Most investors won't have heard of BP Marsh (BPM:AIM), the specialist investor in early-stage financial services businesses.Formed over 30 years ago by current chairman Brian Marsh, the firm takes an 'eyes-on, hands-off approach' to investing, taking small stakes in new businesses where it knows the owners and allowing them to run their companies their way.'Investors should think of us as a...

-Full year results ahead of expectations-Creating value through disposals-Strong cash position and interesting pipeline of new investmentsShares in AIM listed insurance and private equity investor B.P. Marsh (BPM:AIM) edged 0.3% higher on Monday following the announcement of full year results that were ahead of expectations.The group delivered a net asset value of £166.6 million, an increase...

UK stocks were becalmed on Monday following the news that yet another deadline for crucial talks on Britain's exit from the European Union had passed with no agreement on a definitive trade deal.At 8.15am the FTSE 100 index of leading stocks dipped 8 points or 0.1% to 6.539 points as gains for banks and housebuilders were offset by weakness in healthcare and consumer goods stocks.The pound...

UK stocks saw deeper losses during the afternoon session influenced by weak European banks as European interest rates fell and investors eyed more stimulus measures from the European central bank. This was despite better than expected results from JP Morgan Chase as the US banks kicked off the US reporting season.At 16:30, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was 0.6% lower at 5,964.CORPORATE NEWSCar...

Shares in specialist insurance investor B.P. Marsh (BPM:AIM) climbed 9% to 256p after the firm posted a near-10% rise in net asset value (NAV) year-on-year to £142.6 million or 396.2p per share for the first half to the end of July.The company also reported a 16% rise in after-tax profits to £6.5 million, while the total shareholder return for the first six months was 4.5% including the 2.2p...

UK stocks opened unchanged despite strong gains overnight in US tech stocks such as Amazon, up 4.75% ahead of its Prime Day campaign, and Apple up 6.3% ahead of its 5G iPhone launch, as the Nasdaq 100 index posted its best daily performance since April, gaining over 4%.Later in the US session futures slipped back on news that Johnson & Johnson's Covid vaccine study had been paused due to an...

Many people are prepared to pay a high price for growth in the current market. Indeed, Shares has been keen to extol the virtues of quality businesses capable of growing despite a troubled backdrop.However, we sense growing interest in the market for value opportunities and our research shows it is currently possible to find decent companies trading at attractive prices.Warren Buffett famously...

Shares in AIM-listed insurance and private equity investor B.P. Marsh (BPM:AIM) gained 16% to 221p after the firm posted a healthy increase in net asset value (NAV) for the year to 31 January.Group NAV rose by 8.5% or £10.7m to £136.9m, net of dividends, meaning an increase of 29.8p in per-share NAV to 380.1p. Including the dividend paid last July, total shareholder returns increased by...

An investor in early stage financial services companies, B.P. Marsh (BPM:AIM) has a stellar record and should soon have greater firepower thanks to a forthcoming fundraising which should provide an extra £17m for the business to grow.The company's recent results show a 24.1% increase in net asset value to £98.4m for its year ending 31 January. The value of the portfolio increased by 31.3%...

Insurance companies have been in the headlines recently due to a number of destructive forces of nature wrecking havoc across the US, the Caribbean and Mexico.BP Marsh (BPM:AIM) invests in the insurance sector so you might think it's one to avoid due to heavy payouts by the insurance sector. You'd be wrong, according to one analyst.The company invests in insurance brokers as well as other...

Fiscal responsibility has become a focus for governments across the world after bank bail-outs and recession caused public sector debt loads to balloon.Delivering more with less has not historically been the forte of politicians but it is a mixture which outsourcing companies thrive on.Despite the challenge there is no shortage of willing bidders for a range of newly-created private sector...

A specific area of the value investing discipline, 'deep value' investing has been around for a long time and historically generated big returns for contrarians willing to stand apart from the herd. Yet many investors dismiss deep value as a dangerous, short-term investing methodology, akin to trying to sift for gold within a pile of trash.Though recovery investing can be a high-octane...

The stock market's smallest and riskiest companies have always held fascination for private investors. On the premise that 'elephants don't gallop, but fleas leap,' to borrow Jim Slater's often quoted phrase, it's easier for a tiny company to double its size, and investor's money, than for a big one. Let's face it, a blue chip company worth £1 billion will find it much harder to double or...

UK markets settle into modestly positive territory after initially bouncing about as investors generally welcome a flood of corporate earnings and trading updates. London's FTSE 100 index gains 38 points to 6,305 led by TUI Travel's (TT.) 3.5% rise to 360.9p, while the UK aero-engineering space is bolstered by upward moves by GKN (GKN) and Meggitt (MGGT).Fallen online fashion star ASOS...