magazine archive
magazine archive
Editor's View
Don’t expect a return to normal for bank dividends just yet
Thursday 17 Dec 2020Dividends are back on the menu for banks. Such news would normally trigger screams of joy in households across the country, given how many people own banking shares as a source of income. However, once you read the fine print it seems that Appletiser is a more appropriate way to toast the news than...
Making sense of muted reaction to Games Workshop’s stellar update
Thursday 10 Dec 2020It’s rare to find a stock that has received three earnings upgrades in two months, but that’s exactly what’s happened with Games Workshop ( GAW ) . In fact, since July this year the consensus analyst forecast for its 2021 earnings per share has increased by more than 75%. The scale of the upgrades...
It is not too late to play the rally in value stocks
Thursday 03 Dec 2020Around the world there is a universal cry from value fund managers of ‘I told you so’, as they finally see the value rally that’s been predicted for what seems like a decade. Previously unloved stocks are moving fast, and retail investors are now having to look at a part of the market that they...
Earnings upgrade strategy produces tasty results
Thursday 26 Nov 2020There is a growing trend for companies to report better than expected earnings and this is something that investors should follow. Earnings growth is one of the strongest catalysts for share price growth, so it pays to watch the companies doing well operationally and financially. Beating estimates...
Let’s hope ESG doesn’t become a meaningless term
Thursday 19 Nov 2020In an age where ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors are becoming more important to investors, it can feel like funds and companies are clamouring to paint themselves in these colours for the cachet it involves. The danger is that the term is diluted to the point of meaninglessness...
Investors right to be more enthusiastic about the future
Thursday 12 Nov 2020Investors have just seen the wildest day for markets in a very long time thanks to encouraging news about a Covid-19 vaccine. Many people have taken the view that we now have a fix for the coronavirus crisis and a panacea for the global economy. We are certainly more enthusiastic about the outlook...
Big oil’s dividend dilemma
Thursday 05 Nov 2020On 29 October Royal Dutch Shell ( RDSB ) provided the market with a positive surprise, increasing its dividend by 4% as it booked a larger than forecast third-quarter profit. However, before we get too excited by the dividend hike, it is but a ripple in the ocean when you consider the pay-out had...
The companies taking advantage of M&A opportunities
Thursday 29 Oct 2020The coronavirus crisis has had a big impact on businesses and their finances – it has also left some firms vulnerable to opportunistic bids. Companies running the gamut from retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone ( MCS ) to telecoms firm TalkTalk ( TALK ) , have been the subject of approaches...
Expect a UK market rebound? Choose the FTSE 250 for stronger growth
Thursday 22 Oct 2020It is crunch time once again for UK equities as investors try to make sense of how Brexit will play out. As we write, trade negotiations between the UK and EU have seen both sides engage in a game of bluff. Reaching a deal could be a momentous occasion for UK stocks as it would remove a lot of the...
European stock recovery is picking up pace
Thursday 15 Oct 2020Investors should be watching European markets closely as there is a lot of positive news coming from companies and interesting share price movements in recent weeks. A trio of firms caught the market’s attention on 9 October by increasing their earnings guidance for the year. Retailers Pandora and...