BAE: UBS hikes price target to 2,450p March 24, 2025 UBS analysts have claimed that markets are failing to account for an expected jump in defence expenditure by European nations despite the recent surge in the value of weapons companies, such as BAE. In an analyst note, UBS analysts upgraded BAE’s stock price target from 1,600p to 2,450p and European weapons dealers Saab and Thales [...]
Buy Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey ahead of Spring Statement says broker March 24, 2025 Investment bank Jefferies has said investors should ‘Buy’ shares in UK housebuilders like Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey ahead of this week’s Spring Statement. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to present her Spring Statement later this week. Due to her commitment to just one major fiscal event, it was intended as an update rather than a [...]
Financial watchdog to push savers to take more risk March 24, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is set to encourage retail investors to up their level of risk when managing their savings, as part of its mandate to support growth in the UK economy. The watchdog has drawn up the plans as part of a new five-year strategy that is set to launch later this week, [...]
AIM: Private equity takeovers reach £5bn over last year March 24, 2025 The value of AIM-listed takeovers by private equity firms has reached £5bn over the last year as the number of companies on London’s junior stock exchange continues to drop. Private equity houses continued to be the major driver of AIM M&A deals, accounting for 62 per cent of M&A deals by value, according to data [...]
VCT capacity fills up in advance of tax year end March 21, 2025 Venture capital trusts (VCTs) have been reaching capacity as the end of the tax year approaches, with Northern VCTs closing their £36m fundraise this week. The decision by a few large VCTs not to raise money this tax year, and smaller offers from some other players, means capacity is six per cent lower than last [...]
Pershing Square: Deutsche Numis upgrades FTSE 100 trust March 21, 2025 Deutsche Numis has upgraded FTSE 100 trust Pershing Square, run by infamous hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, to a ‘buy’. In a research note, analysts upgraded three trusts to a ‘buy’: £8.1bn Pershing Square, £273.5m Aurora UK Alpha and £436.9m Schroder Asian Total Return. “Pershing Square benefits from a manager with a strong long-term track [...]
AIM IPOs: What happened this week on London’s junior stock exchange? March 21, 2025 After AIM started the week strong with the announcement of two planned IPOs, London’s junior stock market has seen more companies float on its exchange. This week, AIM had two IPOs, One Health Group and Wellnex Life, compared to the 11 which pursued an IPO throughout the entirety of last year. One Health Group, a provider [...]
Inheritance tax receipts reach record high March 21, 2025 Inheritance tax receipts totalled £7.6bn in the last 11 months, a record high and surpassing last year’s full-year total of £7.5bn. Data from HMRC revealed today that the amount paid in tax was an 11.8 per cent increase from the same period last year. “It may only affect a small percentage of estates, but that [...]
Stifel flags disclosure concerns from private equity trust March 20, 2025 Investment bank Stifel has flagged disclosure concerns in a private equity trust that has cut back on the level of detail it provides around its loans. While examining HgCapital Trust’s recent report and accounts, Stifel analysts claimed that there was less disclosure and commentary around debt in the fund than there had been a year [...]
Analysts upgrade Schroders stock amid cost-cutting drive March 20, 2025 RBC analysts have upgraded their Schroders’ stock price target after accounting for the group’s recently announced cost-cutting drive. Analysts at the bank upgraded Schroders’ target price from 395p to 475p, while it is currently trading at 379p, having surged 17 per cent since the start of 2025. The cost-cutting plan came as Schroders issued its [...]
