Private equity trust Oakley Capital Investments (LON:OCI) has announced a £33 million investment in XTEL through the Oakley Capital Fund VI. XTEL is a Belgian provider of revenue management and trade promotion software for consumer packaged goods companies including Unilever (LON:ULVR) and PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP). Private Equity TrustDiscount/Premium to NAV10-yr share price total return3i-24.1%501.9%Oakley Capital Investments-33%309.9%Patria Private Equity-30.4%280.7%HarbourVest Global-26.5%247.3%HgCapital Trust-37.8%232.3% Source: The AIC/Morningstar Going against the grain Trading on a wide 33% discount to net asset value (NAV), OCI aims to provide shareholders with consistent long-term capital growth in excess of the FTSE All-Share Index. It does this by providing liquid…

In our latest podcast special, Steven Frazer and James Crux are joined by Georgina Brittain, co-manager of JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income (LON:JUGI). This investment trust seeks to deliver capital growth over the long term and also pays a quarterly dividend. Georgina tells us what sets ‘JUGI’ apart from competitors in the AIC UK Smaller Companies sector and why she is seeing plenty of opportunities in this part of the market. Our special guest explains why free cash flow yield is her preferred valuation metric. She also lends us her view on the M&A backdrop, and the scope…

Home improvement giant Kingfisher (LON:KGF) rallied after hailing a ‘resilient’ start to FY27 and reaffirming guidance. The B&Q-to-Screwfix owner’s Q1 like-for-like sales softened 0.7% as a late start to spring impacted footfall. However, that proved better than the 0.9% decline expected by consensus. And Kingfisher also reported a third quarter of sequential sales improvement at its French DIY retail business Castorama. Hammering home guidance For the year to January 2027, Kingfisher is on track to deliver adjusted pre-tax profits in the £565 million to £625 million range. With its latest £300 million share buyback ongoing, Kingfisher also reiterated guidance for…

In the latest Sharesify Podcast, the team discuss the two companies dominating the headlines this week, namely Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and SpaceX. Our tech guru Steven explains why the AI spending boom continues to power Nvidia, the world’s most important chip stock. He also delves into the details surrounding the IPO of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. James brings us back to Earth with a roundup of the latest UK consumer results. One self-help story to have caught his eye is The Works (LON:WRKS). The books-to-toys retailer is growing sales and expanding margins as CEO Gavin Peck’s growth strategy gains traction. And Ian…

Against a ‘challenging’ market backdrop, CT UK Capital and Income (LON:CTUK) underperformed its benchmark in the half to March. However, the UK equity income trust raised the H1 dividend by an inflation-beating 5.1% to 6.2p. This extended the fund’s long-standing track record of dividend growth. In fact, this AIC ‘Dividend Hero’ is on course to deliver a 33rd consecutive annual dividend increase. New manager Dominic Younger is anticipating a higher level of income receipts in H2. Why the trust lagged in H1 H1 figures showed a net asset value (NAV) total return of 0.6%, lagging the FTSE All-Share Index’s 8.9%…

Shares in The Works (WRKS) rallied 6% to a six-month high of 57p after the books-to-toys retailer delivered another earnings upgrade off the back of strong Q4 trading. The raised outlook demonstrates that CEO Gavin Peck’s ‘Elevating The Works’ self-help strategy is paying off. Selling affordable, screen-free activities for the whole family, The Works recently closed its loss-making online operations in order to focus on its successful bricks-and-mortar business. Another EBITDA beat Thanks to robust revenue growth, product margin improvements and cost-cutting, The Works now expects adjusted EBITDA for the year ended 3 May 2026 to come in at £14…

In our latest podcast special, James Crux and Ian Conway are joined by Abby Glennie, manager of Aberdeen UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust (AUSC). Our guest discusses the trust’s successful stock selection-led investment process. This involves compiling a shortlist of potential investments using a screening tool known as ‘The Matrix’, which reflects quality, growth and momentum-based factor analysis. Abby explains why face-to-face meetings with management of potential investments is so important to her and co-manager Amanda Yeaman. She also talks small cap liquidity, M&A, and recalls key lessons learned from legendary stock picker Harry Nimmo. Get involved If you want…

Car buying platform Autotrader (AUTO) increased sales and profits for the year to March 2026 despite a difficult industry backdrop. The cash-generative automotive marketplace also unveiled plans to return around £600 million to shareholders in FY27. So why were Autotrader shares among FTSE 100’s worst performers today? Well, FY26 results came in shy of consensus estimates, while FY27 profit guidance was also light relative to analysts’ forecasts. Autotrader also flagged flat revenue in April 2026, which it pinned on ‘a lower run rate and a lower price increase’. Growth engine Group revenue ticked up 4% to £624.3 million in FY26.…

Investment trust Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund (SCP) has launched a tender offer for up to 100% of its share capital at net asset value (NAV) less costs. The tender gives shareholders including Saba Capital the option of a full cash exit while preserving the FTSE 250-focused trust for those who want to stay invested. The board and investment manager Schroders are confident in the £238 million cap fund’s strategy. In fact, they believe there are ‘attractive long-term investments’ within the UK mid cap sector, which is a source of potential ‘multi baggers’ according to manager Jean Roche. Following the…

In our latest podcast, Steven, Ian and James discuss UK inflation data, global fund manager sentiment and upcoming results from Nvidia (NVDA). Our markets watcher Ian warns inflation hasn’t gone away and explains why global fund managers are ‘all in’ on equities according to a recent survey. He also discusses the latest positive update from engineering and distribution group Diploma (DPLM). James walks us through the latest consumer news. He tells us why Marks & Spencer (MKS) has moved from recovery phase to growth. He also rounds up results from pork-to-poultry processor Cranswick (CWK), electricals retailer Currys (CURY) and boot brand…