Value on the high street

The demise of Wilko is the latest sign of the challenges facing Britain’s general retailers. But while the sector’s woes may yet worsen, there are still stocks worth buying, says David J. Stevenson

Value on the high street
(Image credit: Getty Images Credit Bloomberg)

The demise of Wilko is the latest sign of the challenges facing Britain’s general retailers. But while the sector’s woes may yet worsen, there are still stocks worth buying, says David J. Stevenson

It’s only when you walk past the suddenly empty windows – maybe already boarded up – that it fully sinks in. This shop was one of your regular haunts. Now it’s gone. Stores on Britain’s high streets have experienced years of tough trading. More and more UK non-food retail outlets are shutting down. 

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Contributor

David J. Stevenson has a long history of investment analysis, becoming a UK fund manager for Oppenheimer UK back in 1983.

Switching his focus across the English Channel in 1986, he managed European funds over many years for Hill Samuel, Cigna UK and Lloyds Bank subsidiary IAI International.

Sandwiched within those roles was a three-year spell as Head of Research at stockbroker BNP Securities.

David became Associate Editor of MoneyWeek in 2008. In 2012, he took over the reins at The Fleet Street Letter, the UK’s longest-running investment bulletin. And in 2015 he became Investment Director of the Strategic Intelligence UK newsletter.

Eschewing retirement prospects, he once again contributes regularly to MoneyWeek.

Having lived through several stock market booms and busts, David is always alert for financial markets’ capacity to spring ‘surprises’.

Investment style-wise, he prefers value stocks to growth companies and is a confirmed contrarian thinker.