Investment platform AJ Bell set to beat market expectations April 26, 2019 Investment platform AJ Bell reported boosted assets this morning as it revealed that it is set to beat analyst expectations in its financial results, which will be published next month. Assets under administration (AUA) increased by eight per cent to £47.7bn, due to growth in the platform business, the company announced this morning. Read more: UBS [...]
Unilever: Why there’s lots to like about this FTSE 100 star April 25, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. These first quarter numbers have been well received, and this market favourite still has lots to go for. Unilever (LSE:ULVR) shares surged to within a few pence of a record high last week as first-quarter trading figures heightened focus on whether this defensive and reliable dividend payer can offer [...]
European mutual funds hit 11th month of outflows April 24, 2019 Net outflows from European mutual funds hit €18.8bn (£16.26bn) in March, marking the 11th consecutive month of losses as investor confidence is knocked by political and economic uncertainty. Outflows have hit €58.3bn in the year-to-date, according to the latest data by Lipper, due to risks including Brexit and trade wards. Read more: Scandal-hit Gam funds to [...]
WH Smith: High-flyer divides City April 24, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. Latest results are fuel for another assault on a record high. Here’s why Smith splits the Square Mile. With £1 billion worth of dividends or buybacks since 2007, WH Smith (LSE:SMWH) shareholders can have few complaints about the retailer’s tried and tested strategy when it comes to selling stationery, [...]
The coming squeeze on US profits April 24, 2019 | City Talk Progress on US-China trade talks has seen investors’ concerns about a trade war fade, and be replaced instead by worries about economic growth and politic risks. The real concern for equity investors, ultimately, is how slower growth will be reflected in company profits. In 2018 markets were driven by stronger corporate earnings, but share prices [...]
A year of two halves? April 23, 2019 | Sponsored Alex Crooke, Fund Manager of the Bankers Investment Trust, explains how the team is preparing for a different investment landscape in the second half of 2019. It’s in our nature as fund managers to continually contemplate about the future, but the level and scope of uncertainty facing investors today is almost unprecedented. What’s disappointing is [...]
Mike Ashley among Debenhams shareholders wiped out April 18, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. One of the most intriguing City soap operas is over for investors as lenders seize control of Debenhams. The fight for survival at Debenhams (LSE:DEB) stores goes on, but for investors the suspension of shares signalled the final act in a grim 13 years of stock market trading. The [...]
The fault in default funds: Why you might not be getting the most out of your workplace pension scheme April 17, 2019 There is no denying that auto-enrolment is paving the way for the British population to have a half-decent savings pot in retirement. According to recent figures from the Office for National Statistics, 76 per cent of UK employees were members of a workplace pension scheme in 2018, up slightly from the 73 per cent enrolled [...]
Asset management firms urged to increase stewardship efforts April 16, 2019 Asset management firms have been urged to increase the level of engagement and guidance with the firms they invest in. Institutional investors only have “one-hand” on the wheel in regards to stewardship, advisory firm Willis Towers Watson warned in a report published today. Read more: Tatton Asset Management shares plummet as consulting arm under pressure The [...]
Tatton Asset Management shares plummet as consulting arm under pressure April 16, 2019 Shares in Tatton Asset Management fell 12 per cent this morning despite increasing assets and inflows as the firm reported that its consulting arm faced downward pressure on revenue. Assets under management soared 24.5 per cent to £6.1bn in the financial year, growing seven per cent in the six months to the end of March [...]