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...

UK stocks dropped on Wednesday as investors awaited news from the latest US Federal Reserve meeting for clues on its future interest rate policy after recent market worries over rising inflation.Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices traded lower, adding to the selling pressure on the FTSE where gains in financials were offset by weakness in mining and energy shares.At the close the benchmark...

UK stocks dropped on Wednesday as gains in financials were offset by weakness in mining and energy shares. At midday the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was down 35 points or 0.5% to 6,768 points.Overnight trading in Asia was quiet with the Nikkei 225 and SE Composite indices slightly down.Investors are awaiting news from the latest US Federal Reserve meeting later today for clues on future...

UK stocks dropped on Wednesday as weak mining and energy shares dragged offset by gains in financials.Overnight trading in Asia was quiet with the Nikkei 225 and SE Composite indices slightly down.Investors are awaiting news from the latest US Federal Reserve meeting later today for clues on future interest rate policy given recent market worries over rising inflation.5G CAPACITY BOOSTTelecoms...

In the first of a two-part series Shares invites top fund managers to reveal which stocks they were most pleased with in 2020, which stocks they were most disappointed in, and which they have high hopes for in 2021.Their answers reveal an interesting mix of names across the market cap spectrum. Recent float, materials company HeiQ (HEIQ), for example, crops up twice in this set of responses....

UK stocks closed higher Wednesday after news that the UK had become the first country to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use with vaccinations expected to start next week.In afternoon trading, Pfizer shares gained 3.5% while in Frankfurt shares of BioNTech closed 5% higher on the day.At the close in London the FTSE 100 was was up 79 points or 1.25% at 6,463, with miners and...

UK stocks opened slightly lower on Wednesday despite news that the UK had become the first country to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use with vaccinations expected to start next week. In contrast, shares of BioNTech jumped 8% in Frankfurt on the news.By midday the FTSE 100 was was up just 12 points or 0.2% at 6,396, with consumer stocks such as AB Foods (ABF), Coca-Cola...

UK stocks opened slightly lower on Wednesday despite news that the UK had become the first country to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use with vaccinations expected to start next week. Shares in Frankfurt listed BioNTech jumped 8%In early trading the FTSE 100 was off 0.1% at 6,382 points.Sterling traded 0.4% lower against the US dollar at $1.33. Brent Crude prices were 0.1%...

UK stocks tracked sideways in early trading on Wednesday as investors awaited an update from the Federal Reserve about the outlook for the US economy. At 8.39, the FTSE 100 was ever so slightly lower, off 0.15% at 6,096.30 points.E-commerce company The Hut (THG), the Manchester-based owner of the Lookfantastic website, surged 27% higher to 635p, having priced its IPO at 500p, as conditional...

Sports nutrition business Science in Sport (SIS:AIM) reported a surprisingly robust performance for the first half to June on Thursday, which included a marked acceleration in the shift to online sales as well as strong growth in the USA, sending the shares 1.6% higher to 32p.Group revenue was down 5% to £23.6m, a much stronger outcome than the market expected given the enormous second...

Although vegan diets have existed for thousands of years, practiced by many societies for religious and health reasons, veganism is now one of the fastest growing trends in the food industry.Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK are taking part in this month's 'Veganuary' challenge in a bid to benefit health and wellbeing while simultaneously combating climate change.Veganism's meteoric...

Boris Johnson's thumping general election victory saw a swathe of unloved stocks come charging back, with the Gervais Williams-run Miton UK MicroCap Trust (MINI) among them.Shares in the investment trust reversed more than a year of poor stock price performance to rally 4.7% to 50.9p with investors clearly far more confident that the Prime Minister can get his Brexit deal through Parliament...

The FTSE 100 was in a sunnier mood on Wednesday, up 0.9% to 7,333.25 amid hopes of a move towards resolution of the US-China trade war.Mike Ashley steered retailer Sports Direct (SPD) was up 1.4% ahead of a crunch AGM at 11am.Home builder Galliford Try (GFRD) gained 0.6% to 668p, even as it booked a fall in first-half profit, which came as little surprise to the market amid a slump in...

Shares in sports nutrition specialist Science in Sport (SIS:AIM) were given a 4.5% boost today to 62.7p after reporting strong growth in revenues of 152% to £24.9m for the six months ended 30 June 2019. The growth reflected the acquisition of PhD Nutrition in December 2018.On a like-for-like basis, growth was an impressive 21% with positive contributions from both the PhD brand, where...

London's FTSE 100 cheapens 3.6 points to 7,320.4 early on, ahead of the US Federal Reserve's latest policy decision and amid chatter that top US trade officials will head to China next week for new trade talks.Home improvement giant Kingfisher (KGF) cheapens 1.3% to 242.1p on the news chief executive officer (CEO) Veronique Laury is downing tools having struggled to turn around the DIY store...

Macroeconomic uncertainties, the return of volatility and political turmoil suggest diversification will prove a key investment watchword in 2019.One way in which investors can diversify portfolios is by allocating funds to UK micro caps, often agile and fast-growing minnows offering better value relative to larger caps; they fly under the radar of big institutional investors and are generally...

Follow both new and existing institutional investors and invest in endurance sports nutrition specialist Science in Sport (SIS:AIM).An oversubscribed placing (14 Nov) has raised a handy £14m for 'SiS', an increasingly strong brand among elite athletes, whose high gross margins and rapid gains in a growing global sports nutrition market could soon attract a predator.Existing shareholders also...

The FTSE 100 falls 0.6% to 7,429, dragged down by weakness in mining and utility stocks.Sofa maker DFS (DFS) falls 22.3% to 197.75p after issuing a profit warning. The company says the trading environment has weakened beyond its expectations and that it has seen significant declines in footfall in its shops.That news prompts a sell-off in other retail stocks, particularly those with larger...

Improved earnings and increased interest by large companies in the sports nutrition market strengthen our conviction in Science in Sport (SIS:AIM).A strong pipeline of new products could help the £37m market cap sustain positive earnings momentum in the year ahead.Full year results (reported on 23 Mar) from the sports nutrition products maker revealed 30% sales growth to £12.2m, driven by...

Global nutrition group Glanbia (GLB) has invested €181m in two highly complementary acquisitions (6 Feb). These deals highlight the strategic attractions of nutrition assets, as we outlined in our look at Science in Sport (SIS:AIM) - see Big News, 02 Feb 2017.Kilkenny-headquartered Glanbia has enhanced the growth potential of its performance nutrition business through the takeover of...