON SALEFor i

Japan's stock market enjoyed a recent surge following the resignation of increasingly unpopular prime minister Yoshihide Suga.The Nikkei 225 index reaching a 31-year high in September as the whole Tokyo stock exchange cheered Suga's departure.Japan bulls are hoping the arrival of new PM Fumio Kishida can provide the impetus for a fresh rally, though markets are trying to work out just how his lead

Seemingly counter-intuitively, Japanese stocks surged higher after prime minister Yoshihide Suga announced on 3 September his intention to step down with the Nikkei 225 index gaining 2% and the broader Topix index making new all-time highs.There are two reasons why investors took the news positively. Firstly, Suga's approval rating had deteriorated badly amid his handling of the pandemic. Therefor

Japan's Nikkei 225 stock market index achieved a huge landmark in early 2021 as it returned to levels not seen in three decades.Japanese stocks have joined the global market recovery rally, rising 76% from March 2020's 16,552.83 point Covid-inflicted trough to trade at 29,053.97.This move has been supported by fiscal stimulus and a huge influx of capital into the market from Japan's central bank.W

A rebound in oil prices after a container ship blocked the Suez Canal helped lift the blue chip benchmark off its lows on Wednesday.By lunchtime, the FTSE 100 was down 0.3% at 6,681.10 having earlier traded as low as 6,681 points after inflation surprisingly fell in February, defying expectations of a rise, with the weak data stoking concerns that persistent lockdowns are weighing on global growth

UK stocks opened lower on Wednesday after inflation surprisingly fell in February, defying expectations of a rise, with the weak data stoking concerns that persistent lockdowns are weighing on global growth.The UK's inflation rate unexpectedly fell to 0.4% last month, down from 0.7% in January and well below the 0.8% the market was expecting, with the cost of clothing notably tumbling.Clothing and

Although the Japanese economy and its corporates haven't escaped the effects of coronavirus, the number of COVID-19 cases has been relatively contained in Japan and the government has not had to resort to the extreme lockdown measures seen elsewhere. This likely explains why the Japanese stock market has been relatively resilient compared to others globally.Yes, the pandemic-driven postponement of

Baillie Gifford Japan (BGFD) has defended its stake in struggling conglomerate Softbank after a rare bout of underperformance for the investment trust.Softbank is the highest position in the fund at 6.2%, but the Japanese holding giant has been stung recently by the failed float of WeWork, one of its largest investments.Softbank also has a hefty stake in Uber, which has tanked since its IPO in May

The FTSE 100 got off to a decent start this morning as a fall in the pound boosted the exporter-heavy index.Sterling has dipped as a deal between the UK and the European Union ahead of the Brexit deadline becomes ever more unlikely.Just before 9am, the UK's benchmark index stood almost 30 points, or 0.4%, higher at 7,172.73.Sports betting company GVC Holdings (GVC) jumped 3.4% to 775p as it lifted

Shopping centre investor Hammerson (HMSO) could be booted out of the FTSE 100 index at next week's reshuffle and replaced by Royal Mail (RMG), according to analysis of latest market values.On the FTSE 250, relegation candidates include funeral services group Dignity (DTY), pharmaceuticals expert Vectura (VEC) and real estate group Hansteen (HSTN).Recent stock market flotations Contourglobal (GLO),

Tech names and a tailwind from Far East markets powered the outperformance of F&C Managed Portfolio Trust (FMPG) in the six months to 30 November 2017, a period that builds on the investment company's impressive long-term track record.Chairman Richard Martin appears optimistic on the outlook for 2018, though investors might heed his warning markets have 'had a remarkable run since the great financ

A new document required to be published by all investment trusts could be misleading to investors, according to experts.Called the Key Information Document (KID), it is meant to help prospective investors understand the nature of a fund, the target investor base, its expected risks/returns and costs.Introduced on 1 January 2018, the KID has actually left experts wondering if it will do more harm t

The Japanese economy appears to be finally cranking back into growth mode after as 'Abenomics' and financial stimulus by the country's central bank take effect.Reforms, introduced by prime minister Shinzo Abe, are matched by improving corporate governance and are broadly supportive of Japanese shares.Companies are also flush with cash, meaning there's scope for material dividend growth and the mar

It may seem strange but there are a number of open-ended funds that have very similar investment trusts, run by the same manager and which follow an almost identical mandate.A research report published in late 2016 by Canaccord Genuity identified 51 of these product pairings. The list includes many well-known funds such as: Fidelity Special Situations (GB0003875100), Jupiter European (GB0006664683

Here are six ideas from the funds space to give your portfolio a healthy New Year boost. They can help to diversify your portfolio as you can access multiple companies or other assets via single products. We've also added another idea as a fund to watch.While our main feature this week looks at stocks to add to your ISA, we appreciate that not everyone wants the risk of buying individual companies

As discounts widen across the investment trust space in the wake of the UK's vote to leave the EU, broker Winterflood Securities has highlighted a number of names to watch including Personal Assets (PNL).Winterflood analyst Simon Elliot notes that Personal Assets, managed by Sebastian Lyon of Troy Asset Management, has an emphasis on capital preservation and a 'well?established zero?discount polic

Offering to make investors money in a country where there has been an absence of sustainable growth for the past 26 years appears a hard sell. But the ten investment trusts specifically targeting Japan that retail investors in the UK can buy have all made positive returns over one, three and five years.The Japanese stock market has performed strongly since the election of Shinzo Abe in December 20

Buying investment trusts directly from the fund manager can be one of the cheapest ways to invest in these products, also known as closed-end funds. Many fund managers don't charge fees to buy their products. The minimum amount you can invest each month is lower in many occasions than the regular savings schemes offered by share dealing platform that come with discounted trading fees.Sadly, it is

Appetite for investment trusts, the oldest form of collective, continues to get a boost from regulatory changes. The first leg of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR), launched in January 2013, and the second round due this April both shine a light on the fees levied by open-ended investment companies (Oiecs) and financial advisers. As a consequence data for last year show purchases of investment