TR Property (TRY) 300pMarket cap: £955 millionThere seems no doubt valuations in the European commercial property sector have stopped falling and in some cases have been rising in recent months, but the recovery is uneven with demand for higher-quality assets outstripping that for lesser-quality ones.However, allocating part of your portfolio to property by stock picking or even choosing a REIT (

Analysts expect £78.5 billion in payouts£56.5 billion of buybacks this yearFTSE 100 up over 7% in 2024The latest AJ Bell Dividend Dashboard report shows FTSE 100 constituents are on course to pay £78.5 billion in ordinary dividends this year.That figure is almost flat on 2023 and well below the all-time high of £85.2 billion recorded in 2018, although analysts are penciling in a 6.5% increase

Stocks in London pulled back on Wednesday, as weak US jobs data fuelled worries about an economic slowdown.The FTSE 100 index closed down 28.86 points, 0.4%, at 8,269.60. The FTSE 250 ended down 23.53 points, 0.1%, at 20,785.03, and the AIM All-Share closed down 2.73 points, 0.4%, at 759.66.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.5% at 826.75, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 0.2% at 18,286.84, and the Cboe Small

Stocks in London were lower at midday on Wednesday, despite upbeat domestic data, as heavy falls on Wall Street dented the mood.The FTSE 100 index was down 51.37 points, or 0.6%, at 8,247.25. The FTSE 250 was down 132.10 points, or 0.6%, at 20,676.05, and the AIM All-Share was down 4.94 points, or 0.7%, at 757.45.The Cboe UK 100, the Cboe UK 250, and the Cboe Small Companies were all down 0.6% at

Stocks in London were in the green going into Friday afternoon, as investors kept their eyes on US inflation data due out this afternoon.The FTSE 100 index traded up 58.40 points, or 0.7%, at 8,244.06. The FTSE 250 was up 221.33 points, 1.1%, at 21,105.17, while the AIM All-Share rose 3.17 points, 0.4%, at 776.20.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.8% at 823.02, the Cboe UK 250 rose 1.1% to 18,493.38, and th

The FTSE 100 was in the green on Friday morning, while other stocks were mostly downbeat amid gloomy UK retail sales data and a global IT outage.Companies around the world reported technical issues, with planes grounded, trains disrupted, and television and radio broadcasters taken offline. According to Sky News, Berlin Airport has halted all flights until 0900 BST, while Microsoft Corp said it wa

If we took a straw poll of readers and asked which country has the world's biggest sovereign wealth fund, the chances are Saudi Arabia and Singapore would come high up the list if not at the top.In fact, the largest is Norway's Government Pension Fund Global which has a value of more than $1.6 trillion.When the country discovered large offshore oil fields at the end of the 1960s, the government de

Stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt jumped on Thursday morning, as the US Federal Reserve signalled interest rate cuts for 2024.Still to come on Thursday, the Bank of England and European Central Bank will announce their own interest rate decisions.The FTSE 100 index opened up 155.54 points, 2.1%, at 7,703.98. The FTSE 250 was up 598.88 points, 3.2%, at 19,294.64, and the AIM All-Share was

Jefferies cuts stocks to 'hold' or 'sell'Analysts see 'recession' in officesMorgan Stanley takes a more positive viewShares in four of the UK's biggest property companies fell after analysts at investment bank Jefferies cut their recommendations on the basis office rents in the capital are headed for recession.British Land (BLND) shares eased 1.9% to 320p, Derwent London (DLN) shares were 1.6% low

Ninety One team buys towards lows of the yearSegro chairman buys more stock after updateInvestors in London and Cape Town asset management firm Ninety One (N91) might want to take a leaf out of management's book given the top team's talent for buying on weakness.Marathon Trust, a vehicle associated with Ninety One chief executive Hendrik Du Toit, finance director Kim McFarland and several other di

Inflation rises at slowest pace this yearBonds and interest-rate sensitive stocks chased higherBank rates still set to go up next monthShares in downtrodden housebuilders and property companies were chased higher after the latest inflation data for June came in below expectations, raising hopes the Bank of England might slow the pace of interest rate increases.Leading the FTSE 100 higher were Pers

If you could buy a selection of the best-quality UK real estate investment trusts all under one roof rather than individually, it would save a lot of time and effort. You can, thanks to the open-ended VT Gravis UK Listed Property Fund (BK8VW75).While property has been out of favour recently, weaker valuations means you can get exposure at a cheaper price.The fund is owned and run by Gravis Capital

- Rent roll increasing on positive demand trends- Property valuations leveling out- Sector bouncing off recent lowsIndustrial warehouse owner and operator Segro (SGRO) published a pleasing trading update for the year to date and promised to deliver 'further compound growth in earnings and dividends during 2023 and beyond'.The shares, which have been bumping along at post-pandemic lows, jumped to t

The pandemic saw thousands take their first baby steps into the world of investing, including Manav, 20 years old at the time. With many salaries protected by employers and the government, and precious few ways to spend money, putting savings to work in investment markets for the long term made sense during the healthcare crisis.Manav, now an accountant and currently studying for his ACCA exams, w

- Energy stocks win while consumer and housing stocks suffer- Index finishes barely changed from 2021- Earnings and dividends give reasons for optimism in 2023Despite a year which has seen armed conflict in Europe for the first time since 1945, and a concerted campaign by central banks around the world to raise interest rates to choke off inflation, the FTSE 100 index has somehow ended 2022 almost

Every chief executive talks about creating shareholder value, but which ones walk the walk?While the investment trust industry can count on 27 managers with at least 20 years under their belt at the same firm, there are very few FTSE 100 chief executives with that kind of track record.The most obvious is Simon Wolfson (pictured), who has headed Leicestershire-based high street retailer Next (NXT)

If you'd been keeping an eye on news from the UK commercial property market, you might be forgiven for thinking the sector was a complete basket case.Bankrupt retailers have left gaping holes on the high street, while office occupancy has been decimated by the pandemic.Meanwhile many open-ended commercial property funds suspended trading for over a year, with some ultimately shutting their doors p

The news last month that distribution firm Clipper Logistics (CLG) had agreed a £965 million takeover offer from US-based rival GXO Logistics has propelled the normally staid world of third-party logistics into the limelight.Crucially, the deal is predicated on revenue synergies, derived from moves like cross-selling and having complementary geographic locations, rather than cost cutting. This re

Last year was highly successful for industrial and logistics property firm Segro (SGRO), with a sharp uplift in the value of its portfolio together with active asset management and gains on developments combining to generate a 40% increase in NAV (net asset value), from 814p to £11.37 per share, lifting the stock as much as 6% to £13.55 in early trading.Analysts at Numis, who had forecast NAV at

For most people, the attraction of investing in real estate investments trusts, or REITs for short, is that they offer a stable and consistent stream of income.They are also a good way of getting exposure to real assets which in theory should behave differently to stocks and bonds, and provide some diversity in a portfolio.The permanent capital structure and closed-end nature of investment trusts