FEATURES:
■ Fracking
Could shale gas be the answer to the UK's energy woes? Matthew Allan finds out whether it is worth investing in this controversial industry.
It's easier than you think to fall into CGT quicksand, especially if you're a landlord, says Rosie Carr.
■ The smallest caps back on the radar
ISDX - formerly PLUS - offers an interesting mix. But have the exchange's liquidity problems been solved? Jonas Crosland reports.
SEVEN DAYS:
■ All you need to know about investing in the past seven days: what's rising, what's falling and what’s making the headlines.
NEWS:
■ Barclays targets costs - Chief executive Anthony Jenkins has revealed his plans to shed staff, cut costs and refocus on core markets.
■ Paragon launches retail bond - Paragon, the latest FTSE 250 company to launch a retail bond, tests the waters with an average sized issue.
■ E-Therapeutics raises £40m - eTherapeutics creates a buzz around its development programme.
■ API shelves sale idea - Failure to agree a takeover has wiped out API's bid premium and parts of the business are underperforming.
■ Inflation to stay above target - Inflation will remain above target, as the Bank of England tries to support economic recovery.
■ IC Confidence Index - even the sun couldn't boost confidence.
■ Drill watch - We profile the most exciting, high-impact exploration wells being drilled this month.
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK:
■ Expectations don't matter - For good or ill, a change in the inflation target might not affect inflation expectations.
■ Next week's economics - The euro area might be slowly pulling out of recession, but UK government borrowing remains huge, next week's figures could show.
COMMENT:
Our columnists offer in-depth analysis and investment ideas:
■ The Editor: We shouldn't let the UK's economic potential be neutered by local pressure groups.
■ Simon Thompson: Our companies editor has uncovered a cash-rich small-cap in an earnings upgrade cycle offering a potential 50 per cent upside. Simon has also written the following online exclusives:
- A highly profitable arbitrage play: Our companies editor has uncovered a special arbitrage opportunity that other investors have yet to cotton on to.
- Seeking alpha among the housebuilders: Our companies editor is on a roll and offers compelling reasons why his successful housebuilder first-quarter trade has further to run.
- Chart breakout for a solid income play: Simon Thompson uncovers a lowly geared property company.
- Time to dial into profit: Our companies editor analyses the investment case for a supplier of wafer products to the semiconductor industry and is confident of significant share price upside in the months ahead.
- Buy the break-out: Our companies editor foresees an imminent share price break-out in a lowly geared property company trading on a massive discount to book value.
■ Chris Dillow: If you expect inflation to rise a lot, you should not own a lot of shares. Also see shares in retirement - the standard advice that retired people should own fewer shares than working ones is questionable, and might be wrong in many cases.
■ Property Matters: Landlords should make a virtue of shorter retail lease lengths.
■ Mr Bearbull: Are you a saver or an investor? It's important that you understand the difference.
■ Chronic Investor: Housebuilding offers a way to boost GDP.
YOUR MONEY:
Financial planning, tax and investment wisdom:
■ Reader Portfolio: Reduce cash to maximise retirement income.
■ Financial planning: What to do if you've been mis-sold an investment.
■ SmartMoney: Will the FSA see sense on VCTs and EISs?
SHARE TIPS OF THE WEEK:
■ Pressure on healthcare budgets will inevitably put this company under pressure, and there's no sign of a share buyback.
■ A Libor-related probe, weak trading and a jump well past "fair value" leave this broker's shares surrounded by uncertainty.
■ This steady operator has lots of appeal, including a good track record and rising profitability, and the chief executive isn't fazed by the one cloud on the horizon.
■ Recovery potential, predictions of a 50p special dividend and an unchallenging share rating make this computer services provider an alluring prospect.
FUND TIP OF THE WEEK:
■ We think this fund is a great volatility-reducing performer and an ideal blanket for cautious investors who've been scared off equity markets.
SHARE TIP UPDATES:
■ Cupid
■ Nanoco
BROKERS' TIPS:
FUNDS:
■ Fund news: Tracker funds on the rise.
■ Shares I love: Invesco Perpetual fund manager Mark Barnett explains why he has bought London Stock Exchange.
■ Interview: Mark Barnett talks about why he is more interested in dividend growth than high yields.
■ The big theme: Cautious funds for Isas.
■ Top 100 funds: S&W Gold & Resources finds gems in small caps.
■ ETFs: The numbers some ETFs don't want you to see.
SHARES:
■ Stock screen: Eleven cheap growth shares with momentum.
■ The lowdown on the latest company results:
■ Avanti
■ Beazley
■ Catlin
■ Dunelm
■ Fidessa
■ Kofax
■ McBride
■ Monitise
■ Ocado
■ Telecity
■ Sector focus: Life assurers face sea of uncertainty.
■ Directors' dealings: Notable transactions at Halfords, Home Retail, Aberdeen Asset Management, plus a table of all boardroom share trades
■ Week ahead: A summary of key company announcements expected in the coming week.
TAKEOVERS:
■ Download this week's takeover tables as a PDF.
TRADING:
■ Trading news: Triangle signals sterling plunge.
■ The Trader: Saddling up for gains.
The Trader, Dominic Picarda, publishes his outlook for ten major equity, currency and commodity markets on a daily basis. You can view his articles on his comment page, or sign up to The Trader's market outlook emails.
