2025 was an exciting year for the commodities and natural resources sector. Trusts exposed to soaring gold and silver prices saw triple-digit returns, but it was a different picture for energy, iron ore and other commodities, where share price returns were unexciting. But with Donald Trump intervening in Venezuela and Iran perhaps on the cusp […]
If investors in UK small and mid cap companies were hoping for a big bazooka to turbo-charge the sector in the budget, they were disappointed. The chancellor’s priorities were elsewhere. Nevertheless, some calm after a grim period of uncertainty and speculation may be enough to revive the sector’s flagging fortunes. It is easy to present […]
Private investor Geoff Mills scooped the £5,000 prize at the QuotedData Investors’ Choice Awards 2025 after correctly predicting the winners in every category from the judges’ shortlists. An investment trust investor since the 1980s, he has amassed fund selection skills to rival those of the professionals. We look at his journey from curious novice to […]
Baron Rothschild once advocated investing when there was ‘blood on the streets’. It may be a gruesome metaphor, but there is wisdom in buying investments when they appear a little scary. It suggests the risks are well understood, and the price may be appealing. This Halloween, we look at three investment trusts that may seem […]
Nick Greenwood’s 40-year career in the investment trust industry had a chancy start. In the early 1990s, investment trusts were having a moment. An asset-hungry sales director at Christos saw the potential for a fund of investment trusts. Greenwood, then a stockbroker for the group, was put in charge, and the rest is history. Greenwood […]
If you’ve been following QuotedData for a while, you’ll recognise Peter Hewitt from the many interviews that we’ve done with him over the years. As he retires from Columbia Threadneedle, we asked Cherry Reynard to capture some of his thoughts on the sector. The investment trust sector has some well-documented challenges: from arbitrageurs to discounts, […]
This month, the government dismissed the idea of zonal pricing for UK energy. This would have seen areas with high energy generation and low demand, such as Scotland, pay lower bills than elsewhere in the country. Ultimately, it was deemed too complicated and disruptive. However, it removes a possible solution to the biggest conundrum of […]
The rout in the healthcare sector shows no sign of abating. Even during the recent market weakness, investors haven’t appreciated its defensive qualities, but have instead focused on the potential disruption to US healthcare from an unpredictable new administration. However, contrarian investors may spot opportunities in the gloom. The MSCI World Healthcare index is down […]
In spite of the ‘drill baby drill’ ambitions of the new US administration, the rapid adoption of renewable energy sources continues. More than 40% of the world’s electricity was generated without burning fossil fuels in 2024, according to think tank Ember. Solar powered electricity has doubled in three years, with India and China setting the […]
The new US administration has sucked oxygen from other important stories around the world. While the world was focused on Trump’s tariffs, China quietly announced a $41bn package to boost consumer spending. It was a sign that the government would do ‘whatever it takes’ to drive growth. It may suggest a change of direction for […]
