French firm lowers forecastsBlames supply-chain issuesUK companies closely linkedUK aerospace and defence suppliers were knocked lower by a warning from Toulouse-based Airbus (AIR:EPA), which cut both its production forecast and its earnings outlook for this year due to continuing geopolitical and supply chain tensions.UK engineering companies such as Rolls-Royce (RR.) and Melrose (MRO), together

There is no question the dominant theme in stock markets last year was AI (artificial intelligence), in particular generative AI.In an interview with Time magazine last June, Sam Altman ? the former chief executive of OpenAI, whose ChatGPT product has been at the forefront of the AI trend ? said he believes the technology will ?transform the way people work and the way people learn. It?s going to

In this third part of our investor survey, we asked some of the UK?s leading fund managers which sectors or stocks they thought were the most promising for 2024.The responses were as varied as they were thought-provoking, with only a couple of managers singling out technology stocks.As before we would like to thank all those who took part for sharing their views, and we hope readers enjoy them. WH

For the second part of our annual survey, we asked fund managers if they had changed their view on any stocks this year, for better or for worse, and what lay behind their decisions.As with the winners and losers survey last week, the answers were often frank and once again we would like to thank everyone who took part.Thomas Moore - Aberdeen Equity Income Trust (AEI)THE STOCK THAT I CHANGED MY MI

There were several trends in the UK stock market this year which, if you managed to identify them, served you well.Most obviously, although it may not have seemed it at the index level, large-cap stocks generally performed better than small- and mid-caps, although for the lucky few the small-cap space has been rife with takeover activity.In terms of sectors, aerospace and defence topped the FTSE 3

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

Number of high yielding trusts up since February35 equities-focused trusts offer 4% yield or moreBut Stifel says watch out for automatic cutsWhilst UK inflation cooled more than expected last month, June's 7.9% reading remains far higher than the Bank of England's 2% target and prices are still going up, which means investors still need to protect portfolios from the 'cruellest tax' with dividends

On 6 October 2022, Shares wrote that it was time to start looking at small cap stocks again. The timing was impeccable, with this part of the market having perked up only a few weeks later.In the UK small cap investment trust space, Rockwood Strategic (RKW) has risen by 39% in value since our October article, while Montanaro UK Smaller Companies (MTU) is up 25%. We argued that valuations were comp

Investors seeking a ready-made portfolio of high-quality small fry selling at a knock-down price should consider Montanaro UK Smaller Companies (MTU).The investment trust has a long track record of outperforming peers, and its shares are currently trading at 7.7% below the value of its assets.While it primarily focuses on capital growth, with the underlying portfolio's income generation considered

This year's market turmoil has caused many investment trusts to trade below their average discount to net asset value. It means investors can often buy £1 worth of assets for 90p or thereabouts.A popular trading strategy is to find investment trusts on wider than normal discounts and buy them in the hope the discount narrows. The trick is to understand which trusts have become cheaper due to a on

- Stock down more than 80% since IPO- Users and volumes plunge with no sign of let-up- Q1 $1.98 loss per share versus $0.05 earnings forecastSo much for Coinbase (COIN:NASDAQ) being the stable way to play bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Since its IPO (initial public offering) 15 months ago, the stock flopped badly, losing more than 80% and sending many speculative investors running for cover, many n

In the second part of a two-part series Shares talks to various fund managers about the stocks that didn't work out as they expected in 2021. They explain what went wrong and why the market reacted in the way it did.The first part of the series can be read here and reveals 12 fund managers' top stock picks for 2022.Neil Goddin, co-manager, Artemis Positive Future Fund (BMVH597)Stock that disappoin

In the first of a two-part series Shares talks to a range of fund managers about the stocks they like for 2022. Covering both UK and overseas markets, the experts offer a range of ideas spanning technology and banking to leisure and automotive sectors.The second part of the series (to be published on 23 December) will reveal a selection of fund managers' biggest disappointments for 2021 and why th

In the same way investors can make a mint by backing a mythical '10-bagger' early doors, fund fanatics can make big gains by catching an investment trust on the way up, before it begins its rise through the market capitalisation ranks and potentially even joins the likes of Scottish Mortgage (SMT), 3i (III) or Pershing Square Holdings (PSH) in the FTSE 100.We can never know with certitude which in

UK stocks represent a 'once in a generation' opportunity for investors, say fund managers. After years dogged by political and economic uncertainty, and soggy stock market performance, this is a welcome change of mood music.'UK equities are on a 30 year low versus peers, and we see this as a once in a generation opportunity to get involved in some fantastic businesses,' said Rory Bateman, manager

The IPO (initial public offering) of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase could go off with a huge bang when it lists stock on Nasdaq next week (14 April), with some estimating the company will command a $100 billion valuation.The company won't go public with a normal IPO. Rather than using brokers Coinbase is instead planning a direct listing, which will allow current investors to sell their shares t

The global markets sell-off has more than doubled the average discount to net asset value on investment trusts, moving from 3.8% at the end of 2019 to 9.3% at the end of February, according to the AIC. That presents an opportunity for investors with an appetite for risk to consider buying trusts that interest them at much cheaper prices.Several sector discounts have widened by a greater amount, no

Sentiment towards UK stocks has dramatically improved since the December general election vote result, as evidenced by widespread gains among UK-focused funds and investment trusts.FE Fundinfo data mined by Shares shows the most obvious open-ended fund beneficiaries of the 'Boris Bounce' from across the IA UK Equity Income, IA UK All Companies and IA UK Smaller Companies sectors have been the cons

Smaller companies in the UK have been an unloved asset class since the 2016 Brexit vote, yet sentiment has recently started to improve. One savvy way to profit from this situation is to buy Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Investment Trust (MTU).Despite a recent advance in the share price, the trust remains good value trading on a 7.9% discount to the value of its underlying assets. It also pays div

Market corrections are often seen by retail and professional investors as an opportunity to acquire quality stocks at a bargain price.Investment trusts have considerable flexibility to take advantage of these situations because they can borrow money to invest, creating a larger pool from which to earn dividends or generate capital gains.THE IMPACT OF GEARINGBorrowing to invest is also known as gea