The new UK Government has made it perfectly clear that the Budget on 30 October is going to involve some tough decisions that will affect people's finances. While much of the media speculation has focused on how capital gains tax might evolve, inheritance tax (IHT) is also a potential target for big changes such as abolishing tax relief on owning certain AIM-quoted shares.The Institute for Fiscal

- Alfa Financial chairman and CEO sell over £9 million shares- Combined deals represent around 3% of their holdings- Renew director nets over half a millionAndrew Page, chairman of Alfa Financial Software (ALFA), a company providing mission critical software to the asset finance industry, sold 5.3 million shares netting him £8.4 million in proceeds.The sale was made via CHP Software and consulti

UK shares ended the day flat on Tuesday despite earlier optimism after positive overnight trading in Asia and a positive start on Wall Street.Commodity prices were generally higher with Brent crude rising 0.9% to $70.10 a barrel and gold prices up 0.2% to a three-month high of $1,870 an ounce.At the close the FTSE 100 of leading shares was virtually unchanged at 7,036 points with financial and con

UK shares traded higher on Tuesday as risk appetite returned despite fears of the Indian variant dampening enthusiasm.Overnight trading in Asia was positive with the Japan's Nikkei 225 index gaining 2% and China's SE Composite index 0.3% higher.Commodity prices were higher with Brent crude rising 0.9% to $70.10 a barrel and gold prices up 0.2% to a three-month high of $1,870 an ounce.At 12.30 pm t

Individuals looking to shield wealth from inheritance tax should consider London's AIM stock market as investing in certain shares can help keep the taxman at bay. The standard rate of inheritance tax is 40% which is a meaningful amount.AIM shares that qualify for business property relief and held for at least two years do not form part of the estate for inheritance tax purposes and can be passed

UK stocks finished higher on Friday as optimism over a stronger economic recovery held sway. Slightly weaker than expected February inflation data in the US gave bond prices a boost, pushing yields lower and supported gains in equities.At 4.30pm the FTSE 100 index of leading stocks was up 1% to 6,742 points, led by miners and consumer-facing 'recovery' stocks.COMPANY NEWSMining group Kaz Minerals

UK stocks held on to early gains on Friday lunchtime as risk appetite returned to global markets, as President Biden vowed to double the US vaccine rollout target, increasing optimism for an economic rebound.At 12pm the FTSE 100 index of leading stocks was up 0.8% to 6,725 points, led by miners and consumer-facing 'recovery' stocks.COMPANY NEWSMining group Kaz Minerals (KAZ) gained 2.9% to 864p af

UK investors were in upbeat mood on Friday, helped by a rebound in US markets overnight after two days of losses, an encouraging retail sales report and a slew of positive company updates.At 8.30am the FTSE 100 index of leading stocks was up 60 points or 0.9% to 6,735 points, led by miners and consumer-facing 'recovery' stocks.Sterling was steady at $1.376 while Brent crude futures gained 1% to $6

UK stocks ended V-day flat as Britain began rolling out the first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. The mood of investors continued to turn to Brexit and knife-edge talks that appear to be bogged down, with UK and EU negotiators struggling to agree terms on a deal.Toing and froing in the US Congress over a possible financial stimulus deal also created reasons to be worried.At the close on Tuesday, th

UK stocks opened lower on Tuesday, with the blue chip benchmark off 0.21% at 6,541.85 early on, even as Britain began rolling out a Covid-19 vaccine.Investors continued to fret that a post-Brexit trade deal won't be hammered out before a transition period expires at the end of December. Also creating uncertainty were the continuing efforts to get a bi-partisan stimulus package away in the US.ASHTE

UK markets reversed early falls to rally into lunch time, shrugging off the brutal sell-off in US technology stocks overnight. This was despite sentiment towards the housebuilding sector souring on news of a competition regulator probe into the selling of leasehold homes.At midday, the benchmark FTSE 100 is up 0.5% at 5,882.02, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 rallied even harder, adding 1% at 17,629.47

UK stocks edged higher on Friday, shrugging off the brutal sell-off in US tech stocks on Thursday night, with the FTSE 100 up 0.2% to 5,861.13 early on.This was despite sentiment towards the housebuilding sector souring on news of a competition regulator probe into the selling of leasehold homes.Taylor Wimpey (TW.), Barratt Developments (BDEV), Persimmon (PSN) and Countryside Properties (CSP) are

Shares in engineering services firm Renew Holdings (RNWH:AIM) leapt 15% to 482p on Tuesday after it posted record first half results thanks to strong demand in its core businesses.With over three quarters of its activities deemed 'critical' to the economy, the firm has continued to operate with minimal disruption in key areas such as rail, road, water and energy infrastructure.RECORD TRADINGIn the

The FTSE 100 dropped sharply in opening trade as banks were told to suspend dividends and buybacks, while investors also brace for a likely global recession as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.The UK's benchmark index opened 3.24% lower to 5,488.27, mirroring falls seen in Asian stock markets with the Nikkei 225 in Japan down 4.5%, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong dropping 2.17% and China's Shanghai

There was good and bad news for infrastructure investors over the past week, depending on where in the sector they invested.On the plus side, an infrastructure boom could be about to hit the UK after the government gave the green light to build the £106bn High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project, spelling good news for stocks in the space.But for those investing in renewable energy, another area tipped fo

Anyone who regularly experiences the joys of public transport in the UK will know the country is in desperate need of infrastructure investment. Recognised as a priority by the Government, this is one area of public spending seemingly set to get a boost, not a cut, in the upcoming Budget.That spells good news potentially for both long-suffering passengers and the likes of Renew (RNWH:AIM), an engi

For a firm with its roots in the 18th century, Renew (RNWH:AIM) is not afraid of making changes. This multi-layered engineering company serves various types of UK infrastructure and also boasts a small specialist building division.If one of its businesses no longer remains profitable, the company is willing to take a financial hit and look for better opportunities.Renew's interim results on Tuesda

Failing to pick the right stocks is one of the biggest reasons why individual investors struggle to make money on the stock market. Don't despair; we are help to help.We believe an investment journey can be greatly enhanced by following a few simple steps in order to filter out the bad stocks and leave you with a universe of more interesting - and hopefully profitable - shares.In this article we d

If you want to invest in companies with significant growth potential and cut your estate's inheritance tax (IHT) bill on your death, investing in AIM-listed stocks could be the answer.Certain AIM companies benefit from business property relief (BPR), which makes the shares exempt from IHT as long as you hold them for at least two years and at death.AIM-quoted stocks are eligible for inclusion in I

The market valuation attached to building products business Alumasc (ALU) does not reflect its earnings potential or inherent qualities.The market doesn't appear to have picked up on the Kettering-based company's transformation from an engineering conglomerate to a pure play on premium building products.The stock trades on 8.2 times forecast earnings for the year to June 2018 which looks far too l