There has been a mixed reaction from retail investors to the current global stock market volatility brought about by the 'Liberation Day' tariff announcements on April 2. Some have used the Trump tariff announcements as a buying opportunity amid a global sell-off others have used the opportunity to protect and reposition portfolios, or just to raise cash. Charlie Musson, managing director of...

FTSE 100 down more than 3% at 7,763.65 Defensive and utilities stocks hold steady Entain and Taylor Wimpey 'winners' UK housebuilder Taylor Wimpey (TW.) and gambling firm Entain (ENT) bucked the trend by falling less than the blue-chip FTSE 100 index. Taylor Wimpey and other housebuilders were perhaps anticipating the possibility of the Bank of England cutting interest rates this year as a...

Hotter-than expected UK inflation for January, with headline CPI up 3% year-on-year versus the 2.8% expected, combined with a volatile geopolitical backdrop, means investors should be seeking ways to protect their income.Shares has long championed the unique advantage investment trusts have when it comes to paying regular and progressive dividends, since these funds are able to hold back up to...

With more than half a century of unbroken dividend hikes under its belt, Brunner (BUT) aims to provide long-term growth in capital and dividends by investing in global and UK equities with an 'all-weather' approach designed to adapt to different market conditions.To achieve this resilience, co-managers Julian Bishop and Christian Schneider of Allianz Global Investors focus on...

UK indices closed Monday in the green amid Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tendering his resignation and reports of a possible watering down of Trump's tariff agenda.The FTSE 100 index ended up 25.68 points, 0.3%, at 8,249.66. The FTSE 250 climbed 21.25 points, 0.1%, at 20,612.65. The AIM All-Share rose 3.55 points, 0.5%, at 728.95.The Cboe UK 100 closed up 0.2% at 826.32, the Cboe UK...

Investment trusts have experienced challenges this year, with discounts remaining wide across various sectors and some consolidation occurring. However, certain trusts have performed well compared to both the wider market and their peer group. This article highlights the top performers across four of the Association of Investment Companies' most widely followed equity-facing sectors.GLOBALAn...

In last week's magazine, Shares focused on the methods by which leading fund managers identify genuine long-term growth opportunities, covering everything from the need for a growth mindset to bottom-up stock picking and the need to factor in top-down considerations.Now we turn the spotlight on the regional markets, themes and stocks which have some of the market's most admired investors...

Identifying genuine growth stories is not easy but can be extremely rewarding. Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) may be the ultimate growth stock example now but who was flagging its potential 10 years ago when revenue and profit was just a fraction of what it is today and when the widespread application of AI was still restricted to think pieces in periodicals. Some did catch on early and would have...

This is the first time for a long time that Scottish Mortgage (SMT) has underperformed its FTSE All-World Index benchmark over five years, the timeframe the trust's Baillie Gifford manager believes is most useful.It might not be the case as you read this feature, such are the daily ebbs and flows of share prices and indexes, but it was in mid-October 2024. The three-year performance is far...

Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust (MNP) 375pMarket cap: £241.2 millionFalling inflation and a rate cutting cycle mean better times are ahead for Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust (MNP), a collection of high-quality growth companies with strong cash flows and robust balance sheets managed by Zehrid Osmani.Higher rates have whipped up headwinds for the long-duration growth stocks favoured...

Funds can often be in vogue with investors thanks to a big-name manager or a past reputation, but just how well-earned is the popularity of the UK's most popular funds and investment trusts?In this article we've taken a look at the performance of a select group of funds which regularly feature among the most bought and most widely-held in the market to judge whether they are truly delivering...

Whereas passive funds aim to track the performance of a key benchmark or index, active funds are run by a professional fund manager who selects what goes in the portfolio with the aim of outperforming the market. Active managers are paid a fee by investors for their stock picking expertise, benefit from face-to-face access to company management teams and unlike index trackers, can analyse...

AI chip giant knocks the lights out againNet profits surges to $15 billionStock blasts past $1,000 for first timeNvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) continues to knock the ball out of the park and prove the AI (artificial intelligence) revolution is very real. The $2.3 trillion AI powerhouse worshipped by financial markets and Silicon Valley, has to pass increasingly tough tests of investor's faith with...

Activist Elliott halves stakeDiscount to NAV narrowed to 6%Elliott maintains big holdingActivist investors usually prepare for a long and hard-fought battle when targeting underperforming companies and management teams. It must therefore be rather pleasing when events conspire to allow a profitable early partial exit.That seems to be the case for Elliott Investment Management after the...

The last couple of years have seen outsized returns for stocks, especially those in the US, but that doesn?t mean now is a bad time to invest. The truth is there is never a bad time to invest as long as you are looking to stay invested for the long term.From its inception in 1984 to 2022, the FTSE 100 index has gained around 5.5% per year in price terms and 7.5% per year in terms of total...

Nelson Peltz?s failure to get a seat on the board of directors at Disney (DIS:NYSE) has raised the question: are activist investors losing their touch?Peltz might have enjoyed success with earlier campaigns at Kraft Heinz (KHC:NASDAQ) and Wendy?s (WEN:NASDAQ), yet he sits alongside big names such as Pershing Square?s (PSH) Bill Ackman where campaigns have not gone their way.Peltz wanted to...

Cancer drug gets positive readoutPotential for personalised medicinesModerna has over 45 drugs in developmentUS biotechnology firm Moderna (MRNA:NASDAQ) was the top performer in the S&P 500 on Tuesday (9 April) jumping as much as 10% after its personalised cancer vaccine showed positive results in an early stage trial.The shares closed 6% higher at $11.60, a new three month high, but are down...

City of London most bought second month in a rowNvidia tops stock buys againRenewables trust UK Greencoat Wind sparks interestInvestors across the AJ Bell platform have been piling into artificial intelligence (AI) 'darling' Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) and oil giant Shell (SHEL) before the end of the tax year.FTSE 100 aero-engine maker Rolls Royce (RR.) also makes appearance in the top five of most...

Mercadolibre (MELI:NASDAQ) $1,528.95Market cap: $77.5 billionReaders that have come across MercadoLibre (MELI:NASDAQ) before will likely be familiar with the badge some pin on it ? the ?Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ) of Latin America?. And just like its US peer, the Uruguay-based business has spent the past couple of decades emerging as one of the region?s ecommerce leaders.It may have started out as a...

It has been a busy time for shareholders in Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT), but it has been a fruitful time too with the shares hitting new 12-month highs in March.First, the board announced it would buy back at least £1 billion worth of shares in order to help narrow the discount to NAV (net asset value).Then, Delaware-based Elliott Advisors revealed it had taken a 5% stake in the...