Stocks in London were higher at midday Tuesday, as the UK manufacturing sector continued to outperform its peers in France and Germany.The FTSE 100 index was up 26.97 points, or 0.3%, at 8,264.19. The FTSE 250 was up 18.02 points, or 0.1%, at 21,071.21, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.48 points, or 0.1%, at 739.95.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 827.69, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.2% at...

- Fresh thinking on how to deal with costs- Increased stocks are a vital hedge- 'Trading down' already evident in salesIf there is one trading update investors should read to gain insight into how managers are currently thinking and planning for the future, it is today's full year statement from commercial flooring firm James Halstead (JHD).It probably won't grab the headlines, but it contains...

Commercial flooring specialist James Halstead (JHD:AIM) gained 6.2% to 552p as it hiked its dividend and reported a rise in annual profit and revenue to record levels, led by stronger growth in the UK.For the year ended 30 September, pre-tax profit was up 16.9% to £51.3 million year-on-year and revenue rose 11.6% to £266.4 million.'Our contracts across the globe continue to expand and, for...

One of the very few positive effects of last year's pandemic was an increase in consumers spending on the repair, maintenance and improvement of their flats and houses.Having been confined indoors for months at a time, it didn't take long for people to set about redecorating and adding more indoor or outdoor space so they could live and work remotely more comfortably.That led to an explosion...

We're pleased to welcome back Malcolm from Edinburgh who is sharing his experience as someone in retirement taking charge of their investments for the first time. Having explained out how he set up his first portfolio Malcolm turns to how he is managing his investments.In an earlier column I explained my attempts at managing new investments in a SIPP and ISA pension fund.I detailed how half of...

One of the biggest issues to affect households around the world this year is the reduction in income from dividend-paying investments.The effects will begin to be noticed in the coming months when many investors find they don't get as much investment income as they used to, compounded by the fact that many individuals are also having to cope with a reduction in salary if they have been...

Many people invest in certain types of AIM stocks for their inheritance tax (IHT) benefits, however an adviser to the UK Government has questioned whether the tax perk is still necessary.Withdrawing the IHT benefit could prompt many investors, including a large number of wealth managers, to sell these AIM stocks. Should you worry or has the risk been overplayed?At the moment, your estate won't...

Dividends paid by AIM-quoted companies are set to burst through the £1bn mark for the first time in 2018 according to Link Asset Services' inaugural annual AIM Dividend Monitor.Launched in 1995 as a growth market for small and medium-sized companies, AIM market-derived dividends are growing rapidly and far outstripping the pace set by their main market counterparts.Indeed, Link expects growth...

UK construction output has suffered its first consecutive quarter-on-quarter decline in over five years as a decline in both repair and maintenance hit growth.Construction output fell by 0.9% between July and September, after a fall of 0.5% between April and June, according to the Office for National Statistics.One of the biggest areas of concern is new private commercial work, which dropped...

70 - Is the number of years Geoffrey Halstead has grafted for family-run commercial flooring company James Halstead (JHD:AIM), including 55 years as a group director and the last 17 years as chairman.At the annual general meeting (1 Dec), Mr. Halstead stood down as chairman, handing over the baton to Anthony Wild.Geoffrey Halstead has been handed the honorary title of president. Under his...

There's a neat trick investors can use to gain exposure to international earnings without buying a single overseas-listed stock. The US, Europe, China, India plus emerging markets in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East are all accessible from the relative comfort of the London stock market.Companies in the FTSE 100 collectively earn far more from overseas markets than they do from...

A mistake investors frequently repeat is chasing in-vogue, go-go-growth shares and shunning the 'steady eddies' of the stock market.It is easy to understand how electric car maker Tesla captures the imagination, even as it burns through cash, while online fashion retailers including Amazon and ASOS (ASC:AIM) may be disrupting industries and grabbing market share, but their gravity-defying...

By: Steven Frazer, Daniel Coatsworth, James Crux, Tom SieberBuy family-run businesses if you want to beat the market. It's a bold statement and credible one, according to various bits of research we'll discuss later.Many of these studies categorise a family company as one where the family owns at least a 20% stake in the business and has at least one member on the board.Global brands such as...

You may be surprised to learn that eight companies on the AIM market are now worth more than £1bn each. The top company, ASOS (ASC:AIM) is even big enough to be part of the FTSE 100, should it ever decide to switch its listing to London's Main Market.AIM is considered to be a market for junior companies, providing a platform for them to grow.We discuss the strengths of the AIM market in the...

Smartphone components maker Laird (LRD) is to launch a £185m rights issue in the first quarter of next year to get its debt under control. It has also revealed that it will axe its final dividend for this year as it grapples with falling demand for its various electronic kit, particularly radio frequency shielding components. The news hangs heavily on the share price, down more than 12% at...

It is possible to shelter part of your wealth from the taxman by investing in certain AIM-quoted stocks. Your estate won't have to pay the 40% inheritance tax (IHT) charge upon your death for any investments in AIM stocks that qualify for business property relief (BPR), subject to certain conditions.Frustratingly the taxman, HMRC, refuses to publish a list of qualifying stocks because a...

It has been a turbulent year for investors in AIM stocks with all sorts of financial and management scandals. Many people have lost money on the market, yet the negative events have served to heighten awareness of accounting tricks, red flags to spot in financial reports and put pressure on financial advisers and the regulators to pay more attention.Can we assume there are positive lessons to...

What a year it's been so far and still it's only August. Already we've had declining oil and commodity prices, a retread of the eurozone's ongoing Greek tragedy and a Chinese stock market that looks decidedly parlous as its bull run ends in ignominy.Add to this the central banks of the US and the UK mulling rate rises even as the European Central bank has embarked on its own quantitative...

One of the key attractions of AIM stocks is their ability to help avoid paying inheritance tax (IHT). In a nutshell, if you invest money in AIM shares that meet certain criteria set by the taxman for at least two years, that money can be passed on to third parties, such as your husband or wife, upon your death without that windfall cash being taxed.Our favourite stocks that presently qualify...

London blue-chips take an early trading dip on an otherwise quiet Friday as investors tread cautiously ahead of some key economic data, including consumer price figures in the Eurozone and growth estimates in the US. The benchmark FTSE 100 is 28 points off, or 0.5%, at 6,779. Midcaps nudge off near multi-year highs, the FTSE 250 slipping 11 points lower to 16,348.Crude oil is mildly firmer,...