Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust (MNP) 375pMarket cap: £241.2 millionFalling inflation and a rate cutting cycle mean better times are ahead for Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust (MNP), a collection of high-quality growth companies with strong cash flows and robust balance sheets managed by Zehrid Osmani.Higher rates have whipped up headwinds for the long-duration growth stocks favoured by

A big question facing growth-oriented investors is whether the popular investment style can regain its mojo and get back to winning ways in a world of high interest rates.Despite a strong recent rally which has seen the technology heavy Nasdaq Composite rise 14% over the last six months, growth stocks have struggled relative to value over the last three years.The arrival of Pfizer?s (PFE:NYSE) Cov

Alongside the rally in mega cap tech names since January, one of 2023's big themes is the popularity of global luxury goods stocks, with LVMH (MC:EPA), Richemont (CFR:SWX) and Hermès (RMS:EPA) hitting new share price highs amid an extraordinary boom in sales, supported by a demand rebound from China. LVMH even became the first European company to surpass $500 billion in market value.But som

China's rapid retreat from its zero-Covid policy in a bid to boost economic growth is one of the big investment themes of 2023 and is sure to provide a major boon for consumption in the so-called Middle Kingdom. Since November 2022, the government has dramatically reopened the Chinese economy and rolled back pandemic-induced restrictions that had been in place for three years.While the end of zero

Europe has world leading companies spanning most sectors of the market. Many of these businesses consistently generate high returns and have demonstrated an ability to weather economic storms.The good news is many are currently 'on sale' after the turbulence European markets have experienced year-to-date, triggered by red hot inflation, central bank rate hikes and the potential severity of a loomi

The fact they are able to invest using borrowed money has contributed to the underperformance of global investment trusts compared with global open-ended funds over the last 12 months, according to recent research by Kepler.The total net asset value (NAV) return for the AIC (Association of Investment Companies) Global Sector has fallen by 12.2%, versus a 3.2% decline for the Investment Association

A Lifetime ISA is a flexible, affordable way for young people to save for their first home, or for an income in later life. You can open one if you're between 18 and 39 years old.In this article we will look at the main features of a Lifetime ISA and illustrate using a hypothetical scenario how the vehicle could get you on the property ladder sooner than you might think.HOW IT WORKSYou can choose

There are many options for an investor wanting to put their money to work right around the world.Even if you've narrowed it down and decided to go for an investment trust instead of an open-ended active fund or a passive exchange-traded fund (ETF), choosing the trust for you can still seem a daunting task, particularly when there are 15 of them in the Association of Investment Companies' (AIC) glo

Covid-19 vaccines are being injected into the arms of a grateful global populace, paving the way for a full reopening of the global economy, a rebound in intercontinental travel and an explosive release of pent-up demand.The world could be entering a new 'Roaring Twenties' decade as fortunate individuals still with jobs are liberated from their homes and start to splash the cash saved during Covid

The appeal of a growth company is easy to understand - when we put our money into a business which we expect to grow rapidly we can imagine the worth of our investment growing fast too.Many of today's largest companies were once small or medium-sized operations which have expanded their business by targeting a buoyant market or identifying a particularly profitable niche.And growth as an investmen

Imagine if you were to jump straight from bashing the keys on a typewriter one day, to using the latest laptop the next. The speed and ease would undeniably improve your workday, and make you a significantly more productive, efficient and happy person.With 5G adoption we are on the cusp of a similarly crucial transformation, catapulting consumers and industry into a new era of superfast connectivi

Like the uplift a sports team can receive when a new boss comes in, former Paris Saint-Germain Academy footballer Zehrid Osmani has turned around the fortunes of global equity investment trust Martin Currie Global Portfolio (MNP).Something of a laggard before Osmani joined in June 2018, the trust is the top performing trust in the global equity sector over the past 12 months, delivering a share pr

In the same manner a football team's fortunes can turn upwards when a new manager enters the dressing room, performance can also improve when a new portfolio manager takes over or assumes sole responsibility for an investment trust.A long-standing manager can benefit a trust if they have experience of how to navigate both good and bad markets. However, by bringing a fresh pair of eyes, a new broom

Should fund managers really need any extra incentive to deliver for investors given they are already being paid a fee to do their job? Until recently it was commonplace for the managers of investment trusts to receive a performance fee on top of their management fee if they exceeded a specified level of return.Increasingly, this structure is being abandoned by trusts, though around a third of equi

Anyone with a long-term investment horizon should take a good look at the investment trust sector as the latest market sell-off has created plenty of opportunities.We've spotted numerous investment trusts trading on a wider discount to net asset value than their average over the past 12 months. There are also examples of investment trusts trading on lower than average premiums to net asset value.A

Contrary to the stock market collapse predicted ahead of polling, Donald Trump's election to the US Presidency has instead driven US equities to new highs in a 'Trumpflation' trade. The Dow Jones, S&P 500 and small cap Russell 2000 indices have all hit fresh highs.Investors are hoping the implementation of pro-business tax and regulation policies, as well as increased infrastructure and defence sp

Wouldn't it be nice if you could buy an investment trust or fund and see it deliver a consistent performance year in, year out?We've found a group of products that arguably have the hallmarks of being reliable or fairly consistent performers. There is no guarantee they will always deliver positive results in the future, but their track record is so good that you should sit up and take notice.We lo

International equity markets remain volatile, still bowed following nervousness inspired by China's slowdown and the timing of a US interest rate rise.The good news is these bouts of indiscriminate selling have thrown up opportunities for stockpicking funds. Investors of a nervous disposition can draw succour from a genuinely global equity fund which diversifies risk and has a strong long-term per

While the UK is in a state of growth, recovering rapidly after amassing its largest deficit in 70 years, uncertainties still abound. The historic ?no? vote in the Scottish referendum on 18 September may have preserved, for now at least, a centuries-old union. Yet UK currency and credit markets have been rattled and the fact the historic union came so close to splintering has hardly made investment

While the UK is in a state of growth, recovering rapidly after amassing its largest deficit in 70 years, uncertainties still abound. The historic 'no' vote in the Scottish referendum on 18 September may have preserved, for now at least, a centuries-old union. Yet UK currency and credit markets have been rattled and the fact the historic union came so close to splintering has hardly made investment