We begin with Mark Robinson who covers pest control business Rentokil (RTO) which saw a double digit surge in its share price after rumours of private-equity takeovers began swirling. It’s then on to this week’s cover story by James Norrington on the investing greats and how investors can apply their wisdom to their own portfolios.  Jennifer Johnson then joins the conversation with an update on leader of the FTSE 100, AstraZeneca (AZN). Why are shares down despite its guidance being upgraded?...

This week, the IC team touch on everything from everything from water company share prices to the state of play in the sports brands industry, and Baillie Gifford’s investment trusts. Alex Hamer unpacks Ofwat’s regulatory crackdown and what reforms mentioned in the King’s Speech will mean for companies such as Pennon (PNN), United Utilities (UU) and Severn Trent (SVT). It’s been a busy few weeks for sporting events but there’s plenty more to come as this week’s cover feature analyses sports...

In the latest episode of IC Interviews, Dave Baxter sits down with Chris Tennant of Fidelity’s Emerging Markets Trust. The pair cover everything from stocks Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) and Nasper (JSE: NPN) to the opportunities for shorting in China and areas believed to be the home of future emerging markets. Timestamps  1:00 Stocks in portfolio & TSMC 6:04 Nasper  8:23 Buybacks in EM 11:15 General take on China  16:08 Shorting  19:10 India 22:48 Concentrating elsewhere  24:34 Other EM...

The episode begins with Alex discussing the housebuilding sector. He and Dan unpack Barratt’s (BDEV) recent trading update, whether investors should expect more M&A, and planning proposals from the new government. Julian follows up by analysing student accommodation provider Unite’s (UTG) seemingly positive trading update. He explores the investment case given the weakening relationship between international students and universities’ finances, and how planning changes could affect the...

We begin the show with Jemma Slingo who covers results at Baltic Classifieds (BCG), the largest internet services provider for the Baltics. The business has a dominant position in the housing and car listings market, making it a similar company to the UK’s Rightmove and Auto Trader. Dan and Jemma unpack its expansion plans, risks and valuation.  Next, Mark Robinson joins to discuss the ‘decision intelligence’ company ActiveOps (AOM) which is gaining attention for high customer retention rates...

Dave Baxter hosts Alastair Laing of Capital Gearing Trust, a vehicle which aims to grow but also protect investments over long periods. Often known for its bearish stance, the team at the trust use a combination of bonds, equities and property to position themselves and investors' cash securely in case of rocky market periods.  In the episode, Dave and Alastair discuss how the trust has offset missing out on the US tech wave, inflation-linked bonds, the smaller positions they hold, and much...

The Companies and Markets Show returns with a look at the prospects for three very different businesses. Retailer Watches of Switzerland (WOSG) had a disastrous start to the year but has shown signs of improvement since. Chris Akers asks if it can weather the luxury goods downturn. Then Jemma Slingo joins the show to examine Aim-listed cable and components maker Volex (VLX). Less glamorous it may be, but the latest figures demonstrate that the company has proved adept at diversifying its...

The latest IC Companies and Markets podcast kicks off with a look at two pubcos hoping to benefit from an upturn in the weather and a summer of sport. Christopher Akers joins the show to examine recent results from Young’s (YNGN) and Fuller, Smith & Turner (FSTA) and asks what the future has in store. Jennifer Johnson then discusses this week’s IC cover story, on company spin-offs and the wider trend (or non-trend) of conglomerates breaking up. She runs the rule over companies in the...

Guy Anderson, fund manager of Mercantile Trust, joins Val Cipriani on the latest IC Interviews podcast. The trust is run by JP Morgan and is built on a bottom-up approach, focusing on quality UK mid-caps with strong cash flows that will accumulate dividends over time.  In this episode, the two discuss the drivers behind the trust’s success and investment process, opportunities in the UK stock market, M&A activity and more. Timestamps 00:58 UK mid-caps 4:28 The UK stock market 8:13 Red...

This week’s podcast begins with Alex Hamer discussing our latest cover feature on the rise of gold and to a lesser extent copper prices. Alex outlines the drivers of these price moves and highlights a variety of companies seeking to take advantage of these trends. Then, in a week when the biggest UK political parties all published their general election manifestos, Hermione Taylor asks what these pledges might mean for both the national and household finances. We conclude with a look at...

Jennifer Johnson begins this week’s podcast by discussing Hollywood Bowl’s (BOWL) results. Jennifer, Dan and Julian weigh in on the company’s successes and growth prospects, the factors underpinning its dividend prospects, and its current valuation case. National Grid (NG.) is next on the roster. Alex Hamer shares how the electricity giant surprised the market by securing the largest equity raise the London market has seen in almost a decade at £7bn. Alex and Dan discuss the rights issue’s...

Known for her ‘active ETF’s’ enormous returns during the pandemic, thanks to big bets on the likes of Zoom and Tesla, Cathie Wood is synonymous with bold investing.  But, while she has many accolades, her style and bold takes have not gone without criticism. The fund’s performance has been mixed, witnessing huge swings up and down since its inception, which some critics blame on her heavy reliance on instincts and poorly timed exits.  In this episode, Dave Baxter and Cathie discuss those...

Mark Robinson leads this week’s discussion, beginning with the chaotic week for takeovers, including all the Anglo-BHP drama and Royal Mail owner International Distribution Services’s (IDS) £3.5bn deal. It then moves on to activist investors, discussing Dave Baxter’s article on their role in investment trusts over the past 12 months and whether or not this is good for shareholders. Jemma Slingo takes the hot seat next with her piece on how artificial intelligence will affect the media. From...

In this episode, Alex and Lord Lee are joined by the chief executive of a company that some have aptly called ‘a John Lee stock’. Louis Hall, founder and CEO of the software solutions company Cerillion has plenty of skin in the game, a quality Lord Lee holds in high accord and has led him to successful investments. Listen to the episode to hear the trio discuss the business’s backstory, the benefit of investing in research and development, understanding a complex company as a private investor...

We kick off this episode with Julian Hofmann, who gives the rundown on credit data company Experian (EXPN). Whether you’ve checked your credit score on the site or saw television adverts in the early 2010s, you will have heard about the company. Its recent results were very well received and the share price subsequently shot up, but how is the overall health of the business? James Norrington is part of the duo that wrote this week’s cover feature on building the ideal portfolio. In the...

We begin this week’s chat with deputy companies editor Michael Fahy who runs through the history and new developments at tech solutions company Filtronic (FTC). Having signed a deal matching its total revenue last year, Michael unpacks the potential prospects for the business. On the day the Bank of England announced it would keep interest rates on hold, Julian Hofmann joins the conversation to discuss his latest story on mid-cap stocks benefiting from interest rate cuts. Alex Newman also...

The latest episode of The IC Interviews features Ian Lance, co-manager of Temple Bar Investment Trust alongside Nick Purves, who together have more than five decades of experience. The duo focus on undervalued UK shares and are adept at avoiding value traps. In this episode, Dave and Ian discuss the possibility of a UK re-rating, the sectors most attracting Ian and Nick’s attention, news from Royal Mail-owner International Distribution Service (IDS), tobacco stocks and much more. This episode...

Are you paying £5 for a coffee? £4 for mayonnaise? With food and drink inflation still on the rise, the IC team asks whether consumer goods companies are reaching the limits of what they can charge households. Jennifer Johnson discusses the latest trading update from Unilever (ULVR) as well as its spin-off plans, and examines figures from US consumer giants, too. Also under the microscope are two other consumer staples businesses: Reckitt Benckiser (RKT) and Haleon (HLN). With local elections...

Much of what has been covered in Lee and the IC episodes is about financial literacy and in this episode, Alex and John take a step further by hosting three members from the Renaissance Foundation, a specialist London-based youth charity. The foundation, among its other aims, hopes to bring financial literacy to young people who otherwise may not have exposure to the world of investing. It will soon launch the City of London Youth Investment Fund and Alex and John are joined by CEO, Sat...

On the day of the announcement mining giant BHP offered a whopping £31bn for Anglo American, Mark Robinson runs us through the thinking behind the deal, the impact South Africa’s upcoming election may have on Anglo’s assets, and whether this is just the beginning of negotiations. Jemma Slingo takes the hot seat to discuss this week’s cover feature, hopefully, a comfort for many listeners: investors’ biggest mistakes. Jemma shares a few examples from fund managers interviewed, what they have...

We begin this week's episode with a rundown of industrial metal price movements. From copper’s boom, Russian sanctions and the price of gold, our commodities correspondent Alex Hamer reveals what investors need to know on all things metal. A change in fate has swept across one of the UK’s most well-known and loved funds: Fundsmith Equity. It has not beaten its benchmark for the past three years, bringing a concerning end to its long run as a high-growth fund. Dave Baxter talks about the...

We begin with Julian Hofmann, whose latest article covers the companies left behind as doom and gloom takes hold of the British market. Many investors have been turning their noses up at British stocks but Julian says there is still value to be found. He touches on some of these, such as furniture brand DFS, and how investors can calculate a share’s value.  Next is Jemma Slingo who reports on the world’s leading thread manufacturer and British heritage brand Coats. The company recently...

Joe Bauernfreund and value investing are nearly synonymous. The veteran manager runs the AVI Global Trust and AVI Japan Opportunity Trust, and has responsibility for all AVI’s investment decisions as the CEO and CIO. His £1bn global stocks fund scours the world for the best companies but whose shares stand at a discount to the value of their underlying assets. In this podcast, funds editor Dave Baxter and Bauernfreund unpack his extreme value investment process, how Japanese valuations have...

We begin with one of the biggest names in the EV game: Tesla (TSLA). Shares are down by a third this year and Mark Robinson discusses what has caused this slump. Competition from China’s BYD certainly poses a threat but diminishing trust and popularity are also at play. Next, the author of our cover feature this week, Christopher Akers, shares his thinking behind the piece The travel stocks making the most of the recovery. Many companies are reporting record trading, an interesting occurrence...

Mark Robinson hosts this week’s episode and begins with a rundown of the latest news in the financial world, from Donald Trump’s Trust Social listing to the Bank of England’s warning on private equity bubbles.  This week’s cover feature on Britain’s top-rated funds is up first. Dave Baxter shares what readers can expect from the article, including the trends picked up by our analysis and the big-hitting funds that can boost portfolios.  Julian Hofmann discusses the credit card and...