Rising interest rates designed to cool inflation are squeezing consumers' disposable incomes around the globe with spending on big ticket and discretionary items coming under pressure.Yet spending on everyday necessities, mass daily-use items that billions employ every day, is holding up rather well. That's good news for the makers of mundane products which consumers trust and depend upon; think t

There has been a clear shift in the market away from growth companies towards value and the rising interest rate environment makes it likely that trend will continue.However, with some of the more obvious value opportunities already being seized on by investors there is merit in seeking out less obvious bargains and AVI Global Trust (AGT) looks an excellent vehicle for doing so.The investment trus

As the COP26 climate summit fades into the middle distance it is clear that a key component of global leaders' plans for reducing emissions is encouraging a big switch among businesses and individuals to EVs (electric vehicles). In the UK, sales of new diesel and petrol cars are already set to be banned from 2030.The International Energy Agency forecasts the global stock of EVs will increase from

Shares in Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) gained 2% to £16.90 as it announced an end to its dual class structure.The company was recently put under pressure as activist investor Dan Loeb's Third Point Investors (TPOU) took a stake in the firm and pushed for a break up.The simplification proposal, to be voted on at Shell's annual general meeting, would see the company establish a single line of shares to

Electric van and truck maker Rivian Automotive started trading at $107 in its first day on the stock market, significantly above its $78 IPO price. Within minutes it hit $119.38 before easing back to just over $100.Hype around the stock was supported by backing from online monolith Amazon and the company had a further heavyweight endorsement in the form of car manufacturer Ford, which has a stake

The latest investor letter from Third Point Offshore Investors (TPOU), showed the activist fund made a 12.5% return in the quarter to September, taking its nine-month gain to 29.5% against 13.4% for the MSCI Total Return World Index.The firm's biggest gains in the third quarter came from US 'challenger' lender Upstart, which rose 153%, and cybersecurity firm SentinelOne which added 26%. UK insurer

FTSE remained in negative territory on Thursday lunchtime dragged down by weakness in oil shares after Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) missed earnings forecasts and Brent Crude prices dropped almost 2% to $82.30 a barrel.At 12pm the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was down 0.3% at 7,230.The European Central Bank is due to update the market on its interest rate policy and economic outlook over lunchtime.

Shares in oil major and FTSE heavyweight Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) slumped 3.6% to £17.04 despite the group reporting a big jump in third quarter earnings thanks to higher oil and gas prices, as results missed investors' expectations.Attention also fell on its historically low returns and valuation after US activist investor Dan Loeb took a stake in the firm and called for it to be broken up to in

The old adage is that you should never let a good crisis go to waste and this mantra seems to be being taken seriously by activist investors as we emerge from the worst of the pandemic.Several big UK companies have activists either circling them or they are already on the shareholder register making demands of management. In this article we look at eight different activist situations and give our

When you invest in a fund or investment trust you are putting your hard-earned cash in the hands of a professional fund manager and asking them to make decisions on what to do with it.Knowing that said professional has at least a portion of their own wealth tied up in the fund offers a level of confidence that they will weigh portfolio decisions carefully and with a long-term perspective because t

Global insurer Prudential (PRU) is in the crosshairs as activist investor Dan Loeb took a near-5% stake in the company and urged the FTSE 100 constituent to separate its US and Asian operations.Loeb runs Third Point, manager of investment trust Third Point Offshore (TPOU) which we recently featured as a Great Idea in Shares. He believes a break-up of Prudential, which last year demerged its UK and

A steep 20% discount to net asset value (NAV) at London-listed Third Point Offshore Investors (TPOU) offers an attractive entry point for those keen to access the money-making acumen of Wall Street luminary Dan Loeb, a famous activist investor.We'll be upfront and say this investment is not for everyone. Accessing Loeb's investing skills means paying a premium - ongoing charges are a hefty 2.8%.Re

Investors seeking a fund flush with bargain stocks and upside catalysts should buy British Empire Trust (BTEM). It aims to achieve long-term absolute returns by investing in undervalued assets.It offers shareholders value within the portfolio's underlying assets and the share price also trades at a discount to the trust's own net asset value (currently 9.4%).Investment bank Jefferies argues: 'Havi