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? And what does the company offer outside of oncology drugs? Last up, we cover energy company Ce ..read more

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 brands. Michael Fahy runs through the hot topics from Nike (NKE) versus Adidas (ADS), new challenger b ..read more

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 options  27:11 Overlooked themes  29:11 Risks that investors are ove ..read more

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 sector. Last on the agenda is our annual ETF best-buy list. Dave Baxter explains the thinking behi ..read more

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 and positive earnings growth. Mark explores how large the scope is for its software services. L ..read more

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 more.  Timestamps 1:00 Positioning of the trust 3:07 Pockets of value 4:36 Drivers of a reg ..read more

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 business despite destocking challenges. Lastly, Mark Robinson ponders the opportunities and ..read more

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 pharmaceuticals, consumer goods and industrials sectors, and discusses whether divestm ..read more

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 flags for gearing 10:20 - The metrics that sound out when picking a stock  12:23 - Sectors tha ..read more

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 full-year results from safety equipment manufacturer Halma (HLMA). Mark Robinson asks whether another year ..read more