Equities

Higher inflation makes Pennon a must-have stock

Higher inflation makes Pennon a must-have stock

4 mins. to read

A higher rate of inflation could be a game changer for UK income investors. In recent years, it has been at relatively low levels, and this has made it fairly straightforward to generate a positive real dividend yield (i.e. after inflation has been deducted). Now, though, inflation is at 2.7% and is forecast to move…

Rooplay: the “Netflix of Games”

Rooplay: the “Netflix of Games”

4 mins. to read

Master Investor: Hi Jason and thanks for taking the time to speak with Master Investor. Rooplay has been dubbed “the Netflix of Games”. As CEO at Rooplay Media, can you give our readers a little background on the product and the opportunities that Rooplay is looking to take advantage of? Jason Williams: Rooplay is a…

Ignore the FTSE 100 and buy Royal Mail
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Ignore the FTSE 100 and buy Royal Mail

5 mins. to read

It’s been a long road but, finally, the FTSE 100 has reached 7,500 points. This may prompt worry among some investors, since it could mean the index is overvalued and there is a lack of investment opportunities on offer. Risks such as Brexit, the general election, Trump’s Presidency and numerous others could weigh on the…

The even slower death of the stockbroker analyst – part 2

The even slower death of the stockbroker analyst – part 2

7 mins. to read

I started out on this series thinking I would ask where investors – private and institutional – will go for good research, given that regulation – particularly Mifid II due to come into force next year – is said to be causing brokers to lay off their analysts. This raises the question: What is good…

Investor expectations make SSE a buy

Investor expectations make SSE a buy

5 mins. to read

Investor expectations can be a gift or a curse. Sometimes they allow investors to buy shares at discounted prices because the market expects a difficult period. Other times, however, they can lead to a disappointing share price performance even if a company records high earnings growth. In such a scenario, if profit growth falls below…

Three small caps trading at below net asset value

Three small caps trading at below net asset value

1 mins. to read

Valuing shares is a tricky business. That’s why over the decades equity analysts have developed a range of different ways to estimate how much a company could be worth. Well established approaches such as discounted cash flow and earnings multiples have been popular for almost a century and remain commonly used methods for valuing businesses.…

AO World may be the right company at the wrong time

AO World may be the right company at the wrong time

5 mins. to read

When it comes to investing, it seems as though timing is everything. Even the best stocks can have their bad days. And the ‘dogs’ of the index can enjoy periods of stunning share price growth. Therefore, finding the right stocks at the right time seems to be the difference between success and failure in investing.…

Searching for the next British ‘unicorn’

Searching for the next British ‘unicorn’

8 mins. to read

Here’s an experiment for you to try. Ask 10 random people on the street if they’ve heard of ‘Global Switch’ (www.globalswitch.com) and you’ll likely be confronted with a vacant expression. You may well find a similar response if you mention ‘Anaplan’ (www.anaplan.com). Yet both are ‘unicorns’, an expression in the tech arena to describe a company…

A special dividend means ITV is worth the risk

A special dividend means ITV is worth the risk

4 mins. to read

Special dividends have long been overshadowed by share buybacks. The latter has proven popular with company management due in part to its positive effect on EPS, which is often linked to bonuses, and the flexibility it brings. This contrasts with ordinary dividends, which the market expects to be repeated in future years once they have…