A key rationale for investing in the smallest companies on the UK market is that these businesses have the most capacity for growth.However, for several reasons investing in micro-cap businesses is not for everyone and has, with some notable exceptions, proved less than fruitful in recent years. WHAT IS A MICRO CAP?The definition of what constitutes a micro cap varies. Natalie Bell, fund...

Premier Miton calls for new 'Great British ISA'New wrapper would have extra £5,000 annual allowanceAJ Bell argues six different ISA variations already cause confusionFund manager Premier Miton (PMI:AIM) is calling for a new 'Great British ISA' designed to invest solely in UK equities that it believes would help encourage private companies to list in the UK and stay and grow here in...

Earnings season. The earnings season in emerging markets is underway. Flat headline earnings growth in 2023 masks significant divergence across individual markets. Consensus expectations for China is for earnings growth of 20%, with India also expected to witness double-digit growth. However, heavyweight markets in Taiwan and South Korea are expected to witness a contraction in earnings of 26%...

- Diversified Energy Company directors snap up shares- Lloyds CFO gets share award worth nearly £66,000 - Premier Miton director awarded 150,000 sharesSeveral Diversified Energy Company (DEC) board members have recently bought shares in the US-based gas and oil production company.Chair David Johnson snapped up 30,000 shares at an average price of 93.93p per ordinary share, for a total value...

Recent UK house price surveys seem to show the property market is beginning to cool, so should investors steer clear of the housebuilders or does their poor share price performance this year mean the worst is already factored into their valuations?In this article we look at the survey data, compare it with the messages coming from the housebuilders themselves and pick two stocks we think offer...

Recent fund flows data suggests investors have been withdrawing money from the market rather than waiting for it to rebound.According to Morningstar's asset flows report, in June investors redeemed £2.6 billion from open-ended UK equity funds.This chimes with recent announcements from asset management firms.Blackrock (BLK:NYSE), the world's largest asset manager, recently reported nearly $10...

Chief executive of B&M European Value Retail (BME) Simon Arora has sold shares worth £234 million.Shares in variety goods retailer B&M European Value have been under pressure following news that on 18 Jan Arora sold 40 million shares at a price of £5.85, equivalent to £234 million.The sale was arranged by investment bank Goldman Sachs, and was made through the family office of SSA...

UK stocks opened higher on Tuesday as profit upgrades from the likes of FTSE 100 constituent Electrocomponents (ECM) and cyber security firm Darktrace (DARK) brightened investors' mood ahead of the release of key US inflation data on Wednesday.The consensus forecast is for inflation to have hit 7.1%, meaning all eyes will be on the Federal Reserve and how quickly it plans to take action to try...

UK stocks rallied in early trading on what commentators called 'turnaround Tuesday' following back-to back losses for markets on Friday and Monday, helped by positive US earnings reports overnight.Chip maker Micron reported strong first quarter results due to robust demand from new product areas like data centres, electric vehicles and factory automation, while footwear giant Nike posted...

FTSE 100 pushed gains further in lunchtime trading, shrugging off weaker retail sales data and easing concerns over China, thanks to cash-strapped property firm Evergrande making a last-minute bond interest payment this week, according to reports.UK retail sales volumes fell 0.2% in September, bucking expectations for a monthly rise of 0.5%.At 12.30pm, the UK benchmark was 0.56% up at 7,230...

The biggest insider deals of the last week were at house builder Berkeley Group (BKG) where Rob Perrins, group chief executive, bought almost £3 million worth of shares in two tranches last Friday and this Monday.Perrins, who started at the firm as a qualified accountant in 1994, has been a seller of Berkeley shares on balance this year but timed his purchase neatly as the shares are now...

UK stocks got off to a positive start on Friday despite GDP data for May coming in below expectations.Data from the office of national statistics showed the economy grew 0.8% year-on-year in May, slower than the 2% recorded in April.Construction and manufacturing output contracted slightly indicating the economic recovery may be losing some steam. Despite this, the pound remained stable...

UK stocks got off to a positive start on Friday despite GDP data for May coming in below expectations.Data from the office of national statistics showed the economy grew 0.8% year-on-year in May, slower than the 2% recorded in April.Construction and manufacturing output contracted slightly indicating the economic recovery may be losing some steam. Despite this, the pound remained stable...

The UK's major shares drifted into the red by midday on Friday on profit taking and more inflation worries after a gauge of British economic growth hit its highest level on record in May.The benchmark FTSE 100 nudged 0.09% lower to 7,013.61 after a preliminary reading of the UK Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) hit its highest level since it was launched in 1998 at 62.0, matching the...

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREAn economic recovery is good news for UK mid- and small-cap stocksTwo events that occurred late in 2020 - the first Covid-19 vaccines were approved and the UK officially left the European Union (EU) - could set up a very different macroeconomic environment for UK equity investors in 2021.Clearance for take-off After being grounded by the pandemic, the UK economy...

Following on from recording its biggest monthly gain in three decades in November, London's FTSE 100 started December in bright fashion with blue chip stocks soaring in early trade.At around 8.30am, the UK's benchmark index jumped 1.44% to 6,356.15, as positive Chinese factory data fueled global economic recovery hopes that are already supported by upbeat coronavirus vaccine...

Last week saw a changing of the guard at fund group M&G (MNG) with Tom Dobell, a 28-year veteran of the firm, stepping down from the M&G Recovery Fund (3128921) which he had managed since 2000.As per its name the fund invests in 'value' stocks in the hope that they will recover. It had a good August 2020 thanks to gains in some of its healthcare stocks, but has lagged the FTSE All-Share index...

While it's too early to say the economic recovery is under way, it's possible we have seen the worst readings in terms of industrial confidence in Europe and Asia.This week analytics and information firm IHS Markit published its widely-followed industrial purchasing managers index (PMI) surveys for China, Japan, the UK and several European companies, as well as the composite index for the...

The FTSE 100 plunged 2.46% in early trade to 5,755.87 as UK manufacturing output looks set to record its sharpest drop since records began in 1992.It looks like bad economic data as a result of the coronavirus pandemic is finally starting to catch up with the stock markets.US and European markets all closed lower yesterday as the number of jobless Americans topped 30m and France and Italy...

Private investors, not just big institutions, should be allowed to participate in discounted equity fundraisings, according to an open letter from senior figures in the investment industry.Amid rising concerns that the rights of small investors are being flouted by the current fundraising rush as companies shore up their finances in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, the letter calls on...