UK investors appear to be taking a remarkably sober attitude towards market volatility that has dominated recent months, and are favouring simple, low-cost index investing rather than chasing niche themes. Money continues to flow into low-cost passive ETFs with an estimated $257.5 billion of net inflows in the first half of 2026, according to Vanguard data, setting a record-breaking pace. In the UK specifically, funds (including ETFs) attracted over £43 billion in net new retail and institutional assets through May, predominantly driven by passive, equity-based vehicles. While no single ranking covers every investment platform, data from major UK DIY platforms,…

Initiation of coverage 315p Net assets: ~£2.06 billion Dividend yield: ~3.5% Benchmark: MSCI ACWI High Dividend Yield in GBP Murray International Trust investor relations Snapshot Aims to deliver an above-average dividend yield alongside long-term capital and dividend growth ahead of inflation. Portfolio of around 50-60 global equity holdings plus a small allocation to fixed income instruments, with meaningful exposure to Europe, North America, Asia and Emerging Markets. Co-managers Martin Connaghan and Samantha Fitzpatrick have worked on the Trust since 2019 and have led the strategy since July 2024, following the retirement of the previous lead manager. One of the AIC’s…

Streaming giant Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) delivered a broadly in-line second quarter, with earnings narrowly beating expectations but revenue coming in fractionally below forecasts. However, the market focused on weaker-than-expected Q3 guidance, sending the shares plunging nearly 10% in after-hours trading despite another year of double-digit revenue growth, highlighting that expectations remain demanding. Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX)Price: $67.26 (-9.5%)Market cap: $283.32bn Netflix investor relations MetricReportedConsensusVerdictRevenue$12.56bn$12.58bnSlight missEPS$0.80$0.79Small beatRevenue growth+13.4% YoY+13.5% expectedIn lineQ3 Revenue guidance$12.86bn~$13.0bnBelow expectationsQ3 EPS guidance$0.82~$0.84Below expectations What management said Management continued to emphasise that Netflix is evolving into a broader entertainment platform rather than simply a subscription streaming business. Key themes included: Why investors were…

California-based memory chip firm SanDisk (NASDAQ:SNDK) has been one of the standout winners of 2026, but the shares have become increasingly volatile. Following a huge rally earlier this year, the stock has suffered a sharp correction as investors locked in profits, despite analysts remaining overwhelmingly positive on the company’s long-term prospects. Recent weakness also prompted Argus to initiate coverage with a Hold rating on 15 July, citing elevated risks if memory demand cools from exceptionally strong levels. For UK retail investors, the key question is whether this is simply healthy profit-taking after an extraordinary rally or the beginning of a…

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TPE:2330), or simply TSMC as it is generally known, delivered another exceptional set of quarterly results on 16 July, comfortably beating expectations, raising its outlook and reinforcing its position as the most important company in the global AI supply chain. TSMC remains one of the highest-quality ways to invest in the global AI theme. Yet despite record profits, the shares initially traded lower in pre-market trading as investors took profits after a huge rally and questioned whether expectations had become too optimistic. The Taiwan stock recovered to trade slightly up later in the session, although the…

Trustpilot (LON:TRST) delivered another strong trading update on Thursday, 16 July, with growth ahead of analyst expectations and management highlighting artificial intelligence as an increasingly powerful demand driver. Enterprise customer wins, particularly in North America, continue to accelerate and management reiterated full-year guidance, reinforcing confidence that the business remains one of the UK’s more attractive structural growth stories. For UK retail investors, the key question is no longer whether Trustpilot is growing—it clearly is—but whether today’s valuation already reflects much of that optimism. Trustpilot investor relations Trustpilot (LON:TRST)Price: 261.60p (-10%)Market cap: £1.01bn What does Trustpilot do? Trustpilot operates one of…

Streaming giant Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) is entering one of its most important earnings seasons in several years after its shares slumped around 20% year-to-date. That makes the stock one of the weakest-performing mega-cap technology stocks of 2026. Unlike previous Netflix sell-offs, this decline has not been driven by collapsing subscriber numbers or deteriorating profitability. Instead, investors have become increasingly concerned that the company’s extraordinary growth story is maturing while the valuation still assumes many years of premium growth. Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX)Price: $73.53 (-19.2% YTD)Market cap: $309.62bn With expectations now considerably lower than earlier in the year, Thursday’s Q2 results have the potential…

A surprise $53 billion joint takeover proposal from Stripe and Advent International has thrust PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) back into the spotlight. According to Reuters and the Financial Times, the consortium has offered $60.50 per share, around a 28% premium to PayPal’s previous closing price, with roughly $50 billion of committed bank financing already lined up. This appears to be a credible takeover proposal rather than unfounded market speculation, but PayPal has not responded and there is no confirmation that talks are underway, and there is no certainty a transaction will happen. For UK retail investors, the key question is whether this…

Dutch chip equipment manufacturer ASML (AMS:ASML) delivered another impressive quarter, comfortably beating market expectations and, crucially, raising its full-year outlook for the second time this year. The results reinforced ASML’s position as arguably the most important company in the global AI semiconductor supply chain, with demand for its lithography systems continuing to outstrip supply. For UK retail investors, the key question is no longer whether ASML is a high-quality business—it clearly is—but whether today’s share price already discounts years of exceptional growth. ASML investor relations ASML (AMS:ASML)Price: €1,638.20 (+5.3%)Market cap: €627.83bn Q2 2026: Reported results vs expectations MetricReportedConsensusResultRevenue€9.33bn~€9.1-9.2bn✅ BeatNet income€2.92bn~€2.8bn✅…

For UK investors who want a regular income without buying individual dividend shares, a portfolio of actively managed OEICs (open-ended investment companies) can provide broad diversification across UK equities, global shares, bonds and specialist income assets. By blending higher-yielding equity income funds with strategic bond and multi-asset income funds, it is possible to target an overall portfolio yield of around 5%-5.5%, although distributions are never guaranteed and can rise or fall. Pure income vs total return: what matters most for UK retirees? Example portfolio FundSuggested weightingHistoric yieldArtemis Income Fund20%~4.1%Jupiter Merlin Income Portfolio10%~4.8%Royal London Short Duration Global High Yield Bond Fund15%~6.5%M&G…