Author: James Crux
James Crux
James Crux writes extensively about funds and investment trusts and also specialises in retail, food and beverage sector stocks. He has spent 25 years working in the industry and was named Best Financial Consumer Journalist at the AIC Media Awards 2024 and 2025 for his work at Shares magazine (owned by AJ Bell). Before that, he was the editor of Growth Company Investor and a writer for investment and business titles What Investment and Business XL. James is a long-suffering West Ham supporter and a big fan of The Sopranos.
The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has written to the FCA and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) calling for action to protect retail shareholders’ interests. This follows Saba Capital’s relentless attacks on Baillie Gifford-managed Edinburgh Worldwide (EWI). The US activist holds just over 30% of the global smaller companies trust. Defend shareholders’ rights The AIC’s letters suggest measures to defend shareholders’ rights and ensure a fair and democratic process. It argues there should be a limit to the number of times a meeting can be requisitioned by the same shareholder making similar proposals. Share price: 236pTotal assets: £848mMarket cap: £816.3mPremium…
Consumer goods company Unilever (ULVR) delivered better-than-expected organic sales growth for Q4. This was driven by strong demand for its Dove, Domestos and Vaseline brands. The FTSE 100 constituent also announced a new €1.5bn share buyback to start in the second quarter. Share price: £52.53 (-1.5%)PE: 24xMarket cap: £114.6bnYield: 3.3% So why were the shares marked down 1.5% to £52.53 in early dealings? Well, Unilever provided underwhelming guidance, warning that slowing markets could impact growth. Cautious outlook Unilever said FY26 growth would be ‘at the bottom end of the underlying sales growth range’ reflecting slower market conditions. This cautious outlook…
Warren Buffett-backed food behemoth Kraft Heinz (KHC) has pressed pause on its work to split into two separate businesses. This unexpected turn of events, twinned with a Q4 revenue miss, sent shares in the Chicago-headquartered firm 6% lower to $23.5 in pre-market trading. Share price: $23.5 (-6%)PE: 9.8xMarket cap: $29.5bnYield: 6.5% The company behind Heinz ketchup and Philadelphia cream cheese announced plans to break up back in September. The restructuring would have seen the company separate its ketchup, condiments and international sauces operations from the core North American packaged foods portfolio and unwound much of a blockbuster $46 billion merger…
Shares in PZ Cussons (PZC) rallied 11% to a 52-week high of 90p after the consumer goods group upgraded FY26 profit guidance and said its cost savings programme is on track. Share price: 90p (+11%)PE: 11.4Market cap: £338mYield: 4.4% CEO Jonathan Myers also outlined a renewed group strategy, highlighting a sharper focus on building portfolios of locally-loved brands across four lead markets spanning developed and emerging economies. Broad-based growth The Morning Fresh, Carex and Imperial Leather maker raised its FY26 outlook after delivering double-digit profit growth for the half to November, with strong like-for-like growth persisting into H2-to-date. Adjusted pre-tax…
Shares in Coca-Cola (KO) softened 1.2% to $77 on Wall Street after Q4 revenues missed estimates and the drinks leviathan’s FY26 growth forecast lacked fizz. Georgia-headquartered Coca-Cola is projecting organic revenue growth of 4% to 5% for the current year, below the 5% growth expected by analysts based on Bloomberg data. Q4 sales from the colossus behind brands including Coke, Fanta, Schweppes and Powerade disappointed investors amid subdued demand for its fizzy drinks in North America and the Asia Pacific region. Share price: $77 (-1.2%)PE: 24.1xMarket cap: $335bnYield: 2.7% Volumes fall flat Coca-Cola delivered a 5% rise in Q4 organic…
Shares in Ramsdens (RFX) jumped 9% to 441p after the pawnbroker once again upgraded FY26 guidance off the back of the booming gold price. The firm now expects pre-tax profits to top £21m. That’s up from FY25’s £16.2m and comfortably above the £18.6m called for by consensus. Share price: 441p (+9%)PE: 9.9xMarket cap: £131mYield: 4.4% Led by canny CEO Peter Kenyon, Ramsdens continues to benefit from the high gold price. Profits from the purchase of precious metals segment are tracking ‘significantly ahead of expectations’. The volume of gold purchased has been particularly strong since the start of 2026, said Ramsdens,…
Shares in Dunelm (DNLM) improved 1% to 946p after the UK homewares retailer reported stronger Q3 sales growth and declared a 25p special dividend. The stock sold off heavily in January after the cushions-to-curtains seller lowered full-year profit guidance citing ‘softer’ Q2 trading. Share price: 946p (+1%)PE: 11.5xMarket cap: £1.9bnYield: 5% However, investors cosied up to ‘The Home of Homes’ today after Dunelm maintained its FY26 pre-tax profit guidance. The company-compiled average of analysts’ expectations is £214m, with a range of £210m to £221m. Pricing discipline Dunelm’s H1 pre-tax profits in came in 7.5% lower year-on-year at £114m, reflecting weaker…
Sharesify’s countdown of the most-viewed trusts of 2025 on the website of The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) concludes with the big reveal. Leapfrogging JPMorgan Global & Growth & Income (JGGI) into the number one spot was City of London (CTY), the UK Equity Income sector’s biggest trust. Large and liquid, with more than £2.9 billion of total assets, City of London garnered the most views during a year in which it delivered a near-30% share price total return. The fund is popular with investors for its record-setting annual dividend increases as well as the diversification it provides across almost…
Makeup supplier Warpaint London (W7L:AIM) has acquired value cosmetics brand Barry M for £1.4 million, expanding its retail reach. Shares in the company were marked 2.5% higher to 205p after it guided for a modest uplift in FY25 revenue at improved gross margin. Share price: 205p (+2.5%)PE: 9.6xMarket cap: £162mYield: 6% However, investors’ enthusiasm towards the W7 brand owner was tempered by guidance for a 12% year-on-year decline in adjusted EBITDA. AIM-listed Warpaint blamed the downgrade on factors including a ‘challenging consumer and customer environment’. Negative revenue impacts Warpaint is now guiding to FY25 adjusted EBITDA of approximately £22 million.…
In this article we continue our rundown of 2025’s most-viewed trusts on the The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) website Three large and liquid global trusts occupied 4th, 3rd and 2nd spots. A growth champion returned to form, the first-ever investment trust to shift up the table, while a popular global equity income option lost the top spot. Going for growth Scottish Mortgage (SMT) Share price: £12.12 Discount: 2.2% Yield: 0.4% Retaining 4th spot was Scottish Mortgage (SMT), Baillie Gifford’s flagship trust. The fund aims to ‘identify, own and support the world’s most exceptional growth companies’. Scottish Mortgage is the…