AstraZeneca director buys £235,855 sharesComputacenter director buys 8,900 sharesEssentra non-executive director buys 70,000 sharesMichael Demare, non-executive chair of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZN) has bought 2,000 shares at £117.93 for a total value of £235,855 on 13 September.Demare's move comes after the pharmaceutical giant's shares recently fell to a one-month low after the...

Investors looking to take advantage of takeover interest among UK stocks should put money into Fidelity UK Smaller Companies (B7VNMB1). It has an outstanding performance track record, scoring in the top 25% of funds in its category over three, five and 10 years.On a three-year view the fund has achieved annualised returns of 26.5% which is perhaps better than one might expect on a longer-term...

- Sales and margins grow by double digits- Returning more than a quarter of its market cap- Shares just above a five-year low Pure-play components firm Essentra (ESNT) delivered a solid set of full-year results and confirmed it would return £150 million of surplus capital, much to the relief of long-suffering shareholders.The shares, which were trading at a multi-year low just last week,...

Essentra (ESNT) 211pLoss to date: -32%Shares in industrial group Essentra (ESNT) jumped as much as 15% on 3 October on news the firm had agreed the sale of its filters business, completing its strategic repositioning.Unfortunately, that still leaves them almost a pound below our 310p entry point in November 2021 despite the fact the firm has done exactly what it said it would.WHAT'S HAPPENED...

- Successful disposal of packaging and filters business- Proceeds go towards debt reduction and special dividend- Shares jump after languishing at year-lowIndustrial group Essentra (ESNT) announced it had agreed the sale of its filters division to a private buyer, delivering on its promise to become a pure-play components business.Investors applauded the news, sending the shares up as much as...

- Shares drift despite strong first half results- Interim dividend increased by 15%- Update on filters disposal by end of SeptemberShares in FTSE 250 components and packing firm Essentra (ESNT) drifted 4% lower despite the announcement of first half results showing strong revenue and profit growth in both the filters and components businesses.This was reflected in a 15% increase in the interim...

Essentra (ESNT) 271pLoss to date: 12.6%We said to buy FTSE 250 components and packaging firm Essentra (ESNT) at 310p on 11 November 2021, believing it would benefit from ditching its conglomerate status and becoming a focused industrial parts supplier.This shift might result in better profit margins and a higher stock market rating. To illustrate, Essentra's components business has an...

- Sale of packaging business fetches £312 million- Strategic review of filters business on track- Active management talks on potential M&A component dealsShares in support services business Essentra (ESNT) moved higher following the announcement of the sale of its packaging business for £312 million.Management also confirmed that the strategic review of the filters business, also for sale,...

Essentra (ESNT) 310pGain to date: 0%Original entry point - BUY at 310p, 11 November 2021The key focus for the market when Essentra (ESNT) reported full year results (18 Mar) was management confirmation on the timescales for the strategic exit from both its packaging and filters arms.In October 2021 Essentra announced that both divisions would undergo a strategic review and be divested in the...

UK stocks drifted in early trading as investors awaited the next piece of US economic data, the December non-farm payrolls report due at lunchtime. A stronger than expected number could be negative for markets as it adds to worries the US Federal Reserve will raise rates earlier than expected.There was positive news in the technology sector with Samsung Electronics, a major Asian chipmaker,...

Essentra (ESNT) 305pLoss to date: 1.6%Original entry point: Buy at 310p, 11 November 2021Our positive call on support services business Essentra (ESNT) is down a touch on our recent entry point, but that needs to be viewed in the context of this week's broader market wobble.It has fallen less than the wider market since we said to buy in early November, with the FTSE All-Share dropping 4.3%...

London's FTSE 100 slumped on Friday morning, led by sharp falls in travel and leisure stocks after the UK re-imposed travel restrictions on several African countries following a potentially more infectious strain of Covid-19.At 08:58 am, the blue chip benchmark was down 200 points, or 2.74%, to 7,110.22 with aero-engineer Rolls-Royce (RR.), British Airways-owner International Consolidated...

Support services firm Essentra (ESNT) is on the cusp of a transformation which could address the discounted valuation associated with its current conglomerate structure. This should also address longstanding environmental, social and governance concerns and free up management to focus on its most profitable division.Investors should buy now to benefit from these potential catalysts, with the...

After a volatile morning in which leading shares jumped before falling into the red, UK stocks ended Thursday significantly higher after data across the pond showed US jobless claims fell to a new pandemic low last week.Seasonally adjusted US jobless claims fell to 444,000 for the week to 15 May, the lowest level since March. Wall Street reacted positively to the news with the S&P 500 up 0.5%...

Leading UK shares endured a volatile morning on Thursday after an earlier rally following positive corporate earnings updates fizzled out, before stocks picked up steam again shortly after midday.After a bruising day yesterday linked to cryptocurrency volatility and inflation fears, with Bitcoin falling to $30,000 before recovering to $40,000, investors continue to be split between reopening...

Industrial and financial stocks lifted the FTSE 100 in early trading after a wild day for markets on Wednesday, while positive earnings upgrades continue to filter through.Bitcoin's crash down to $30,000 before recovering to almost $40,000 caught the eye of even the most dismissive investor as a sell-off in cryptocurrencies and high-growth stocks continue to leave investors split between...

London's FTSE 100 was back above the 7,000 level for the first time since February 2020 on Friday as investors cheered signs that the global recovery remains on track following data showing China's economy grew at record pace in the first quarter.By 8.45 am, the blue chip benchmark was up 32.3 points or 0.46% at 7,015.75, representing a massive milestone in recovering from the terrible...

UK stocks headed into the weekend on a decidedly down note after US markets fell for a third day on Thursday. The Nasdaq 100 index is already down on the year and back to November levels while S&P 500 is barely in positive territory.The FTSE 100 index dropped by 60 points or 0.8% to 6,590 in the first half hour of trading with financial stocks and miners bearing the brunt of the selling.On the...

The UK's basket of leading shares has ended the first trading week of 2021 in stellar fashion and recorded gains of more than 6% as investors bet on a swift economic recovery.The benchmark FTSE 100 index closed 0.24% higher to 6,873.26 led by housebuilder, consumer and energy stocks.In the US the S&P 500 was also modestly higher, up 0.13% despite the ongoing political turmoil surrounding the...

The UK's basket of leading shares remains on track to end the first trading week of 2021 in stellar fashion and record gains of more than 6% as investors bet on a swift economic recovery.By 12pm, the benchmark FTSE 100 index had edged a few points higher to 6,861.60, led by housebuilder, consumer and energy stocks.The mid-cap FTSE 250 gained 0.55% to 21,126.07 as data showed Britain's job...