Just over five years ago the stock market began to react in earnest to news of the Covid pandemic.The sell-off was short and sharp, with a modest recovery from the lows in the spring followed by sharper gains in November 2020 after AstraZeneca (AZN) made a vaccine breakthrough.However, a large number of UK stocks are still trading below the levels they were at by the close of trading on 21...

Stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt were higher on Tuesday morning, while the newest ONS data showed that UK earnings growth outpaced inflation.Meanwhile, UK unemployment rate rose above analysts' forecast to 4.4% for November, according to the Office for National Statistics.Average earnings rose by 5.6% including and excluding bonuses, outpacing inflation. Wage growth excluding...

JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income (JUGI) 322pGain to date: 9.7% In March 2024 we made the case for investing in the newly merged JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income (JUGI).The trust is the result of a merger between JPMorgan Mid Cap and JPMorgan UK Smaller Companies, finalised in November 2023, and since then it hasn't disappointed investors.Managers Georgina Brittan and Katen Patel are...

Premier Foods (PFD) 159.6pMarket cap: £1.39 billion Ownership of some of Britain?s best-loved brands including Mr. Kipling, Batchelors and Bisto, appetising growth potential and a transformed financial position that should support double-digit dividend growth are reasons to buy cooking sauces, cakes and custards maker Premier Foods (PFD). Admittedly, the stock has already rallied 350% over...

JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income(JUGI) 293.5pMarket cap: £403.4 millionA major trend in the investment trust sector is mergers between sub-scale trusts with similar remits to create funds large enough and sufficiently liquid to attract wealth managers and retail investors.One example which Shares believes offers a compelling proposition is JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income (JUGI),...

Pension cash contributions haltedMajor boost to free cash flowFirepower for growth enhancedShares in Premier Foods (PFD) were the FTSE 250?s biggest risers on Wednesday morning, surging 14% to a five-year high of 158.2p after the cakes, custards and cooking sauces maker struck an agreement with the RHM Pension Scheme Trustee to suspend pension deficit payments from 1 April 2024.One of Shares?...

Our 2023 picks have smashed it - achieving an average return excluding dividends of 20.6%, more than four times the return of the FTSE All-Share and better even than the MSCI World which is up 17.9% this year.This is all the more satisfying as the MSCI World index has been powered by the US 'Magnificent Seven' tech stocks, whereas the Shares portfolio benefited from the inclusion of just one...

One of Shares 2023 Tips of The Year, Mr. Kipling, Bisto, Sharwood's and Ambrosia brands owner Premier Foods' (PFD) stock is up 11.5% year-to-date, extending five-year gains to nigh-on 190%.Ravenous investor appetite for the shares in recent years reflects the considerable progress made in reducing debt and resolving its pension issues, as well as the consistent growth from its brands and cycle...

Given how hard it has been to pick winning stocks this year, due to the outsized gains enjoyed by a narrow collection of stocks in the US in particular, we are delighted with the performance of our 2023 Tips of The Year.Against a FTSE All-Share index which has basically gone nowhere, eking out just a 0.5% positive return at this stage, our basket of 10 stocks has returned an average of 23.3%...

Making the decision to click the buy button and invest your hard-earned cash in a stock is an important step in an investment journey and often the most difficult part.Knowing your money is at risk inevitably makes it tricky to commit and any reticence could mean you miss exciting opportunities.To help you get over this hurdle we are going to look in detail at when you should consider buying a...

Helped by a positive first quarter for stocks our top selections for 2023 have made a superb start to the year.At the time of writing the share price return on the portfolio of 10 names is 18.5%, substantially outpacing the FTSE All-Share which is up just 3.8% and with not a single name in negative territory. We have also significantly outperformed the MSCI World's 4.6% advance in sterling.The...

- Food producer upgrades profit guidance again- Positive sales momentum being sustained- Q4 'beat' driven by grocery businessInvestors showed a hearty appetite for Premier Foods (PFD) today, shares in the company rising 10% to 126.4p after the Mr Kipling cakes to Bisto gravy maker delivered an unexpected full year profit upgrade driven by sustained positive trading momentum.One of Shares' key...

It's been a rough period for shareholders of software provider Salesforce (CRM:NASDAQ) with the shares halving since November 2021.Some relief came on 23 January after the Wall Street Journal reported activist investor Elliott Management had taken a multi-billion-dollar stake. The shares gained more than 2% adding to the 14% gains already notched-up in 2023.Managing partner Jesse Cohn told...

Leading branded food producer Premier Foods (PFD) looks a savvy way to play a decline in eating out as cash-strapped consumers focus more on affordable meals at home.Potential earnings catalysts include a growing overseas business, and the array of new products Premier Foods is launching including Plantastic branded Millionaire Flapjacks, Mr Kipling Brownie Bites and pigs-in-blanket flavour...

With the price of the average weekly shop going up by more than 10% this year, is there a way for investors to play the rise in spending on 'essentials' by owning shares in the companies which make the products we all buy?Shares has analysed the typical UK shopping basket to see what conclusions could be drawn.WHAT IS IN THE 'OFFICIAL' BASKET?The ONS (Office for National Statistics), which...

- Cooks up robust branded sales growth- Leaves full year outlook unchanged- Food giant withstanding private label boostMr Kipling cakes-to-Sharwood's cooking sauces maker Premier Foods (PFD) shrugged off inflationary pressures and a 'challenging' environment for consumers with increasingly stretched budgets to deliver exceedingly robust results for the half ended 1 October 2022.Despite rising...

Inflation is running at 40-year highs with June consumer prices increasing by more than 9% year-on-year on both sides of the Atlantic.Unsurprisingly it continues to grab headlines and keeps investors' attention firmly fixed on central bank interest rate rises designed to cool the economy.Supply shortages created by the reopening of the world economy have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine...

- £44 million deal to enhance earnings in year one- Complements groups' Sharwood's and Loyd Grossman brands- Expands ethnic foods business in AustraliaShares in Premier Foods (PFD) fattened up 4% to 117.5p after the Mr. Kipling cakes to Sharwood's cooking sauces maker announced the £44 million acquisition of The Spice Tailor, a fast-growing Asian ingredients brand that should boost overseas...

- First quarter sales rise 6%- Premier Foods fending off inflation for now- Mr. Kipling achieves highest ever market share in AustraliaShares in Mr. Kipling cakes-to-Bisto gravy maker Premier Foods (PFD) edged 0.4% higher to 111p after the St Albans-based food producer insisted it is 'firmly' on track to meet full year expectations. The news came as it reported a 6% increase first quarter...

This is part one of three articles looking at how to find and analyse growth stocks. We also explain important financial considerations to consider.In the second and third articles we will take a deeper dive into a UK stock.Growth and value investing have become part of the investment lexicon in recent years. Investment consultants use the labels to pigeonhole a fund manager's style of...