If there is one thing investors can agree on, it is that the UK stock market is cheap.How cheap depends on who you ask, but the strategy team at Morgan Stanley believe the FTSE 100 is trading at a 35% discount to the MSCI World Index on a PE (price to earnings) basis.If inflation pressures continue to ease and the economy shows further signs of cooling, there is a fair chance the Bank of England m

Fidelity Special Values (FSV) investment trust has outperformed the AIC UK All Companies sector over the past year delivering a 13.06% total return to investors compared to a 10.5% gain for the sector.The trust, run by Alex Wright and Jonathan Winton, co-manager since 3 February 2020, has achieved 11% dividend growth over five years. It currently yields 2.7% and trades at a 5% discount to NAV (net

Achieving decent returns has been difficult in 2022 as shareholders in many investment trusts have found to their cost. According to data from the Association of Investment Companies, the average one-year share price total return from all trusts (excluding venture capital trusts) is -13.7%.However, several trusts have really stood out from their sector peers this year. In this article we highlight

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

Despite the many thousands of stocks listed around the world, a rising number of investment trusts are looking to add or increase their exposure to unlisted companies as more businesses stay private for longer.Baillie Gifford UK Growth (BGUK) is one such trust, and in August will seek shareholder approval to invest up to 10% of its portfolio in unquoted stocks which have a valuation of £500 milli

In the same manner a football team's fortunes can turn upwards when a new manager enters the dressing room, performance can also improve when a new portfolio manager takes over or assumes sole responsibility for an investment trust.A long-standing manager can benefit a trust if they have experience of how to navigate both good and bad markets. However, by bringing a fresh pair of eyes, a new broom

Investors seeking to complement mainstream UK value and income-oriented funds with a concentrated, actively managed best ideas growth trust should snap up Baillie Gifford UK Growth Fund (BGUK).The only Baillie Gifford-managed investment trust trading at a significant discount to net asset value (NAV), 5% at the time of writing, a continuation of the recent pick-up in performance should trigger a r

Since Baillie Gifford took over the running of the trust from Schroders in 2018 Baillie Gifford UK Growth (BGUK) has enjoyed a strong performance.In share price terms, the trust is the UK's best performer across the entire Association of Investment Companies UK All Companies grouping, over the last 12 months (see table).Steered by Milena Mileva and Iain McCombie the trust's showing is somewhat sur

Science-based engineering firm Renishaw (RSW) has a clear and focused approach which it consistently pursues regardless of the macro-economic backdrop.A big decline in the share price in recent months should spark your interest as it means you can gain exposure to this high-quality outfit at a significantly more attractive price.The company has been unfairly punished by the market for investing in

Every year the Shares team research the market to find investment ideas and create a portfolio of stocks to own for the year ahead.We draw up a long list and then debate the pros and cons as a team over several meetings and then narrow the list down to the cream of the crop.This year we've selected 10 stocks which look attractive for various reasons. We will regularly update readers on trading upd

Many investment trusts are diversified products, typically with portfolios made up of up to 100 individual companies. A trust which invests in other investment trusts arguably takes this to another level, potentially providing exposure to thousands of underlying investments.You get a professional insight into the prospects and performance of a variety of funds by watching the purchases and divestm