Last month we revealed which stocks hedge funds had been shorting in the second quarter after the remarkable post-Liberation Day rally which has seen UK and UK markets hit record highs. This month, with the help of Joachim Klement and Susana Cruz of Panmure Liberum's strategy, economics and ESG team, we take a look at which UK and European stocks are most popular with hedge funds and which...

Who would want to be an oil analyst, having to forecast where prices are likely to be in a month or even 12 months' time? In the last five years alone, Brent crude futures have collapsed to below $20 per barrel ? and infamously actually went negative at one point during mid-2020 ? before soaring to more than $130 per barrel following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since their 2022 peak,...

It has now been 10 years since the then chancellor George Osborne, introduced the so-called 'pension freedoms' for individuals with defined contribution pension savings. 'Pensioners will have complete freedom to draw down as much or as little of their pension pot as they want, anytime they want. No caps. No drawdown limits. Let me be clear. No one will have to buy an annuity,' Osborne...

A recent report from consultants McKinsey explored the subject of what long-term 'intrinsic investors' want from companies and how in return companies can benefit from the presence of a strong a stable shareholder base. The bottom line is a strong, stable shareholder base tends to lead to higher returns, not just for businesses but for their investors too, creating a kind of virtuous circle....

UK inflation is creeping back up again. As measured by the consumer price index, or CPI, the rise in the cost of living was 3.6% in June 2025, up from 3.4% in May, and rising at its fastest rate since January 2024. Prices are almost 28% higher than they were five years ago, according to ONS (Office of National Statistics) data. Over the past five years, CPI growth has averaged about 4% per...

Close scrutiny of the AIC's (Association of Investment Companies) UK Equity Income sector shows two trusts with strong retail followings occupying top and bottom spots in the five-year share price total return performance table, namely Temple Bar (TMPL) and Finsbury Growth & Income (FGT). In what represents a reversal of fortunes for two popular portfolios, the value-oriented former has...

'Significant' find offshore Brazil Planned upstream production growth Q2 results to reveal hit from lower prices Global energy giant BP (BP.) has announced its biggest oil and gas discovery in 25 years, off the coast of Brazil, a find which also represents its tenth discovery in 2025-to-date. Shares in the FTSE 100 oil major were marked up 1.7% to 405.5p on the news, a subdued reaction with...

Stocks in Europe were higher on Thursday morning as many companies published results on the final day of the month, which is filled with key economic indicators such as inflation and unemployment data from across the globe. The FTSE 100 index opened up 44.46 points, 0.5%, at 9,181.40. The FTSE 250 was up 168.19 points, 0.8%, at 21,944.77, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.12 points, 0.2%, at...

As the oldest investment trust in the world, F&C Investment Trust (FCIT) has seen more than a few market corrections and crises in its time. And despite a tricky macroeconomic and geopolitical backdrop, the trust has managed to deliver solid returns over a one-, three-, five- and 10-year period. The trust's success has been underpinned by a diversified approach with a portfolio comprising a...

Higher Q2 production Investors shrug off lower prices Net debt expected to fall Oil and Gas giant BP (BP.) topped the FTSE 100 leader board on Friday (11 July) gaining almost 3% to 398.7p, after saying it expected second-quarter upstream output to be higher compared to the first three months of 2025. The shares remain slightly underwater for the year compared with an 8% advance for the FTSE...

Oil prices are back at levels last seen in January thanks to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. This is an unpredictable and fast-moving situation which could have implications for the performance of the FTSE 100, inflation and much more besides. Prior to the exchange of missiles between the two countries, oil was trading at multi-year lows thanks to concerns over global demand as...

Stocks finished mostly lower on Friday in London, while oil prices surged upwards, after Israel launched dozens of air strikes against Iran's nuclear programme and Iran promised a 'bitter and painful' response. Elsewhere, easing concerns about the US economy caused the Michigan consumer sentiment index reading to improve significantly. The FTSE 100 index closed down 34.29 points, 0.4%, at...

JPMorgan Claverhouse Investment Trust (JCH) 760p Market cap: £419.9 million Investors seeking to inflation-proof portfolios and tap into the re-rating potential of the undervalued UK equity market, with further Bank of England rate cuts among the catalysts, should consider putting to money to work with JPMorgan Claverhouse (JCH). This UK Equity Income sector mainstay boasts a 52-year track...

London's FTSE 100 perked up on Friday and found its best level since 'liberation day', as the tariff de-escalation between the US and China continues to boost investor risk appetite. The FTSE 100 index rose 50.81 points, 0.6%, at 8,684.56. It had earlier hit its best level since late-March. The FTSE 250 rose 127.50 points, 0.6%, at 20,972.26, and the AIM All-Share added 1.96 points, 0.3%, at...

The FTSE 100 pushed higher on Friday, supported by some of the index's heavyweights trading higher, while geopolitical tensions remain in focus, as talks between Moscow and Kyiv got going. The FTSE 100 index was up 58.09 points, 0.7%, at 8,691.84. It is up around 1.5% so far this week and spiked as high as 8,696.99 points on Friday, its best level since late March. 'The FTSE 100 continued its...

According to the latest Dividend Monitor report from Computershare, which looks after the share registers of 900 companies, total UK corporate dividend payments fell 4.6% or £700 million in the first quarter of this year to £14 billion. The decline was mainly due to lower one-off special dividends and a handful of large cuts from firms such as Burberry (BRBY) and Vodafone (VOD), which halved...

If speculation about a BP (BP.) and Shell (SHEL) merger were a bowl of rice it would surely give you a monster bout of food poisoning given the number of times it has been reheated. But BP has rarely looked so vulnerable, so it's not a huge surprise to see rumours of Shell swooping in gather a head of steam. That vulnerability and a diminished valuation are one of the key reasons to think a...

London's FTSE 100 rounded off a strong week with another gain, with hope on the tariff front and a stronger-than-forecast US jobs report boosting investor morale. The FTSE 100 index ended up 99.55 points, 1.2%, at 8,596.35. The FTSE 250 rose 105.54 points, 0.5%, at 20,240.51, and the AIM All-Share climbed 7.77 points, 1.1%, at 707.75. For the week, the FTSE 100 added 2.2%, the 250s rose 3.2%...

Q1 earnings top forecasts 14 quarters of at least $3 billion in buybacks But net debt ticks higher Shell (SHEL) and BP (BP.) are both finding life difficult at the moment due to slumping commodity prices, a weak outlook for oil markets and the uncertainties stoked by the US Administration's trade tariffs. Shares in the former bounced 3.5% to £25.15 in early dealings on 2 May after the energy...

Together, BP (BP.) and Shell (SHEL) accounted for more than 10% of the FTSE 100 index at the end of the first quarter, meaning their fortunes matter to anyone with exposure to the UK market through a tracker fund. Both firms are finding life difficult thanks to slumping commodity prices, although BP gave investors a rare bit of good news on 14 April as it unveiled a major oil discovery at its...