Copper is already one of the most important materials underpinning human civilisation, and the energy transition is only likely to see demand for the industrial metal build in the years to come.Limits and pressures on supply and this growing demand profile are already seeing copper prices mount a charge and recent M&A activity ? with BHP's (BHP) unsuccessful (for now) attempt to take over Anglo Am

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE The mining sector is not homogenous. On the BlackRock World Mining Trust, we believe this year its fortunes may be particularly disparate, as a range of factors weigh on individual commodities and regions. As we see it, there are three key factors that will determine the performance of mining companies for the remainder of 2024: geopolitics, global growth and infras

Are miners not getting enough love from the market? That was the (rather self-serving) argument put forward by asset manager BlackRock recently. Global head of thematic and sector-based investing Evy Hambro cautions a lack of investor interest in the sector could starve it of the capital required to provide the materials necessary for the energy transition.Whatever the source, this argument has re

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREEquities versus bonds as interest rates riseAlthough bond yields are higher than the dividend yields, they may not provide the same inflation mitigation as the stock market. However, investors need to ensure they're in the right areas, says the BlackRock World Mining team. For the first time in more than a decade, gilt yields are higher than the dividend yield for the

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURECan the market's gold fever continue?The gold price has been rising, fuelled by a weaker Dollar and rising geopolitical tensions. Olivia Markham, manager on the BlackRock World Mining trust, explores the recent gold price trends and what it means for gold mining companies. Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and

Number of high yielding trusts up since February35 equities-focused trusts offer 4% yield or moreBut Stifel says watch out for automatic cutsWhilst UK inflation cooled more than expected last month, June's 7.9% reading remains far higher than the Bank of England's 2% target and prices are still going up, which means investors still need to protect portfolios from the 'cruellest tax' with dividends

Since the pandemic we have become increasingly used to interacting online. Work Teams or Zoom meetings have become a regular occurrence for office workers and video conferencing obviouslyserved a social function when Covid restrictions were in place.Perhaps it's not surprising then that Marks & Spencer's (MKS) eye-catching 'Share Your Voice' campaign to push for a greater voice for ordinary shareh

It has been a mixed start to 2023 for the mining industry, one of the few remaining sectors where the London stock market still has many of the world's biggest names.A reopening of the Chinese economy helped drive a rally in miners of industrial metals in the first weeks of the new year before concerns about recession began to weigh more heavily. On the flipside the precious metals space has come

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREGlobal commitments to net zero are changing the landscape for commodities, says Olivia Markham, Co-Manager of the BlackRock World Mining Trust plc. This creates a strong backdrop for the year ahead. Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally inves

The mining sector has had a wild 2022 to date. It started strongly, supported by pent-up demand from the pandemic, with the invasion of Ukraine affecting the supply of key commodities and helping to drive prices even higher.More recently, concerns about a global downturn, rising interest rates and a stronger dollar have all contributed to a big crash.With metals prices stabilising and stocks in th

It's easy to dismiss ESG (environmental, social and governance) investing as a fad. Certainly there has been a backlash in 2022 after a period where slapping those three letters next to any investment seemed to guarantee double-digit gainsAccording to data from Morningstar, US funds with a sustainability focus underperformed a weak wider market by nearly 2% in the first six months of the year.A do

Rising interest rates since the turn of the year, runaway inflation and Russia's shocking invasion of Ukraine have shaken the investment kaleidoscope in 2022 and forced many investors to reposition portfolios for an increasingly uncertain world.This is reflected in developments in the investment trusts universe, which has thrown up some obvious and more surprising winners in the opening months of

Experience counts in the asset management industry and in a phenomenal achievement, Peter Spiller (pictured) recently celebrated his 40th anniversary at the helm of wealth preservation specialist Capital Gearing Trust (CGT).The mind boggles when you consider that during his four decades as manager, Spiller has seen seven UK prime ministers elected, countless international conflicts rage and inflat

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREGlobal commitments to net zero are changing the landscape for commodities, says Olivia Markham, Co-Manager of the BlackRock World Mining Trust plc. This creates a strong backdrop for the year ahead. Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally inves

The simple option for investors these days is to choose a tracker fund which mirrors a certain part of the market. Therefore, actively managed funds really need to add value and deliver market-beating returns if they are to convince investors not to go for the easy option of a tracker fund.There are numerous investment trusts offering broad exposure to specific geographies or investment styles lik

We're now halfway through the year, and it's been a good six months for stock market investors, with the FTSE 100 returning 11% and the S&P 500 returning 14% in pounds and pence.But the real standout performer has been the UK Smaller Companies market, which has returned around 20% in the past six months alone.So far this year the FTSE Small Cap index has repeatedly set new record highs, and now si

Commodities have enjoyed a surge in the first half of 2021 as the global economic recovery gathers pace and the outlook for demand gets stronger and stronger.Copper and iron ore have been two of the standout stars, their prices rising sharply over the past year as the rollout of coronavirus vaccines sparks a surge in economic activity and optimism over the worldwide recovery.A range of metals, cop

Very little in the investment world has captured the imagination quite like the exponential growth potential of electric vehicles.From car makers and battery firms to chemicals companies and miners, and even energy storage firms, seemingly everyone in the financial world is trying to find a way to make some serious profit as we all start to bin our petrol and diesel cars and buy electric ones that

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREAfter a good year in 2020, the mining sector is only in the foothills of a new cycle, driven by economic recovery and green infrastructure investment, says Evy Hambro, Co-Manager of the BlackRock World Mining Trust plc. Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amo

Global multi-managed trust Witan's (WTAN) full-year results (11 March) revealed the investment trust returned less than half that of the benchmark during 2020, at 4.2% versus 9.5% respectively.This lagging performance once again raises the question whether investors would be better off buying a low-cost global exchange-traded fund, especially as Witan's ongoing charge of 0.8% is higher than the AI