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

Two firms pass the test

Only two companies pass Richard’s minimum quality filter. Luckily Associated British Foods and Softcat both pass the 5 Strikes test. It’s been a thin fortnight for my 5 Strikes system since I last updated you. Only two of the 16 companies that published annual reports passed my minimum quality filter, which is a pretty low

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The Trader: Discretionary v Systematic

There are two approaches to trading: discretionary and systematic. The former relies on the trader’s judgement to make decisions, whilst systematic follows a set of predefined rules. Both of these have merits and drawbacks, and it’s not untypical for traders to look down upon the other group as inferior. Which, given we’ve had the budget

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US market excitement may be misplaced

Phil looks at the state of the US stock market following the presidential election and the reasons why it might continue to boom and why it might not. Even if you don’t invest in US shares, what happens on Wall Street has a big say in how UK shares will perform. A high-flying US stock

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Screening For My Next Long-Term Winner: Wynnstay | WYN

Wynnstay has paid an increased dividend every year since 2004 yet its shares trade nearly 40% below net tangible assets. Maynard Paton weighs up whether the agricultural supplier is a value bargain or a value trap. I am back again looking for ‘value bargains’ and revisiting a screen that identifies companies trading at less than

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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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