Palm oil price up 40%'Significant' boost to profitabilityFurther acquisitions on the agendaShares in MP Evans (MPE:AIM) cultivated a 7.5% rise to £10 in early dealings, marking a new two year high, after the Indonesia-based sustainable palm oil producer upgraded year-to-December 2024 profit guidance off the back of surging palm oil prices, which have risen some 40% year-to-date.A more...

For now, the escalating conflict in Ukraine shows no signs of easing. After the initial shock, markets were hopeful the economic impact of the war might be contained as the West's opening salvo of sanctions in response to Russia's invasion (24 Feb) were weaker than some had anticipated.However, any relief soon dissipated as Ukraine put up stiff resistance against the Russian invaders and...

London's FTSE 100 finished Monday's session 0.56% higher at 7,068.43 points as a risk appetite rebound took oil prices higher and drove demand for index heavyweights Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) and BP (BP.), shares in both improving by more than 2% to £14.57 and 302.3p respectively.Amid the FTSE 250 ranks, low-cost airline EasyJet (EZJ) fell 14% to 586.4p on a UBS downgrade, having announced a...

Indonesian palm oil producer M.P. Evans (MPE:AIM) was marked up 3.6% to 580p on Friday following news of a surprisingly strong start to 2020.Investors welcomed news that the global pandemic has had 'little effect' on the group's operations thus far, with the company 'confident' that longer-term crop growth will act as the foundation for improving results.Today's annual general meeting update...

The coronavirus is wreaking havoc on health and economies around the world and there is increasing anger being directed towards China, widely accepted as the source of the coronavirus.But the lure of investing more widely in Asia Pacific, a region with youthful demographics and low financial services penetration to name just two bull points, may still have appeal.For those interested in...

London's FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 skip higher on Tuesday, up 23.5 points to 7,218 and 68.5 points to 19,553 respectively, as investors put aside growing geo-political tensions over Syria to focus on a softening tone from China over its trade dispute with the US.Budgets gifts-to-greetings cards seller Card Factory (CARD) improves 5.8% to 201p on news of a decent start to the new financial year,...

Investors seeking a strong profit and dividend growth story with M&A optionality thrown in should cultivate a position in Indonesian palm oil producer M.P. Evans (MPE:AIM). Boasting one of the industry's youngest estates, MPE has superb earnings visibility for the coming decade, while the strategic attractions of its assets could stir renewed bid interest before too long.Cultivating valueThe...

M.P. Evans (MPE:AIM) has invested in a new Indonesian oil-palm project in East Kalimantan which more than replaces the share of planted land lost through January's US$100m Agro Muko disposal. The acquisition (29 Aug) brings young palms with strong future crop growth into the M.P. Evans fold and only increases its strategic attractions.VSA Capital believes former suitor KLK might table another...

Can miner BHP Billiton (BLT) deliver more value for shareholders? The market certainly seems to think so, given the positive share price reaction to proposals by activist investor Elliott to shake up the FTSE 100 member. We think now is a good time to buy its shares at £13.25.BHP's stock moved up nearly 3% on 10 April when Elliott suggested it adopt a three-step plan which could potentially...

Thursday 6 AprilIndonesian palm oil producer M.P. Evans' (MPE:AIM) full year results on 6 April are the first numbers since the rejection, by board and shareholders alike, of a takeover offer from KLK (Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad).In response, M.P. Evans plans to 'increase dividends substantially'; and it is selling off minority-held Indonesian estates in favour of buying or developing its own,...

Investors put money into stocks with the hope of making a profit in the future. You'd therefore expect corporate takeovers to be good news, particularly if they are priced at a premium to the market price. In reality not everyone accepts them with open arms.Some people don't like the thought of their investments being taken away against their will; they can become angry at missing out on the...

With 2017 shaping up as another uncertain year, a fund with a bias towards high quality growth companies whose management teams have plenty of 'skin in the game' has appeal.Step forward Jupiter UK Smaller Companies (GB00B3LRRF45), a unit trust with a strong record of outperforming the IA UK Smaller Companies sector.Manager James Zimmerman is a stock picker inspired by feted investors Warren...

Palm oil prices are around two-year highs at $722 a tonne as output in Malaysia, a key market for the commodity, declined 2% in October.Shares in UK-quoted producers Dekeloil (DKL:AIM) and REA Holdings (RE.) have both been boosted by the news while MP Evans (MPE) saw a takeover offer from Kuala Lumpur Kepong increased to 740p a share on 15 November.Both that offer and a previous 640p bid have...

A premium-priced bid for Indonesian palm oil producer M.P. Evans (MPE:AIM) offers a positive read-across for smaller peer DekelOil (DKL:AIM), the operator and 86% owner of a profitable palm oil project in Cote d'Ivoire.M.P. Evans has received majority shareholder support to reject (26 Oct) the £360m offer from Kuala Lumpur Kepong on the grounds it undervalues the company's unique position and...

Concerns about rising debt levels and project problems in Scotland prompting a £70 million contract provision sees Interserve (IRV) slump by 18.2% to 322.6p. Liberum believes the group may soon sell its equipment arm which would be dilutive to earnings.Hastings (HSTG) has grabbed a bigger slice of the private car insurance market in the first three months of the year and says it will meet or...

London shares lose ground in early trade on Thursday as firming oil prices and solid resources and financials fail to offset news of weakening demand on Britain's high streets. The FTSE 100 index nudges around 20 points lower, or 0.3%, to 6,392, bucking the more positive trends across European bourses and on Wall Street overnight.UK retail sales fell much more than expected in March, with food...

Growth and income investors should cultivate positions in Indonesian palm oil-to-Australian beef cattle producer M.P. Evans (MPE:AIM). Weak palm oil prices have weighed on profitability, yet recovery in this key commodity should pave the way for earnings to surprise on the upside.Full year figures (12 Apr) revealed lower adjusted pre-tax profit of $31.6 million, reflecting last year's weaker...

London stocks edge lower in early trade onTuesday with falling residential and commercial property issues outstripping gains among resources outfits. Traders are looking to UK inflation data mid-morning. Wall Street was lower overnight, while Asia was up. Europe is mildly lower.The FTSE 100 index slips 12 points to 6,187.Global online fashion store ASOS (ASC:AIM) is in vogue, bid up 5% to...

A rebound at Indonesian palm oil-to-Aussie beef cattle producer M.P. Evans (MPE:AIM) looks a trend worth tapping into. Weak palm oil pricing is weighing on sentiment, discounting the potential for far higher profits when prices recover.Forecast downgrades followed interims (16 Sep) which revealed adjusted pre-tax profits down from $21.7 million to $20.1 million. Higher beef cattle profits were...

It used to be believed that investing with a conscience could only come at the expense of your profit performance. Being good capped your returns. Arguably, this is still the prevailing view of most investors yet the winds of change are blowing through stock markets, good investing is increasingly transferring from the 'do-gooder set' to the mainstream, and there's statistical data that claims...