Eight months in, 2024 is already a record year for M&A (mergers and acquisitions) in the investment trust sector.Trust boards are increasingly focused on value for money and shareholder returns amid persistently wide discounts to NAV (net asset value) and with activists nosing around. A major trend underway is mergers between sub-scale trusts with similar remits to create funds large and liquid en

When debating what kind of portfolio is going to be best suited to an environment of 'higher-for-longer' interest rates, looking at past periods of high rates provides a partial guide.In the UK interest rates were high and stayed high pretty much from the start of the 1960s all the way through to 1990 and during that period not only were rates in double digits but so was inflation. The difference

- Company completes water infrastructure upgrade at Roan project- Progress made with copper and cobalt production from Sable refinery- Chief strategy officer, with experience in corporate funding, promoted to finance role Metals processing outfit Jubilee Metals (JLP:AIM) is looking to put operational challenges behind it as it rejigs its management team for the next phase of its development.Jubi

Market newcomer Facilities by ADF (ADF:AIM) delivered its first trading update since listing a month ago and didn't disappoint, with revenues and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) for last year seen comfortably ahead of market forecasts.The firm, which provides premium serviced facilities to film and high-end tv sets in the UK and was the first company to come

The past year has proved a busy one for new listings on the UK market, otherwise called IPOs (initial public offerings). As Shares outlines here, IPOs in 2021 have performed well on average, although the London market has seen its fair share of flops.Hoping they'll fall into the former camp is a trio of prospective newcomers to the AIM market, namely Libertine, CT Automotive and Facilities by ADF.

Many of the Covid-19 headlines that pharma giant AstraZeneca (AZN) has attracted over the past 18 months haven't really had much impact on its profits, but one recent development could potentially have a huge impact.Results from the latest Phase III trial showed cancer drug Enhertu, which was licensed from partner Daiichi Sankyo (50/50 profit split), reduced the risk of disease progression or deat

London's FTSE 100 edges 11.3 points higher to 7,038 points as the market gets its first proper chance to price in yesterday's Budget, from which there will be numerous winners and losers.One company on the up is unloved bookie William Hill (WMH), bid up 1.1p to 206.1p as the remote gaming duty hike from 15% to 21% is perhaps less severe than some had expected.Kier (KIE) clips ahead 2.3% to 875p wi

The Government has proposed to let mixed-sex couples have a civil partnership as an alternative to getting married. At the moment heterosexual couples can only get married, while same-sex couples have the option of either marriage or civil partnership.A number of mixed-sex couples had campaigned for the right to enter into a civil partnership - feeling that they didn't want to enter into marriage

The FTSE 100 takes its cue from weak trading in the US overnight to trade slightly lower at 7,505.95 despite weakness in the pound.Travel operator TUI (TUI) ticks up 2.1% to £14.68 as trading remains in line with expectations despite the hot summer in its main markets and therefore confirms its guidance for underlying earnings to rise at least 10% this year. This follows a warning from its rival

The UK's biggest derivative trading platforms are under the cosh in trading on Monday as both UK and European regulators get tough.Share prices across the UK quoted space, including IG Group (IGG), CMC Markets (CMC) and Plus500 (PLUS), are all sharply lower as investors respond to a list of possible restrictions to retail trading of complex leveraged products.The joint announcement on 15 December

Investors are closely watching prime minister Theresa May for signs of how she will control a minority government following the UK general election result.The markets have so far given a fairly tame reaction to the changing political landscape. However, events over the coming days could have great importance to investors, so read this article to understand what the election result means for your m

Investors want to know what's going to happen to the economy and the stock market now Prime Minister Theresa May has started the official process of taking the UK out of the EU.While it is hard to know exactly how the markets will move, it is possible to make a few assumptions.In a nutshell, the market is more likely to react to progress reports on trade negotiations and exit terms than the mere t

The decision to leave the EU will have many unintended consequences, one of which could be a change of fortune for emerging markets. Other than money market funds, this was the worst performing area to invest in over the last five years with the 75 open-ended funds in the sector generating an average return of just 5.7%.There is a good chance that the Brexit negotiations will take months if not ye

In the fast-and-furious world of foreign exchange (forex) there are arguably two main trading styles - those based on fundamental analysis and those based on technical analysis (TA). Novices or experts alike regularly need to decide whether one technique has an advantage over the other, or whether a blend of the two is most suitable for their goals and needs.Chris Beauchamp market analyst at IG Gr