The FTSE 100 has enjoyed its best month in 31 years. Britain’s blue-chip index gained 12.4% in November, adding more than £180bn to its market value. You would have to go back to January 1989 to find a more profitable month for UK investors.
Despite the gains, the FTSE 100 remains down 16% so far this year. The UK market “has been a dog” ever since the 2016 Brexit vote, says Russ Mould for AJ Bell. But as any investor knows, the aim of the game is to “buy low” and sell high. Bargain-hunters sense opportunity. There have been 14 takeover deals in the past month alone. To quote the writer Joseph Campbell, “the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek”.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
-
High earners underestimate how much they need to retire comfortablyHigh net worth individuals grossly misjudge how much money they need for a comfortable retirement, new data shows, with many not saving enough.
-
Retired banker who gave wife £80m to avoid inheritance tax won’t face equal split in divorceFamily lawyers say the Supreme Court ruling will have significant impact on high net worth divorce cases
-
Aim has missed its target – will it recover?Aim, London's junior stock market, has become less appealing to investors amid scandals and an upcoming inheritance tax blow next April. Will it make a turnaround?
-
Investors remain calm as the Middle East war unfoldsConflict in the Middle East has failed to shake oil or stock markets. Can the peace hold?
-
London's new private stock market Pisces 'faces three big problems'Opinion The Pisces exchange may fill a gap in the market, but it won’t address the real problem, says Matthew Lynn
-
Spectra Systems: a 'boffin-led' tech stock with business acumenOpinion Patient investors will get paid well as they wait for success from Spectra Systems, a promising Aim stock, says Jamie Ward
-
How amateur investors could rescue UK stocksPrivate investors must be the beneficiaries of a stock market recovery, says Bruce Packard – not brokers and fund managers
-
The British railway industry is in rude health – here's why investors should jump aboardThe railway industry has bounced back from the devastating impact of the pandemic and is entering a new phase of development – and profitability
-
A cyclical case for UK stocksOpinion Depressed margins and relatively low valuations mean the UK market could rally strongly as conditions improve, says Cris Sholto Heaton.
-
Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust: a fund that lets you buy Britain on a triple discountOpinion If UK stocks return to favour, Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust, a value-focused investment trust, should perform well, says Max King
