Valuations for the small-cap asset class have returned to levels last seen during the Global Financial Crisis, and history shows that when valuations have plunged to similarly low levels in the past, stellar returns have ensued for small caps over the subsequent five years.A savvy way to gain differentiated exposure to this structurally-inefficient part of the market is through value-focused inves

Persimmon raises completions targetPartnership deals pave the wayAverage house prices turning upA positive third-quarter trading update and evidence of a bounce in house prices helped lift shares in Persimmon (PSN) and other developers from their recent lows.Persimmon added 2.5% to £11.09 while rivals Barratt Developments (BDEV) and Taylor Wimpey (TW.) gained around 1.5% apiece. HIGHER FUL

- Adjusted pre-tax profit expected to grow 5% in 2023 supported by regeneration arm- Rising costs and fire safety provisions hit 2022 profit- Improving sales trend in recent weeksHousebuilder and regeneration specialist Vistry (VTY) demonstrated the benefits of a diversified approach as it delivered a surprisingly positive assessment of its outlook for 2023 alongside 2022 results.The company has a

There is a well-worn phrase that 'a week is a long time in politics'. In market terms, a week can feel even longer and can sometimes signal a shift from one trend to another.A fortnight ago when we introduced the idea of watching the number of stocks making new highs as a barometer of the health of the market, the FTSE All-Share was just below its all-time high and everything seemed to be going sw

Shares in Vistry (VTY) rose 1.8% to a fresh one-year high of £13.19 on Monday after the housebuilder upgraded its annual earnings guidance amid a rise in sales rates and home completions.Drawing confidence from a 'very positive' start, Vistry expects adjusted pre-tax profit for the year to December 2021 will be around £325 million, up from previous guidance of at least £310 million and is stick

Many Brits have seen their incomes remain much the same through the year of lockdowns but their spending plummet. It's time to put that spare money to work in an ISA.Investing spare cash is a sensible option for many people. Take George, for example. He put £10,000 in a Cash ISA account five years ago on a fixed 2% a year interest rate. At the same time, his sister Mildred also decided to put £1

Housebuilder Vistry (VTY) gained 3.6% to 943.5p as it eyed a doubling of profit in 2021 as it recovers from the pandemic.Supporting this recovery are the measures announced in yesterday's Budget including an extension to the stamp duty holiday and a mortgage guarantee scheme for first-time buyers.The company posted a 2020 adjusted pre-tax profit of £143.9 million, ahead of expectations but down f

UK stocks ended a busy week in reflective mood after a big jump in Covid-19 cases was reported yesterday and European policymakers sounded a cautious note on the economic outlook going into year-end.At the close on Friday the FTSE 100 was down 22 points or 0.4% at 6,316 points. Domestic stocks such as banks and house builders gained while overseas earners including energy stocks fell as the pound

UK stocks retreated on Friday after a big jump in Covid-19 cases was reported yesterday and European policymakers sounded a cautious note on the economic outlook going into year-end.At midday the FTSE 100 was down 27 points or 0.4% at 6,312 points. Domestic stocks such as banks and house builders gained while overseas earners including energy stocks fell as the pound continued to strengthen agains

UK construction group Galliford Try (GFRD) jumped 20.5% to 99p as it reiterated an expected return to the black and flagged the restoration of its dividend ahead of today's AGM.Lockdown 2.0 is very different for the construction sector from what happened in the spring when sites had to be closed down.CLOSE TO BUSY AS USUAL The company said it expected to return to profit and resume its dividend in

UK stocks retreated on Friday after a big jump in Covid-19 cases was reported yesterday with the FTSE 100 down 0.6% at 6,300 points. A stronger pound dragged down exporters and weaker oil put pressure on energy stocks.The pound was 0.5% higher against the US dollar at $1.31 and Brent crude prices were 1.4% lower at $40.5 per barrel. Gold prices nudged-up 0.2% to $1.880 an ounce.Overnight trading i

UK stocks erased their early gains to end lower on Wednesday as investors awaited an update from the US Federal Reserve due after the market close regarding the outlook for the US economy.At 4.35pm the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 7 points at 6,078, led lower by supermarket groups Sainsbury (SBRY) and Tesco (TSCO) and engineers Melrose (MRO) and Roll-Royce (RR.).The FTSE 250 mid-cap index clo

UK stocks tracked sideways in early trading on Wednesday as investors awaited an update from the Federal Reserve about the outlook for the US economy. At 8.39, the FTSE 100 was ever so slightly lower, off 0.15% at 6,096.30 points.E-commerce company The Hut (THG), the Manchester-based owner of the Lookfantastic website, surged 27% higher to 635p, having priced its IPO at 500p, as conditional dealin

Housebuilder Vistry (VTY) swung to a first-half loss following the impact of lockdown on the construction sector, though it also noted production was back to near normal levels.Investors marked the shares down 3.85% to 611p as they focused on the losses and the company's balance sheet, which is more stretched than many of its peers thanks to the acquisition of Galliford Try's (GFRD) housebuilding

The housing market is emerging from hibernation but as investors in directly related sectors like housebuilders and estate agents count the cost of lockdown they have seen a significant divergence in share price performance.There are a number of factors behind these disparities. A look at the table of year-to-date performance suggests that financial strength has been a clear dividing line but ther

Travel operator TUI (TUI) is to lose its place in the FTSE 100 after its recent share price slump made it too small to qualify for the blue chip index.Index provider FTSE Russell reshuffles the FTSE 100 basket every quarter, ejecting any stock whose ranking drops below 110, and promoting into the index any that ranks 90 or higher.TUI shares have fallen by 42% year-to-date as investors worry that t

WHAT'S IN THIS ARTICLE?We'll run through the reasons why stocks have fallen, compare this sell-off to previous market corrections and consider why certain companies have been affected more than others.We will also look at the stocks that have risen in value during the market turmoil and finally we choose three shares to consider buying as long as you understand that their prices could easily fall

You can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig. This colourful analogy came to mind after the news that Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) plans to seek shareholder approval to change its corporate name to NatWest.This would represent the third high profile name change of a UK-listed firm in the last three months. In December Mike Ashley's retail vehicle Sports Direct became Frasers (FRAS) followed

The general election result has removed one of the major hurdles to investing in UK stocks, namely political uncertainty. Brexit is the next big hurdle and it may not be as bad for UK stocks as investors might think, according to numerous fund managers interviewed by Shares.Despite the UK having to negotiate a full trade deal by 31 December 2020, the fund managers we questioned are generally posit

Although the UK's stock market underperformed those of Eastern Europe, the US and Western Europe in 2019, in sterling, total-return terms, few investors are likely to sniff at a total return of 19.2% from the FTSE 350 index. The FTSE 250 outpaced the FTSE 100 with a total return of 28.9% against 17.3%.Better still, the headline indices were relatively calm, especially compared to the wild swings o