On 1 August the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee made a 5-4 decision to kickstart its rate-cutting cycle. A 25 basis point reduction in the base rate to 5% marking The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street's first cut since March 2020.This means cash savings rates are heading in one direction, down. And the lower-than-expected jump in UK inflation reported on 14 August only boosted market exp

With the US Federal Reserve set to begin a week dominated by three central bank decisions this evening, investors in London demonstrated confidence at midday on Wednesday.This was despite downbeat gross domestic product data in the UK.The FTSE 100 index was up 22.62 points, 0.3%, at 7,565.39. The FTSE 250 was up 38.22 points, 0.2%, at 18,700.34, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.91 points, 0.3%, at 7

Energy transition fund calls it a dayIncome fund sets out its optionsUS-listed funds circling the sectorThe shake-out in the investment trust space continues with one fund announcing today it would liquidate its assets and return cash to shareholders and another opting for a strategic review to determine its future.Shares in both trusts jumped on the news, but the likelihood is both will end up ex

We would hesitate to call it a wave of consolidation - maybe a ripple would be more appropriate - but this year has seen a number of mergers among investment trusts.There is a long tail of sub-scale funds and trusts in the UK all desperate to attract more investors, but with the average discount to net asset value hitting 18% at the end of October, according to research from Winterflood Securities

According to data from the AIC, the average investment trust discount to net asset value has widened from 12.2% at the end of 2022 to 14.5% as of 8 September 2023, while sector averages have generally widened. The exception is private equity, which narrowed from 25.1% to 4.5%, skewed by 3i's (III) dramatic swing from discount to premium.While this presents an opportunity to buy into parts of the m

Better-than-expected UK gross domestic product growth hurt market sentiment in London on Friday at midday, amid fears it would fuel the Bank of England's appetite to keep interest rates higher for longer.The FTSE 100 index was down 81.30 points, or 1.1%, at 7,537.30. The FTSE 250 was down 137.15 points, or 0.7%, at 18,856.66. The AIM All-Share was down just 0.21 of a point at 757.18.The Cboe UK 10

Infrastructure trusts to mergeDeal continues trend towards consolidationAsset manager Abrdn leads the wayAgainst a backdrop of falling NAVs (net asset values) due to higher UK interest rates, and with the average discount across the investment trust sector hitting its widest level since 2008 in the second quarter, it seems more managers are biting the bullet and agreeing to merge.After consolidati

Stocks in London were largely lower on Friday, with rate-sensitive stocks on the back foot, as decent UK economic growth opened the way for more Bank of England hikes.'The UK economy continues to confound predictions of a recession for now. However, the words 'for now' are doing plenty of heavy lifting,' AJ Bell analyst Russ Mould commented.'The durability of the economy is a double-edged sword, a

- Wealth preserver delivers 10.5% return- TIPS and REITs shine- Trust is defensively positioned for uncertain outlookWealth preservation specialist Capital Gearing Trust (CGT) delivered a net asset value (NAV) total return of 10.5% for a slightly shortened year to 31 March 2022 following a change in year-end from 5 April.This was ahead of inflation of 9% for the same period as measured by the UK R

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

Stocks in the UK and Europe closed lower on Friday after another weak trading session in the US as investors fretted over rising interest rates among other concerns.The technology-focused Nasdaq 100 index dropped a further 1%, taking its loss for the week to 5% and its loss from the November high to more than 10% signaling it had entered 'correction territory' according to analysts.Investors were

Stocks in the UK and Europe traded lower on Friday after a weak trading session in the US fed through into falls across Asia as investors fretted over rising interest rates among other concerns.The technology-focused Nasdaq 100 index registered further losses, falling 1.3% to take losses from its November peak to 10% signaling it is in 'correction territory' according to analysts.After the close,

Stocks in the UK and Europe opened lower on Friday after a weak trading session in the US fed through into falls across Asia.The technology-focused Nasdaq 100 index registered further losses after falling 1.3% while the small-cap Russell 2000 dropped almost 2%.Adding to investor woes, in aftermarket trading Netflix shares sank 21% after it provided a disappointing outlook and weaker than expected

The private equity sector has been the standout performer this year, according to a new research report by broker Stifel. The study highlighted the best and worst performing investment trusts in a third quarter sector review, and the results show that investors have increasingly been drawn to private equity for net asset value (NAV) growth.UK small caps and UK real estate also performed well, whil

How does a 5% return on your money sound right now? With UK interest rates showing little sign of increasing from rock bottom levels despite mounting inflation, a 5% rate is certainly appealing.If you are using your investments to pay the bills or to fund your living expenses in retirement the income you receive is vital. The great news is that the dividends from stocks and shares can offer invest

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING PROMOTIONJersey, Channel Islands based and registered holding company TEAM (TEAM:AIM) is engaged in wealth and asset management.TEAM is a listed acquisition vehicle building a transformational and leading onshore and offshore wealth management business delivering increased shareholder value by creating a differentiated business of scale through the opportunities presented by

There are lots of good reasons why investors should have allocations to the FTSE 250, London's high-flying index oriented to mid caps which provides a purer play on the domestic UK economy than the exporter-heavy FTSE 100.The FTSE 250 captures those growth stocks that have come up from the small cap ranks and therefore had a chance to establish themselves. And crucially, it can catch these 'second

It's almost impossible to talk about the general stock market without including the big five tech titans in the conversation. Google-owner Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft are as well-known to UK investors today as Lloyds (LLOY) or Sainsbury's (SBRY), the ubiquity of their products and services as wide as Heinz baked beans.Often referred to by the acronym FAAMG (or GAFAM, take your

Property assets have become the common theme connecting this year's flurry of takeovers on the UK stock market.As Shares went to press, Morrisons (MRW) was subject to a bidding war and GCP Student Living (DIGS) had just received a takeover approach. In May, both Spire Healthcare (SPI) and St Modwen Properties (SMP) were subject to bids.All four of these companies own significant amounts of propert

On the face of it, investment trusts and other vehicles which invest in long-term assets with long-term cash flows should be a sound investment, especially if there is an element of growth either in asset values or dividends.For example, renewable energy infrastructure projects - which are set to grow exponentially as companies and governments around the world target zero carbon emissions by 2050