There's no doubt the shock departure of a star fund manager or well-followed stock picker is a red flag, but there are various reasons why successful portfolio managers choose to leave their investment management firm and therefore their funds.And, as with most aspects of investing, there are no hard and fast rules about what investors should do when their fund manager ups sticks. Much depends on

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 manager a

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

It's been a tricky 2022 for global stock markets and that's made life hard for ordinary and professional investors alike. In this feature several leading fund managers explain what worked out for them over the course of the year and what went wrong.James Harries - Securities Trust of Scotland (STS)What worked?At Troy (Securities Trust of Scotland's investment manager) we seek companies that genera

As 2022 draws to a close amid continuing market volatility Shares has canvassed leading fund managers to find out where they have been finding the best opportunities.Jamie Ross - Henderson Eurotrust (Hne)LOOKING OUT FOR BOMBED-OUT GROWTH STOCKSWe have spent the last 12 months trying to find opportunities within the growthier area of the market - our favoured part of the market and the part of the

In light of the implications of the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine, the global growth outlook has dimmed, which means now more than ever, portfolios should be as diversified by asset class as possible to in order to maximise returns relative to risk.Higher risk assets they may be, yet 'micro caps', the London stock market's smallest quoted companies should form at least a portion of a well-diversifi

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

Many micro-cap funds are struggling as investors shun the very bottom part of the UK stock market. Weaker sentiment towards illiquid stocks in the wake of the Woodford fund suspension also doesn't help matters.The fund managers targeting this space remain confident there is value to be generated from buying select smaller companies. They look for valuation anomalies where stocks trade at a discoun

Shares in investment trust River & Mercantile UK Micro Cap (RMMC) have started to recover after falling nearly 20% in the days after fund manager Philip Rodrigs was pushed out (7 Feb).Reports suggest conduct issues relating to Rodrigs were unearthed after more stringent systems and controls were drafted in by asset manager River & Mercantile (RIV) following an ongoing FCA competition investigation

Investment trust shares can trade either at a discount or a premium to their underlying assets or net asset value (NAV), depending on factors such as current market appetite for the strategy or the performance track record of the manager.While share prices that trade at a discount to NAV are quite common for closed-ended funds, sometimes these discounts become unduly wide or narrow and do not adeq

One of the main factors that determines the average investment trust discount in a particular sector is investor sentiment towards that part of the market. The most out-of-favour areas currently include the UK small and mid-cap funds, which creates a contrarian opportunity for those who are prepared to take a long-term view.According to data from Numis Securities Research, the UK Smaller Companies

The smallest companies on the stock market can be high risk investments. So-called micro caps either make investors lots of money or lose them significant sums if they run into difficulty or go out of business.We believe anyone with the stomach for micro funds should look at this part of the market, as there are some exciting opportunities to embrace.A lower-risk - but not risk-free - way of getti

'Micro caps', the London stock market's smallest quoted companies, are often binary bets. They either make investors lots of money or lose everything. Yet despite their inherent risks, micro caps should form at least a portion of a well-diversified portfolio, since they offer potential for rapid-paced growth and bumper share price gains if you pick the best ones.This is an especially attractive ch

ISG (ISG:AIM), London's leading office fit-out business, is forced to backtrack on claims it made in a letter to shareholders which encouraged them to reject a takeover offer.The circular issued by ISG's board included comments that could be construed as profit forecasts, triggering regulatory requirements including the publication of independent reports from accountants, financial advisers and a

Dubbed 'micro caps' by investors, the London stock market's smallest quoted company fry can be binary bets, as likely to 'turn turtle' as morph into a 'ten-bagger', the latter the holy grail of growth company investing. Yet despite their inherent risks, micro caps should form at least a portion of a well-diversified portfolio, since they offer potential for rapid-paced growth and abundant share pr

There are numerous sub £200 million cap shares that interest me (including many below £100 million) but I can't pinpoint an investment trust that caters to investors interested in taking a position in a small cap portfolio that includes such low marketcap shares.I'm aware of small cap investment trusts, such as Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust (SLS) and BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust