Consolidation is a growing theme across the investment trust sector against a backdrop of stubbornly-wide NAV (net asset value) discounts and increasing pressure on sub-scale funds.2024 is already a record year for M&A (mergers and acquisitions) in a sector which has just seen the eleventh such deal announced, the value-oriented Invesco Asia Trust (IAT) planning to combine with Asia Dragon Trust (

Back in the summer of 2021, we suggested the Chinese government?s clampdown on technology companies and its deeper involvement in the private sector ? which it accused of having been ?hijacked by capital? ? risked causing an exodus of foreign investment. We also put forward a list of Asia-Pacific investment companies with low exposure to China, so investors could reduce their risk but still keep t

Number of high yielding trusts up since February35 equities-focused trusts offer 4% yield or moreBut Stifel says watch out for automatic cutsWhilst UK inflation cooled more than expected last month, June's 7.9% reading remains far higher than the Bank of England's 2% target and prices are still going up, which means investors still need to protect portfolios from the 'cruellest tax' with dividends

There has been a string of good news from across the airline sector of late. Budget airline EasyJet (EZJ) said in its latest set of quarterly results that its package holiday arm is currently 80% sold for summer 2023, British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) said it expects capacity to be around 97% of levels pre-pandemic and airline and holidays group Jet2 (JET2: AIM) has i

Investors looking for anomalies in the investment trust space should cast an eye on one name in the Asian equity income space.In recent years, Aberdeen Asian Income (AAIF) has generally been the most unpopular of the five trusts in this sector based on how it has typically traded on the biggest discount to net asset value.However, what's interesting is the fact it is now the best performing stock

Shares in budget airline EasyJet (EZJ) fell 2.4% to 758.6p as it swung to a huge annual loss for the first time in its 25-year history due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.For the year ended 30 September, EasyJet reported a pre-tax loss of £1.27 billion, compared with a profit of £430 million year-on-year, as revenue decreased by 52.9% to £3.01 billion.Total airline revenue per seat de

Shares in Ryanair (RYA) gained 3.76% to €12.43 despite the budget airline swinging to a big half-year loss as it warned of a 'hugely challenging' winter ahead.In the six months to 30 September, Ryanair reported a net loss of €197 million compared to a €1.15 billion profit after tax in the same period last year.Revenue plunged 78% to €1.18 billion from €5.39 billion in the

Shares in British Airways-owner International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) gained 2.3% to 93.2p despite the company swinging to a huge third quarter loss with its planes less than half full.IAG became the latest airline to reveal how the coronavirus pandemic has continued to impact air travel after reporting a €2 billion pre-tax loss in the three months to 30 September, compared to a €1.2

Coronavirus presents a big risk to corporate earnings if world trade is affected and companies' supply chains are interrupted. While investors have begun to factor this risk into company valuations over the last month, when companies say they no longer have visibility over earnings it makes the job of valuing them a great deal harder.Now, as the virus continues to spread, some investors are beginn

Investors looking for Asian exposure but wary of the extreme volatility in Chinese stocks at present could consider Invesco Asia Trust (IAT). In the year to 30 April 2015 the investment trust - part of the Invesco Perpetual stable - outperformed its benchmark by 5.6% and boosted its dividend by 5.8%.A dramatic rout of the Chinese stock market has prompted heavy-handed interference by the authoriti

With oil prices continuing to tank, the travel and leisure sector looks set to benefit from steep drops to one of its most vital inputs.This is likely to fuel the ebullience of airlines like British Airways-owner International Consolidated Airlines (IAG), currently mulling the possibility of a third offer for its Irish counterpart Aer Lingus (AERL).Rami Myerson at Investec believe airlines will us

As the conflict in Syria and Iraq rumbles on and the so-called Islamic State continues to gain traction in the region, defence bulls might be forgiven for believing that a recent third quarter uptake in US defence spending might herald the beginnings of a turnaround in the beleagured sector's fortunes. While this increase in spend is clearly connected to the surging Islamist threat, the US respons

While the old adage about renting rather than buying airline stocks is a cautionary reminder of the sector's inherent volatility, there are other ways to leverage growth in the commercial aviation space which may offset some of the risks associated with this notoriously turbulent segment.To this end, Shares unpacks some of the companies in the Industrial Transportation sector which provide air cha

Following a large reserve downgrade earlier this year, Avocet Mining (AMV:AIM) takes another big hit after lowering its 2013 output guidance following equipment problems. The West African gold miner says reduced production has led to higher unit costs and lower cash generation. The shares fall 27.8% to 9.2p on the news, not helped by a need for further capital expenditure to fix equipment and the

The enduring narrative of the airline industry in Europe over the past two decades, and one that certainly remains cogent today, is the ongoing battle between the low-cost operators and the so-called flag carriers.Since the deregulation of European air travel in the 1990s, two upstarts - Ryanair (RYA) and easyJet (EZJ) - have come to dominate the market, transforming the industry to change the way