Image source: Getty Images Halma (LSE:HLMA) and Diploma (LSE:DPLM) have been two of the UK’s top-performing stocks over the last five years. And both of them reported earnings this week. Both companies have similar business models – decentralised structures that support organic growth with acquisitions. But one in particular blew investors away with its recent results. Diploma: a strong year Diploma’s a collection of industrial distribution businesses. And the firm’s results for the 12 months leading up to 30 September were strong. Revenues were up 12% with the majority of this coming from existing operations. This is something investors tend…
Author: user
Image source: Getty Images One thing I like about penny stocks is how they sometimes offer a sneak peek into the future. Many of these small start-ups are at the cutting edge of technology, working on projects that have yet to gain mainstream media attention. From groundbreaking new AI implementations to life-saving medications, they’re paving the way for how our future might look. At the same time, many aren’t yet profitable, relying on funding to keep going until they make it. Naturally, this adds an extra level of risk to any penny stock investment. When assessing penny stocks, a key…
Image source: Rolls-Royce plc The Rolls-Royce Holdings (LSE: RR.) share price has painted one of the brightest pictures in the UK investment landscape. It’s up 90% in the past 12 months and more than 900% over five years. It dipped a bit recently though, down 13% since September’s 52-week high. But the shares are really only back where they were in August. If we might be in for a cooling-off period, I can think of three key dangers. Cyclical aviation demand A civil aviation crash triggered the Rolls-Royce share price collapse in the wake of the pandemic. The proud British…
Image source: Getty Images When I invested a relatively large sum (for me) in this FTSE 100 dividend share a couple of years ago, I had high hopes. So far, they’ve been exceeded. The stock is wealth manager M&G (LSE: MNG), which was spun out from FTSE 100 insurer Prudential in 2019. Its early years as an independent company were bumpy, with the pandemic smashing stock markets in 2021, but lately it’s flown. The M&G share price is up 30% in the last year. However, over five years it’s only up 35%, a period that included plenty of volatility. Yet I didn’t buy…
Image source: Getty Images As I write, Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR) shares are up 999.8% over five years. This means a phenomenal 10-times return for anyone who made an investment five years ago. So, why has this happened and will this run continue? In short, it’s because three big forces all hit at once. The company underwent a deep internal overhaul, saw a powerful recovery in its end markets, and initiated a period of financial discipline. After years of underperformance, the company got serious about fixing its balance sheet and streamlining operations. Management cut costs, simplified the business, sold non-core assets, and…
Image source: Getty Images Talk of a stock market crash has been building for months. Last week, it felt like it might finally happen. The FTSE 100 ended the week down 1.64%, although investors can hardly complain. It’s still up 15.5% so far this year with dividends on top. The S&P 500 dipped 1.65%, but given that it’s delivered double-digit annual returns for two years running and is up 12.5% this year, investors can’t grumble here either (except maybe those who bought early last week). Will the FTSE 100 dip? History shows that long term, shares beat almost every other…
Image source: Getty Images After a bumpy week, I can see loads of great value stocks on the UK market. A string of FTSE 100 companies look cheap after recent volatility and offer long-term recovery potential. We now head into another twitchy spell as investors fret about the artificial intelligence bubble, while Wednesday (26 November) brings the Budget. I’ve picked out three FTSE 100 names that could swing sharply depending on what the Chancellor announces. Lloyds shares could slip Lloyds Banking Group (LSE: LLOY) has enjoyed an impressive run. Its shares have risen 60% over the last year and 145%…
Boston’s fare-free bus routes in Roxbury and Mattapan have become some of the slowest buses in the entire MBTA system, to the point where the costs of riders’ wasted time generally cancels out the benefits they enjoy from free fares, according to data compiled from TransitMatters.”It’s definitely slower,” said Osvaldo Cabral, a Roxbury student who was waiting in Nubian Square to catch a 28 bus towards Mattapan on Tuesday afternoon. “There’s too many people, people are always pressing the stops, there’s fighting on the bus and then they have to stop… and there’s more traffic.”When asked whether he’d rather pay…
Image source: Getty Images There’s a chance the UK Budget might bring something radical for Stocks and Shares ISAs. And it’s something investors will want to think very carefully about. According to professional services firm BDO, the Chancellor’s considering ways to make UK equities more attractive. But I’m trying to work out whether this is good for me or not. Stamp Duty According to BDO, the Chancellor’s looking at removing stamp duty on shares bought in ISAs with a certain percentage of UK-listed shares. They rate the chance of this as medium. Around two-thirds of my Stocks and Shares ISA…
Image source: Getty Images A passive income stream can make a big difference to your retirement. As billionaire investor Warren Buffett once said, if you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you’ll work until you die. Bonds can give investors a relatively reliable second income. But I think for investors who can handle the extra risk, stocks can put them in the passive income fast lane. Bonds Bonds are one of the safest ways of generating passive income. As long as the UK government doesn’t default on its obligations, the returns are more or less guaranteed.…