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

Dividends are a key component of successful investing whether taken as an income to support retirement or reinvested to compound future total returns.With interest rates set to fall as inflation is gradually brought back under control dividend yields will become more competitive as a source of income compared with income from cash and bonds.In this article we scour the FTSE 350 for the companies w

A dividend is quite simply a portion of a company's earnings distributed to its investors.In the UK most companies pay two ordinary dividends per year, one at the half-way stage (the interim or first-half dividend) and one at the end of the year (the final dividend). Some UK firms pay quarterly dividends.Sometimes, companies will decide to pay a special dividend on a one-off basis if their earning

Paul's very first taste of investing came when his employer, aerospace and defence company Rolls Royce (RR.), introduced an employee share scheme which gave him what seemed to be a low-risk way of getting exposure to its shares.It seemed low risk, explains Paul, because the scheme allowed employees to save a monthly or four weekly amount for five years and at the end of the period the savings and

Earnings beat despite sluggish revenuesWealth and investment bank deliverNew buyback and restructuring in focusRounding out the results of the Big Four UK banks, HSBC (HSBA) delivered third-quarter earnings which beat market forecasts and announced it would launch a fresh $3 billion share buyback.After rallying 4% in Hong Kong earlier in the day, the shares had popped 28p or 4% to 720p by mid-morn

First-half revenue flatProfit 16% above forecasts2025 return target raisedGlobal banking giant HSBC (HSBA) pleased investors with its first-half trading update and another bumper buyback as it said goodbye to chief executive Noel Quinn who is passing the baton on to Georges Elhedery.HSBC shares were marked up 24p of 3.5% to 701p making them the biggest gainer in the FTSE 100. PROFIT BEAT AN

There has never been a better time to be an income investor in UK equities, as payouts for the period from April to June hit an all-time quarterly record of £36.7 billion according to the latest Dividend Monitor from Computershare.Most of the increase was thanks to one-off special dividends, leaving the underlying growth rate at just 1%, but for those clipping the coupons or reinvesting the incom

Announcing a new share buyback programme has been one way to trigger a share price boost. The ease at which companies have made such capital allocation decisions has naturally caught the attention of politicians, thus buybacks are increasingly a target for tax collectors.Joe Biden has already pushed through a 1% tax on buybacks in the US and wants to raise that level to 4% if he gets a second term

UK banks have enjoyed a renaissance in 2024. And, while the snap UK election put paid to plans for a big share sale in NatWest (NWG), anticipation of a 'Tell Sid' style offer definitely put the spotlight on the sector.As such, now is a perfect time to take an in-depth look at the banks' relative merits, particularly off the back of their annual 2023 and first-quarter 2024 results.It's worth saying

If we took a straw poll of readers and asked which country has the world's biggest sovereign wealth fund, the chances are Saudi Arabia and Singapore would come high up the list if not at the top.In fact, the largest is Norway's Government Pension Fund Global which has a value of more than $1.6 trillion.When the country discovered large offshore oil fields at the end of the 1960s, the government de

Shares in global banking group HSBC (HSBA) hit a five-year peak of 700p last week after the Asia-focused lender said first-quarter net interest income dipped 3% to $8.65 billion, beating market forecasts of $8.5 billion.Pre-tax profit of $12.65 billion, down around 2% on last year, also beat the consensus despite a higher technology spend thanks to low levels of provisioning for bad loans due to s

Profits beat consensusBuyback bigger than thoughtChief executive stepping downInvestors in Anglo-Pacific bank HSBC (HSBA) had plenty to cheer as the group posted first-quarter results above expectations and increased the size of its buyback.The shares continued their recent rally, adding another 17p or 2.5% to take them to a new post-pandemic high of 685p. BETTER RESULTS AND BUYBACKFor the

Shares gain 3% in morning tradingNew debt facility of £25 million replaces previous with HSBCOn track to meet full year 2024 expectationsShares in Begbies Traynor (BEG:AIM) gained over 3% to 113p as the insolvency specialist said trading for the third quarter ending 31 January 2024 was ?in line? with the outlook stated at the time of their half year results in December 2023.The current range of a

The end of the tax year is fast approaching and with it the opportunity to maximise your £20,000 ISA allowance for the year.In this article we have identified six names from a list of some of the most consistent funds and fund managers in the UK which could be a good fit for your tax wrapper. While we have aimed for a balance across different investment styles and asset classes this is not intend

Annual profit surges on higher ratesFurther $2 billion share buybackChina provision a negative surpriseShareholders in HSBC (HSBA) will be feeling frustrated after the global bank posted its best-ever annual profit and extended its share buyback yet its stock price slumped on an unexpected non-cash charge for its holding in a Chinese lender.After trading 3% lower in the Hong Kong session, the shar

The publication of full-year results by the big four UK high-street banks is imminent and there will inevitably be a good deal of scrutiny of their margins and provisions for bad loans.If last week?s update from Virgin Money UK (VMUK) is any guide, net interest margins should be fairly steady although that will depend on how keen the major players have been to expand their loan books.Virgin itself

Lock up restrictions expire next monthEarly investors could look to cash-in on near-200% rally since IPOAI is fuelling enormous growth excitementArm?s (ARM:NASDAQ) shares surged again overnight, extending last week?s rally as investors continue to cheer the chipmaker?s better-than-expected third-quarter earnings and its exciting potential as an emerging power play on AI (artificial intelligence).T

While it may have been choppy seas for growth investors last year, for those with an income strategy it was plainer sailing with regular dividend payments for the FTSE All-Share excluding investment trusts growing by more than 5% to over £88 billion according to the latest Dividend Monitor report from financial services company Computershare.The firm?s latest quarterly report reveals some interes

US dominates global equity market scaleUK?s 2.9% ranks 6th largestChina?s growth puts it 3rd behind EUGlobal equity markets have nearly tripled in size since 2003, climbing to $109 trillion in total market capitalisation. This is based on data from the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA).Over the last several decades, the growth

Saving for the future is not always front of mind for most people which is understandable given the cost-of-living crisis and the need to balance household budgets.This is a shame because the sooner an investor can get started the better their chances are of building a decent nest egg. In this article we show how you can go from a starting point of investing £200 per month, building up your contr