In our latest IC Interviews episode, funds editor Dave Baxter sits down with Tom Slater, manager of the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust.  With a simple philosophy of maximising returns over the long-term, and having secured a 300 per cent return in the 10 years to January 2024, Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust is best known for acquiring ownership of some of the world’s top growth companies. However, it’s not immune to volatility and the past few years has seen a downturn in the growth...

We begin with emerging markets, focussing on Ashmore’s (ASHM) latest figures. Thanks to expectations of interest rate cuts, the investment manager’s shares were up 25 per cent in the last quarter, after a tough time for emerging market-focused companies. Julian Hofmann shares what investors can take from this promising uplift and where we can expect Ashmore to focus in the future. The author of this week’s cover feature on India’s economy, Alex Hamer, discusses our Big Read, revealing the...

Dan Jones and the IC gang discuss the airline story that hit the headlines this week – Boeing’s (BOE) door blowout. Could this safety problem be the straw that breaks the camel's back? Michael Fahy and Alex Newman unpack what may lie ahead for the business, how its sole competitor Airbus (FR:AIR) might benefit, and whether other nations could end up competing against the two industry giants. This leads neatly into our segment on this week’s cover feature, ‘The winners and losers of a more...

In the first IC Interviews episode of 2024, deputy editor Dan Jones talks to beloved IC columnist, Bearbull.   For the past 25 years, Philip Ryland has sat at the Bearbull desk, keeping IC readers up to date with the Income Portfolio and sharing weekly analysis on the changing face of companies markets. This episode is Philip’s final contribution to the publication as he passes on the reins after his many years of service. In the podcast, Dan and Philip discuss diversifying away from the UK...

We welcome you to our first Companies and Markets Show podcast of 2024 with an analysis of recently released trading updates from British clothing retailers Next and JD Sports. Our team discuss how the two retailers compare and ponder the wider issues in the background that are contributing to their varying successes. It’s then on to the FTSE 100, which turned 40 on 3 January. The team unpack the recent performance of the index, questioning whether the significance of its poor performance...

Instead of a deep dive into one company, in our final episode of 2023, Lord Lee and Alex begin with an end-of-year audit of five holdings in Lord Lee’s portfolio. From a litigation financing firm to a beauty products maker to a bowling alley operator, Lord Lee shares the wins and losses he has experienced as a DIY investor. The pair also discuss his novel idea of using shares to encourage financial literacy amongst school-age children in the country. With “close to zero” financial literacy...

Our final episode of 2023 begins with IC property writer Mitchell Labiak discussing the merger of Reits LondonMetric (LMP) and LXI (LXI), which will allow them to compete with the industry’s biggest players such as British Land (BLND). Both have been called ‘sub-scale’, but what constitutes a sustainable Reit? Mitch also explores whether or not investors should prepare for similar activity in the coming year. Giving a sneak preview of a story included in our final edition of 2023, Val...

We begin with the interest rate story that hit the headlines this week – the FCA’s warning to investment platforms, including AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown, over their treatment of customers’ cash balances. Alex Newman and Val Cipriani discuss why AJ Bell’s share price fell and what investors should expect in the future. Jennifer Johnson follows with an analysis of whether the UK can become a biotech superpower. She reveals what is hampering the growth of the industry, including a lack of...

In this latest episode we look deeper into some of the things that portfolio companies actually do. In particular, host Joe Lynam and Brunner’s co-lead portfolio manager Julian Bishop examine some of the extreme technology needed to create the world’s most powerful semiconductor chips. The term ‘cutting-edge’ may often be overused, but in this case the sheer physics of what is being achieved by some of the leading companies is, quite simply, astounding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

The guest on our final IC Interview podcast of 2023 needs little introduction. Having been part of the Investors’ Chronicle team since the late 1990s, Simon Thompson is one of the most valued writers in our cohort.  Covering 93 companies for the IC, Simon has invaluable experience and knowledge of the small-cap industry. In this episode he reflects on the past 12 months, and shares his predictions for the year ahead, the areas he’s paying close attention to and the sectors that appear most...

We begin with FTSE 100 equipment renting company Ashtead, which released interim figures in recent days. Jemma Slingo and Julian Hofmann delve into the numbers and explain the background of the issues the company has faced in terms of demand. They also touch on the future of the business in light of the possibility the US government will change hands in the coming year. Jemma also discusses the results of a different rental company, Redde Northgate. The 2020 merger between a replacement...

After a 2-year post-pandemic inflation surge, the global economy eases from extensive fiscal and monetary interventions. Central banks reassess recession risks, signalling potential investment opportunities as volatility reawakens Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We begin with Alex Newman who discusses the recent results of music equipment manufacturer Focusrite. The company’s growth and share price rocketed during the pandemic, but like many others, its stock price has plummeted since. Alex explains how the business can spur growth and analyses whether the buy-and-build strategy will help boost its valuation. Julian Hofmann then takes the reigns with consulting and administration business XPS Pensions, which is growing at an exponential rate. Strong...

In this episode of The IC Interviews, Dave Baxter welcomes back Stuart Widdowson, Managing Partner of Odyssean Capital, the firm that manages Odyssean Investment Trust. The trust was set up in 2018 and is known for its approach of investing in a concentrated portfolio of UK listed companies too small for inclusion in the FTSE 250. The trust applies a private equity mindset to its operations in the public sphere. Stuart discusses the five aspects of the trust’s methodology that make it stand...

This week’s episode begins with a dive into Avon Protection’s recent figures with our deputy news editor Michael Fahy. To say the numbers were positive might be a stretch, but things could certainly be worse for the respiratory protection equipment specialist. As there have been many changes at the company in recent years and now activist investors are agitating for a sale, how should investors see the business? Our economics writer, Hermione Taylor, then guides listeners through some of the...

This episode centres around property, in all its shapes and sizes. The pair begin discussing a well-known self-storage stock: Lok'n Store. Lord Lee explains his nearly decade-long involvement in the company and reveals why he still loves commercial real estate. The pair go on to chat about how investors should approach difficult-to-value assets and the pros and cons of investing in property over shares. Lord Lee also answers questions from listeners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

We begin by discussing Diageo, a global leader in premium beverages, who released a profit warning last week. Sales are expected to fall in the new financial year with issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. The market reacted badly, understandably, with analysts also alarmed. But can strength in the US market buoy these negative prospects? We follow on with the results of two commercial Reits: British Land and Land Sec. Given rental growth seems to be better than expected, what have the...

In this episode of The IC Interviews, personal finance writer Val Cipriani sits down with James de Uphaugh and Imran Sattar of Edinburgh Investment Trust, managed by Liontrust. Boasting 50 years of investment experience between them, James and Imran have worked together in various firms since the 1990s, including BlackRock and Majedie.  In this conversation, they explore how the portfolio will deal with a period of economic stagnation, discuss holdings including M&S and new addition...

Companies editor Mark Robinson gives us the rundown on Associated British Foods’ (ABF) latest results, which shareholders warmly received. What tactics has management deployed to reach the latest share price high and where can we expect to see the company head in the future?  We’re then on to Apple (US:AAPL), this week’s cover story by Arthur Sants, our new US-based reporter. The tech giant’s latest results mentioned a greater focus on the services side of the business, including AI, as its...

Alex Newman hosts this week's episode which begins with a discussion about HSBC’s recently published trading update. From that huge share buyback to what we can understand about China’s economy and real estate market, Julian Hofmann takes listeners through all they need to know about the bank’s update. Next up is this week’s cover feature on megaprojects by deputy news editor Mike Fahy. Mike and Alex discuss the background of the article, which focuses on the reasons for the many setbacks the...

Dave Baxter welcomes back popular UK equity manager Nick Train to The IC Interviews. Best known for co-founding Lindsell Train Ltd and running its UK Equity, Global Equity funds and the Finsbury Growth and Income Trust, Nick is a household name when it comes to picking UK stocks. In this episode, Nick shares his thoughts on the state of the UK equity market, British luxury designer Burberry, the events that would lead him to sell a holding and more. If you would like to suggest potential...

This week’s episode begins with a discussion on insurer Lloyd’s of London, which is starting to attract investor attention again. Julian Hoffman, author of the story, and Mark ponder over the hopes for the market and use a near-40-year-old scandal as a guiding point of scepticism. Jemma Slingo joins the conversation to discuss two companies covered in the second part of our Aim 100 feature, translation expert RWS and digital advertising company WPP. She explains why each company is struggling...

In this episode, Alex and John begin with a dive into John’s largest, and most successful, holding, Treatt Plc. He delves into his history with the flavour and fragrance company and explains the appeal that led him to up his holding is for so long. This leads tidily onto a conversation on the art, and challenge, of selling, the downfalls he’s experienced and what he’s learned from his time as a DIY investor.   The duo also discuss how important political environments are to investing and...

This week’s episode, like this week’s cover feature special, highlights the first part of our annual dive into the top 100 Aim companies. Having had a nightmarish 2022, companies traded on the alternative market don’t seem to have had an easier time in 2023 as the index underperformed the FTSE All-Share and the FTSE Small Cap Index.  Our journalists have analysed the top 100 Aim companies and, in this episode, you can hear a handful of the team discuss some cherrypicked businesses. These...

Julian Hofmann kicks off today's conversation with a discussion of Britain’s beloved pub chain JD Wetherspoon (JDW). Results showed that food sales are now a bigger driver, so does that show a change of strategy for the business? And is there still value there? It’s then on to our cover story this week, a topic that many listeners will be thinking about; how to ensure they’re saving enough for retirement. Alex Newman joins the conversation to explain the thought process behind the piece and...