London?s blue-chips made steady progress on Thursday, whilst mid-caps struggled for direction, as investors took stock of the latest US interest rate call.The FTSE 100 index rose 28.57 points, 0.4%, at 8,149.81. The FTSE 250 edged down just 3.93 points to 19,922.66, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.50 of a point, 0.1%, at 765.48.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 813.60, the Cboe UK 250 added 0.2% to 17

A key rationale for investing in the smallest companies on the UK market is that these businesses have the most capacity for growth.However, for several reasons investing in micro-cap businesses is not for everyone and has, with some notable exceptions, proved less than fruitful in recent years. WHAT IS A MICRO CAP?The definition of what constitutes a micro cap varies. Natalie Bell, fund manager a

Kitwave shares up 41% year-to-dateCash and banking facilities funded purchaseTotal Foodservice has around 4,000 product linesShares in Kitwave (KITW:AIM) were up 4.5% to a new all-time high of 372p in morning trading as the food and drink wholesaler announced it was buying Total Foodservice, a leading independent food wholesaler in the North of England for £21 million.The purchase has been made i

Kitwave (KITW:AIM) 329pMarket cap: £233.45 millionAmong the London stock market?s successful small cap IPO?s (initial public offering) of recent years, Kitwave?s (KITW:AIM) stock has more than doubled since Shares highlighted the independent wholesaler?s attractions in October 2021, but the company has the capacity to deliver plenty of growth and income for investors in the years ahead. We believ

Airline and package holidays provider Jet2 (JET2:AIM) is expected to report between £387 million and £395 million pre-tax profit before foreign exchange adjustments on 6 July when it publishes full-year results to 31 March 2023.The company last updated on trading on 20 April when it came across as upbeat despite flagging cost pressures from fuel, carbon taxes, a higher US dollar and wages. It sa

One way to reduce the risks associated with less forgiving markets is to ensure you buy companies at the right valuation. With this in mind Shares has conducted a screening exercise of the market to identify stocks which in our view are too cheap and therefore represent attractive investment opportunities.After running the numbers on discounted stocks with earnings momentum and firms which look ch

All eyes on earnings and dividends as housebuilders report next monthInvestors will be hoping activity picks up and payouts are at least maintainedAfter analysts at Deutsche Bank recently cut their recommendations on four leading housebuilders, investors will be keen to hear from Persimmon (PSN) and Taylor Wimpey (TW.).Persimmon, which reports full-year earnings on 1 March, revealed in November it

A healthy number of lesser-known businesses have done very well in share price terms since coming to market in the last two years, with price appreciation reflecting strong operational performances or the fact they sate voracious investor appetite for a particular theme.Readers will be familiar with high-profile post-pandemic newcomers on the London Stock Exchange (LSGE) trading above their issue

Investors are increasingly looking for stocks, bonds or funds that pay a good income.Dividends or bond coupons provide positive returns which are particularly attractive in a more challenging market such as now.Many people have this year lost money from backing high-growth but dividend-less stocks such as Tesla (TSLA:NASDQ) and Netflix (NFLX:NASDAQ), and they're fed up.In the other side of the rin

KITWAVE (KITW:AIM) 155pGain to date: 3.7%Original entry point: Buy at 149.5p, 21 October 2021Our 'buy' call on Kitwave (KITW:AIM) is now 3.7% in the money as the market responds to earnings upgrades from the food and drink wholesaler and we remain positive about the company's organic and acquisitive growth prospects in the UK's fragmented grocery and foodservice wholesale market.Kitwave says curre

KITWAVE (KITW:AIM) 146pLoss to date: 2.3%Original entry point: Buy at 149.5p, 21 October 2021Our 'buy' call on deal-hungry food and drink wholesaler Kitwave (KITW:AIM) is 2.3% in loss, yet we remain upbeat about the company's organic and acquisitive growth prospects in a fragmented market.Kitwave's positive trading update for the year to October 2021 got missed as markets tumbled on 'Red Friday' (

Driver shortages and supply chain logjams are dominating the news headlines and could put a dampener on Christmas this year.Yet one growth company doing its bit to deliver the goods in these unpredictable times is Kitwave (KITW:AIM), a small cap food and drink wholesaler with its own in-house established fleet of delivery vehicles and drivers and which isn't reliant on third party logistics provid

Mining outfit Jubilee Metals (JLP:AIM) gained 12.4% to 15.35p as it effectively secured the missing processing capacity to take it to the 25,000 tonnes per year of copper production it has been targeting in Zambia.Today's gain takes the one-year advance for Jubilee shares to nearly 190% as it moves closer to taking full advantage of its opportunities in Zambia.In its own words, Jubilee focuses on

Among the stock market hopefuls lining up to test investors' appetites are two companies offering high yields backed by cash generative business models.Shipping trust Taylor Maritime Investments (TMIP) should debut on 27 May, targeting an 7% dividend yield. The trust's objective is to provide an attractive level of 'regular, stable and growing' income and the potential for capital growth through i

Snack supplier Kitwave is to float on the London Stock Exchange in early May, Shares understands. The Tyne & Wear-based company was founded in 1988 and is a UK wholesaler, selling sweets, crisps, ice cream, drinks and tobacco from the likes of Cadbury's, Mars, Nestle and Kellogg's.Figures for the year to April 2019 show 7.4% growth in sales to £366.6 million and 16.4% growth in pre-tax profit to