A central bank interest rate cutting cycle is well underway, the Federal Reserve having slashed US rates by 50 basis points and further cuts expected from the Bank of England following August's 25 basis point reduction. Falling rates mean lower rates on cash and bonds, so this seems like a sensible time for investors searching for long-term income and capital growth to review their portfolios.Help

On 1 August the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee made a 5-4 decision to kickstart its rate-cutting cycle. A 25 basis point reduction in the base rate to 5% marking The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street's first cut since March 2020.This means cash savings rates are heading in one direction, down. And the lower-than-expected jump in UK inflation reported on 14 August only boosted market exp

Value-focused investment trust Scottish Investment Trust (SCIN) is looking at options to replace manager Alasdair McKinnon after its board of directors lost patience with poor returns.This comes as the trust has significantly lagged its peers over a five-year period and, more damagingly, in the current value rally which should favour its investment approach.In 2015 the trust appointed McKinnon as

After more than a decade of domination for growth stocks, global markets are finally seeing a shift into value.This in turn has benefited funds pursuing a value investing style. Growth performed relatively well through the initial course of the pandemic with technology stocks leading the way, but the key catalyst for the long-awaited rotation into value was 'Pfizer Monday' on 9 November last year.

Many investment trusts offer high yields which might tempt some investors in the current environment. But are they more trouble than they're worth?Some may be worth pursuing, while others can have complex investment models and come with underappreciated risks.HOW MUCH CAN YOU GET?Data from the Association of Investment Companies implies there are numerous investment trusts offering yields of 8% to

With UK companies suspending dividends left, right and centre, times are tough for income investors.One possible solution is to look to investment trusts. Many are sitting on significant revenue reserves which they can draw on during 'rainy days' to supplement their revenue and maintain dividends during 'Black Swan' events such as the coronavirus shutdown.Most income trusts have accumulated close

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

Investors are concerned about what Brexit means for their portfolios and how to navigate the current tricky markets. There's no magic bullet, but investors should make sure there aren't any risks lurking in their portfolios that they aren't aware of. One step they can take is to check the level of gearing in any investment trusts they own.Borrowing to invest is also known as gearing, or in other w

We've spotted quite a few investment trusts trading at unusually large discounts to net asset value (NAV). There are good reasons why some of them are out of favour. Other situations are more perplexing which suggests investors could potentially snag themselves a bargain if we assume the discount could revert back to normal levels or even disappear.The list includes BMO Global Smaller Companies (B

There is scope for plenty more efficiency savings at advanced marine engineering solutions firm James Fisher & Sons (FSJ). Tuesday's (20 Aug) interims could remind the market of the continuing opportunity for divestments and help the shares rediscover some lost momentum.Another source of positive newsflow could be Fisher's special forces Swimmer Delivery Vehicle (SDV), the SDVx. Capable of transpo