UK 20:30 Friday, 6 November 2026
Breaking news and expert analysis on fast-moving AIM and LSE listed shares
As stockmarkets around the world post all-time highs, even the UK is joining the party. The FTSE 100 has had many false dawns in the last decade with some asserting how cheap it is relative to other markets and others pointing out that its over-reliance on unfashionable commodities and financials and its lack of technology stocks mean that it is likely to remain rangebound and boring. It looks like at last a breakout is underway as this week it flirts with 9,000, a milestone which is likely to be breached in short order, but which still leaves it a laggard compared to most developed markets.
With all that is going on in the world at the moment I think it makes sense to consider having some exposure to metals, and not just the ones which most seem to be paying close attention to – those being gold and silver.
Hello, Share Pickers. Once the world returns to normal, miners will find their commodities in demand again as manufacturers gear up for pent-up demand. I’ve just reviewed a Footsie miner, Fresnillo (FRES). Let me make a second suggestion for further investigation. And it’s Glencore (GLEN)...
Hello Share Scrimpers. Like me, you probably tolerate companies in your portfolio that you can’t be bothered to do anything about – either to sell or buy more of. One such firm for me is Glencore (GLEN), the big Footsie miner. There always seems to be some excuse why it’s not flying along. And yet the alarm bells are rarely there for me to call it a day...
Hello Share Graders. It’s my birthday. But reaching the age of 34 is a worry. It’s made me die my hair grey. The day is also unusual in that I can’t find any penny shares which I dare to commend to your further examination. So let me turn to one of the biggest commodity companies in the Footsie. A firm with a market cap of £38 billion...
Hello, Share Bringers. I am still smarting at the time taken to resolve the Beaufort Securities affair. Now my shares have all been split among many different brokers to avoid the trauma of this happening to me again. Though I eventually got all my shares back at no cost, the time taken to sort things out meant I couldn't sell vulnerable stock in the interim. But one advantage of swapping to The Share Centre is that I do get more company reports than I did from Beaufort...
Hello, Share Tasters. The big miners are often a difficult investment, as a drop in commodity prices can cause catastrophe. Hopefully though, the price of commodities is currently so undervalued that this is unlikely to happen to the horrible extent of a few years ago...
A lot of AIM investors seem to view main market larger companies as being boring as you aren’t ever likely to multiply your capital overnight, but conversely it is unlikely that you will ever lose the lot either. By ignoring the larger companies, especially in the mining and oil sectors, you are potentially missing out on some very good gains, and with relatively low risk to your capital as these businesses tend to be so well diversified that any single event is unlikely to cause a complete share price collapse.
Hello Share Twiddlers. Despite the worries of an uncertain world, economically speaking, there have been some jolly signs recently that share prices could move ahead. I know there are warning signals out there to counter any undue optimism, but they don’t seem to be having an effect, do they?
