The Craneware (LON:CRW) investment case has now suffered its biggest setback in years. A trading update issued on 3 July warned that full-year revenue and earnings will come in below market expectations after delays in recognising revenue from eligible activity within the US 340B drug pricing programme and the deferral of several significant enterprise software contracts into FY2027. For years, the healthcare software company looked like one of the highest-quality software businesses on the London market. It combined recurring revenues, high margins, strong cash generation and exposure to the structurally attractive US healthcare software market. Investors were prepared to pay…

Meta’s reported plans to launch a hyperscale cloud computing business represent one of the biggest strategic shifts in the company’s history. Until now, investors have largely valued Meta as an advertising business investing heavily in AI. If the reports prove accurate, Meta could begin monetising the enormous AI infrastructure it has built by selling computing power and hosted AI services to third parties, creating an entirely new revenue stream. For UK investors who own Meta through direct US shareholdings, SIPPs, ISAs or global technology funds, the proposal could materially improve the long-term investment case—but it also introduces a new set…

South Korea’s stock market has been one of the world’s standout performers during the first half of 2026. While most headlines have focused on memory-chip giants Samsung Electronics (LON:SMSN) and SK Hynix, the reality is that a much broader group of companies has helped power the rally. For UK investors looking for global diversification, the KOSPI illustrates an important lesson: major bull markets rarely rely on just one or two companies. Although AI infrastructure has been the catalyst, defence, industrial automation, power equipment, financials and biotechnology have also produced exceptional returns. Semiconductor giants still dominate Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix…

Despite another year of geopolitical uncertainty and volatile markets, UK retail investors have remained remarkably consistent in what they’ve been buying. Data published during the first half of 2026 by major DIY investment platforms and investment publications points to four dominant themes: defence, UK value, high dividend income and quality compounders. The table below brings together the FTSE 350 shares that appeared most consistently across ‘most bought’ lists from leading UK investment platforms and commentators during the first six months of 2026. Valuation figures and consensus upside are approximate market consensus as at the end of June. London Stock Exchange…

South Korea’s SK Hynix has become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the artificial intelligence investment boom. Now UK retail investors are about to get a much easier way to own the stock. The world’s second-largest memory chipmaker plans to launch American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) on Nasdaq under the ticker SKHY, giving investors access through most international share dealing platforms without having to trade directly on the Korean Exchange. Trading is expected to begin on 10 July 2026, subject to final pricing. For UK retail investors who have struggled to access Korean shares, the listing could prove almost as significant…

The UK market continues to trade at a valuation discount to many international peers despite several companies generating high returns on capital, strong free cash flow and recurring earnings. That has led many analysts to argue that a number of premium-quality businesses remain undervalued relative to their long-term growth prospects. Among the names frequently highlighted are Autotrader (LON:AUTO), Rightmove (LON:RMV), Experian (LON:EXPN), Melrose Industries (LON:MRO), and London Stock Exchange (LON:LSEG). London Stock Exchange At-a-glance comparison CompanySectorInvestment caseMain attractionKey riskAutotraderDigital marketplaceDominant UK car platformHigh margins and cash generationUK vehicle market slowdownRightmoveProperty technologyMonopoly-like market positionExceptional pricing powerProlonged housing weaknessExperianCredit & data analyticsStructural…

Shares in Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) rallied 5% on 29 June after the technology giant officially joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average, replacing Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ). The move marks another milestone in the AI investment boom and has renewed interest in the stock following its recent pullback. For UK retail investors, the inclusion is important for three reasons: automatic buying by passive funds, increased visibility among institutional investors, and renewed attention on Alphabet’s AI growth story. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG)Price: $351.28Market cap: $4.29tn Why joining the Dow matters The Dow Jones Industrial Average is one of the world’s most widely followed stock indices. Although…

The UK’s biggest listed investment trusts span very different asset classes. Together they offer exposure to private equity, global growth stocks, activist investing, technology, logistics property and diversified global equities. That diversity means there is no single ‘best’ trust—each suits a different type of investor. At one end of the spectrum is 3i Group (LON:III), whose strategy centres on long-term private equity investing in high-quality European businesses. F&C Investment Trust (LON:FCIT) represents perhaps the most traditional approach, while investors seeking income rather than maximum capital growth, Tritax Big Box REIT (LON:BBOX) offers exposure to one of the UK’s fastest-growing segments…

After years of market leadership, all three companies  – Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) – have suffered sharp corrections in 2026, albeit for different reasons. Rather than signalling deteriorating businesses, the sell-off has largely reflected investors reassessing valuations, or valuation compression rather than deteriorating fundamentals, as they balance the enormous cost of AI infrastructure and the pace at which AI investments will generate returns. Copper: The overlooked AI investment theme for UK retail investors Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)Price: $542.87 (-16.5% YTD)Market cap: $1.38tnMicrosoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)Price: $352.83 (-25.4% YTD)Market cap: $2.62tnPalantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR)Price: $107.27 (-36.1% YTD)Market cap: $257.16bn For UK…

Every AI model ultimately runs inside a power-hungry datacentre, and every datacentre requires vast quantities of copper. So while investors thinking about artificial intelligence will usually focus on chipmakers, such as Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO), Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU), or cloud hyperscale providers, like Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) or Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), copper seldom gets a look in. Yet increasingly numbers of analysts view copper as the ‘physical backbone’ of the AI revolution. While software captures headlines, copper powers the servers, cooling systems, substations, transformers and transmission networks needed to make AI work. Micron earnings crush expectations as AI memory boom accelerates…