ARTICLES
& INSIGHT

All the latest articles & insight from our investment writers to inspire your own research and analysis.

Author Index

  • Alpesh Patel OBE
  • Ben Hobson
  • Bruce Packard
  • David Stevenson
  • Jamie Ward

Author Index

  • Jason Needham
  • Maynard Paton
  • Michael Taylor
  • Phil Oakley
  • Richard Beddard

Volution|FAN: Making money from clean air

Richard presents the latest companies to make it through his 5 Strikes process. Volution, a manufacturer of extractor fans and more sophisticated ventilation systems achieved only one strike, making it a prime candidate for research. Since my last update, five companies have published annual reports and passed my minimum quality filter. Having briefly scrutinised their

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Are Crest Nicholson shares way too cheap or a big value trap?

After rival house builder Bellway decided not to buy Crest Nicholson, Phil asks whether the shares have been treated too harshly by the market or if investors should stay clear of them. Source: Crest Nicholson It’s been a rough few years for house-building companies. COVID-19 badly disrupted their businesses while government subsidies and low borrowing

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The Trader: Preparing for the Budget

Michael takes a look at some sectors that could be affected by the upcoming autumn budget. The budget day is going to be like a firehose of RNS announcements attached to your face. Lots of changes are going to be anticipated and there will be plenty of volatility. This volatility presents an opportunity (both for

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“M” is for marmite, and market leader

Investing in UK market-leading companies is a marmite proposition. They must have done something good but, if they are already so big, how can they keep taking market share? Richard examines market leaders Dunelm, and Inchcape (again!) In this week’s update, only two companies published annual reports, passed my minimum quality filter and the 5

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Is it worth investing in quality factor ETFs?

Phil takes a look at the subject of factor investing and whether quality factor exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can deliver better returns than those that track the stock market. Factor investing 101 To some extent, most investing is based around factors. Factors are used to deliver sources of return from portfolios and to explain the performance

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Small-Cap Spotlight Report: Software Circle

Canadian 200-bagger Constellation Software has inspired Software Circle to become a serial acquirer of ‘vertical market’ software businesses. Maynard Paton studies the promising early progress of AIM-traded emulator. Mark Leonard has been described as the “best capital allocator you have never heard of“. According to Forbes, Mr Leonard is now worth $5 billion after he

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The Trader: Sharper Mind, Sharper Profits

Michael looks at the benefits of a sharper mind and how to cultivate an edge in trading. The difference between winners and losers is almost always the mindset. And yes, there are lots of other things that go into successful trading, such as knowledge, hard work, and the ability to learn quickly. But you can

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Asset managers, love them or loathe them

Richard looks at one of his least favourite kinds of business – asset managers. Love them or loathe them, many London-listed asset managers are profitable and financially sound. Investors, aka asset managers, are not my favourite category of share. The financial world is precarious to me, which is why long ago I decided to take

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Is there any way back for Aston Martin shares?

Phil asks whether the latest profit warning from Aston Martin is the final straw for investors or whether a turnaround in its fortunes is still possible. Since its flotation five years ago, shares in Aston Martin Lagonda have been a disastrous investment. They have lost more than 90% of their value since then. Last year

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