It was an eight-line statement from a UK small-cap budget footwear maker but Shoe Zone's (SHOE:AIM) latest profit warning tells a much bigger story about the way global trade and supply chains could be changing.The company has been hit by rising container prices as shipping routes have been disrupted, largely thanks to attacks perpetrated by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Vessels are rerouting...

- Pandemic created havoc for company's demand cycle- Shares rally hard as investors see stability returning to business- CEO John Hornby excited by EV opportunitiesUK electricals and lighting business Luceco (LUCE) is attempting to draw a line under the Covid pandemic, which has played havoc with its demand cycle.The Telford-based company reported a 29% rise in half year to 30 June 2022...

London's FTSE 100 was flat by midday at 7,585.03 points as investors weighed the risks posed by interest rates and inflation and foods-to-fashion conglomerate Associated British Foods (ABF) dipped lower, while the FTSE 250 crept 0.23% higher to 22,707.35.US stocks were expected to break higher after lurching back into the red in late dealings on Wednesday as investors continued to pore over...

Regular readers may recall Luceco (LUCE). It was Shares' biggest gainer among our best picks for 2020 after surging 117% during that year. The stock has continued to make money for investors since, up another 45% in 2021, but recent weakness in the share price has created a new opportunity to buy this impressive company.The Telford-based business supplies a large collection of electrical and...

Shares warned of supply chain challenges in the food industry as far back as May last year, yet it took announcements from fast-food chains KFC and Nando's and supermarket giant Tesco (TSCO) for the penny to finally drop. Broader supply chain issues pose a threat to company earnings and therefore to share prices.Not only are there shortages of goods on the shelves, the combined effects of...

After a strong start to the week, UK stocks gave back some ground in early trading on Tuesday with the FTSE 100 index shedding 16 points or 0.25% to 7,171 points.The move came as the MSCI World Index racked up its eighth consecutive day of gains to post another record high at 3,172.5 points, as investors continue to bet on central banks supporting markets with easy money policies.Sterling...

Investors who want to tap into the rich seam of UK small cap opportunities will struggle to find a more passionate advocate than Georgina Brittain. The seasoned fund manager has been running the JPMorgan UK Smaller Companies Investment Trust (JMI) since 1998, and alongside co-manager Katen Patel since 2017.The smaller companies space has always struggled for analyst coverage yet the manager's...

What a year. At the start of 2020 it was all about the political certainty in the UK delivered by the 2019 General Election but within a couple of months attention had turned to a nasty new virus emerging from China.In the circumstances the 4.8% total return from our picks was a solid effort, given they were selected for a reality which was entirely overturned by the pandemic. Certainly, we...

Luceco (LUCE) 245pGain to date: 111.2%Original entry point: Buy at 116p, 19 December 2019The recovery at LED lighting and portable power products firm Luceco (LUCE) continues to gather pace.Not for the first time in 2020 Luceco is upping its earnings guidance amid an increase in demand. It now expects full year 2020 adjusted operating profit of between £28 million and £30 million compared...

UK shares drifted lower on Tuesday, lacking direction ahead of a self-imposed deadline in US negotiations for reaching agreement on another stimulus package to help small businesses hurt by the pandemic.Investors also weighed the increasing risks of further lockdown restrictions after Ireland imposed some of the strictest measures since March on Monday, telling people not to travel more than...

UK shares moved into positive territory at midday on Tuesday ahead of the deadline for the US congress to reach agreement on a stimulus package.First-quarter earnings released by consumer goods company Proctor & Gamble showed sales up 9% and net earnings up 20%, helping the shares to a 2% gain ahead of the US market open.At 12:00 the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was up 0.4% to 5,906...

UK stocks drifted in early trade as Europe reported record daily levels of coronavirus infections and US markets sold off ahead of Thursday's final debate between President Trump and Democratic party challenger Joe Biden.The FTSE 100 index of leading stocks gave up 9 points or 0.2% to 5,875 points with weakness in energy and financial stocks outweighing gains in retail and consumer stocks.The...

LUCECO (LUCE) 186.5pGain to date: 60.1%Original entry point: Buy at 116p, 19 December 2019If February and March provided some pain for investors who followed our Luceco (LUCE) investment idea, they're certainly getting rewards now. The stock has gone bananas, shooting to levels not seen since 2017, and delivering a 60% gain since we said to buy last December.The recovery in the LED lighting...

UK stocks ended the Wednesday session on the up despite a relatively light day for corporate news, as a sixth round of talks began in Brussels over Britain's post-Brexit trade relationship with the EU.Elsewhere, the number of new Covid cases in Germany hit the highest level since April leading the government to rule out any further loosening of lockdown restrictions. At the same time Spain and...

UK stocks traded sideways on Wednesday as a sixth round of talks began in Brussels over Britain's post-Brexit trade relationship with the EU.Elsewhere, the number of new Covid cases in Germany hit the highest level since April leading the government to rule out any further loosening of lockdown restrictions. At the same time Spain and the Netherlands have seen the number of new virus cases...

UK stocks traded sideways on Wednesday as a sixth round of talks began in Brussels over Britain's post-Brexit trade relationship with the EU.Elsewhere, the number of new Covid cases in Germany hit the highest level since April leading the government to rule out any further loosening of lockdown restrictions. At the same time Spain and the Netherlands have seen the number of new virus cases...

LUCECO (LUCE) 128p Gain to date: 10.3%Original entry point: Buy at 116p, 19 December 2019Broker Numis has upwardly revised its forecasts for Luceco (LUCE) for the second time in barely a month after the LED lighting and portable power products maker said that trading was materially ahead of current analyst expectations.Luceco said adjusted operating profit would at least equal its 2019...

Investors got a double helping of good news to start the week as wiring and lighting specialist Luceco (LUCE) and global security firm G4S (GFS) both raised their full year earnings guidance out of the blue.Companies have a duty to tell the market if their earnings are going to be significantly better or worse than market expectations, and given the gloom over the impact of the pandemic...

Electronic components and LED lights manufacturer Luceco (LUCE) saw its share price jump after telling the market that it expected first half profit and cash generation to be 'at least as strong' as last year as cost cuts helped to offset weakened revenue.Shares in the £195m company rallied more than 16% on Thursday to 122p, the highest the stock has been since the Covid-19 pandemic emerged...

Luceco (LUCE) 94pLoss to date: 8.6%Original entry point: Buy at 116p, 19 December 2019We may be out of pocket on our 'buy' call on electronic components firm Luceco (LUCE) but the shares have doubled from their bottom at the height of the coronavirus-inspired market sell-off.Sentiment was helped by full-year results on 23 April which revealed a 470% increase in pre-tax profit.Luceco supplies a...