Investment trusts have experienced challenges this year, with discounts remaining wide across various sectors and some consolidation occurring. However, certain trusts have performed well compared to both the wider market and their peer group. This article highlights the top performers across four of the Association of Investment Companies' most widely followed equity-facing sectors.GLOBALAn inves

With US stocks trading close to all-time highs, valuations looking stretched and one of the narrowest markets on record, this could be an opportune moment to consider adding some defensive qualities to your portfolio through capital preservation funds and trusts.These products aim to protect your capital during periods of heightened volatility and equity market drawdowns as well as growing capital

Fourth year of underperformanceConsumer brand exposure reducedTrain optimistic for better future returnsVeteran fund manager Nick Train, manager of the well-followed Finsbury Growth & Income Trust (FGT), insisted he is more enthused by the company's prospects than at 'any time this century', despite the company reporting a fourth consecutive year of underperformance versus the benchmark.Chairman S

Diageo(DGE) £25.12Market cap: £55.9 billionInvestors seeking a high-quality consumer staple that is currently on sale should consider buying Diageo (DGE), the world's largest premium spirits company which is growing its market share around the globe. Shares in the premium drinks maker behind iconic brands Johnnie Walker whisky, Smirnoff vodka and Guinness stout are down 20% over one year. This r

Investors in spirits giant Diageo (DGE) could probably use a stiff drink after analysts at Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to sell and cut their target price from £31.50 to £24.50.The shares have already lost more than 10% this year, against a 7% rise in the FTSE 100, due to concerns over sales in the US and the Caribbean and a less than resounding welcome for the new chief executive.Despite

Funds can often be in vogue with investors thanks to a big-name manager or a past reputation, but just how well-earned is the popularity of the UK's most popular funds and investment trusts?In this article we've taken a look at the performance of a select group of funds which regularly feature among the most bought and most widely-held in the market to judge whether they are truly delivering the g

'Quality investing' is the style pursued by the world's most famous investor Warren Buffett and Terry Smith, arguably the best-known British fund manager who runs the five-star Morningstar-rated Fundsmith Equity (B41YBW7) and consistently favours quality firms. Quality investing has generated strong long-run returns for its practitioners, including Buffett, but how do the leading fund managers off

A feature of the recent recovery in stock markets has been the leadership role played by large-caps. This represents a reversal of a longer-term trend, particularly in the UK, of medium-sized businesses setting the pace.As the charts show, year-to-date the FTSE 250 has lagged behind the FTSE 100 while in the US the Russell 2000 (made up of the 2000 smallest companies in the broad-based Russell 300

Trust lags FTSE All ShareBurberry and Diageo dragNAV down 3.2% in AprilNick Train, manager of the popular Finsbury Growth & Income Trust (FGT), has apologised to shareholders for the trust's 'poor investment performance' not only over the past six months but over three years.The manager also acknowledged the 'growing impatience' from the shareholders.Train's apology comes after the trust lagged be

One of the chocolate industry?s seasonal peaks, Easter is upon us with eggs from the world?s major brands adorning retailer?s shelves.Chocolates are tough for consumers to resist at this time of year, but is this an opportune time to put money to work with purveyors of one of the world?s most popular little luxuries?SWEET CONSUMER CATEGORYAccording to MarkNtel Advisors, the global chocolate market

One of the most popular investment trusts with AJ Bell?s ISA millionaires, City of London (CTY) is a favourite with investors seeking long-term income and capital growth and a gateway to large international companies.However, while the long-run performance record is strong, Curtis? cautious approach means the fund can underperform in some market conditions. On a 10-year share price total return ba

Investors are increasingly turning to passive investment products such as tracker funds and exchange-traded funds as they seek a low-cost, uncomplicated way to get exposure to the markets.There are numerous reasons why trackers and ETFs are filling more portfolios. Underperformance by active managers is one of them ? just 36% of active manages beat the average passive alternative in 2023 across se

Former publishing industry professional John is in his 50s and has been investing for decades, starting at a very early age.John became an investor in his late teens and has started devoting more time to it over the last 20 years. He has always had an interest in markets, even when he was a young boy of seven or eight.A CHILDHOOD INTEREST IN STOCK MARKET SUCCESSES AND FAILURESHe says: ?I read the

By his own admission, Nick Train, manager of Finsbury Growth & Income (FGT), isn?t one for nostalgia, whether that is reflecting on past glories or the ?melancholy fact? as he puts it that the popular investment trust has underperformed the FTSE All-Share index for the last three years.Moving into 2024, the trust has again lagged the benchmark with a share price return of -1.9% in January against

Following on from our coverage of Fundsmith Equity (B41YBW7) and the fact it has lagged its benchmark for three years running, another popular fund with retail investors, the Nick Train-run Finsbury Growth & Income (FGT), has also failed to outperform over the last three years.As the manager says in his December factsheet: ?This is disappointing to me and all my colleagues, because we work hard, w

Equity income trusts in demandCity of London most boughtScottish Mortgage, Finsbury Growth & Income divide opinionWith conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine creating uncertainty, and investors grappling with cost-of-living pressures as falling inflation is expected to be a drawn-out process, dependable income trusts have proved popular on the AJ Bell platform over the past month.At the same time

An upbeat trading update and revised financial targets from the UK's leading property portal Rightmove (RMV) proved a hit with investors on 27 November, but it hasn't been all plain sailing for the FTSE firm of late.At the end of October, the group's share price took a battering after US real estate giant CoStar (CSGP:NYSE) announced a £99 million all-cash offer for Rightmove's UK rival OnTheMark

Software firm beats estimatesShare buyback an added positiveStock tops FTSE 100 gainersFinance and payroll software firm Sage (SGE) pleased investors not just with its better-than-expected annual results but with a surprise share buyback on top of the raised dividend.Sage shares topped the FTSE 100 leader board with an advance of 8% to a new lifetime high of £10.76. STRONG ORGANIC GROWTHFo

Shares fall pre-market after Qataris pull-out of biddingGlazer family asking price a key sticking pointSir Jim Ratcliffe now only bidder but for 25% stakePre-market trading in Manchester United (MANU:NYSE) indicates the shares could drop over 10% after Sky News reported Jassim bin Hamal al-Thani has withdrawn his interest following months of negotiations.As of Friday's close, Manchester United sha

Persistent inflation and higher interest rates are squeezing disposable incomes. In this scenario there is logic in investors putting their cash behind companies which make premium products which confer pricing power or sell affordable luxuries which help consumers to socialise or unwind at the end of the working day.One sector that enjoys both these attributes is Beverages, the domain of soft dri