Author: Lucas

Booking a holiday can be the perfect way for Brits to beat the winter blues. And with many of us being lucky enough to go on more than one trip a year, annual holiday insurance often seems like a clever and cheaper option. But holiday goers are being warned to check their 12-month coverage policies as buying in bulk may leave them uncovered on certain trips. Buying annual travel insurance could backfire… if you decide to go on this type of holiday (Image: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire) This is because certain types of holidays such as cruise vacations and winter sports…

24/7 Wall St. (24/7 Wall St.)Quick ReadVirtus InfraCap Preferred Stock ETF (PFFA) yields 9.5% monthly through preferreds anchored by Apollo Global (APO) and KKR (KKR).PFFA increased distributions to $0.1725 per share in January 2026 after consistent monthly payments throughout 2025.The fund holds 188 diversified preferred securities and has delivered seven years of uninterrupted monthly distributions.The Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (NYSEARCA:PFFA) delivers a 9.5% yield, but many retirees are missing it.How PFFA Generates Its YieldPFFA holds a diversified portfolio of 188 preferred securities issued by corporations. These preferred stocks function as a hybrid between bonds and common equity, with…

(Credit: George Iordanov-Nalbantov) Demand for commercial property in Scotland edged up in the last quarter of 2025 according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) commercial property monitor, and, despite clear challenges remaining, surveyors appear cautiously optimistic for both rents and capital values this year. A net balance of 12% of Scottish respondents reported a rise in occupier demand for commercial property in Q4. Looking at the subsectors, a net balance of 9% of respondents reported a rise in demand for office space, whilst a net balance of 39% of Scottish respondents reported an uptick in demand for…

Senegal has inaugurated a vegetable oil refinery with a capacity of 600 tons per day. The CFA60bn project aims to cut imports and strengthen food security. The plant is expected to support local peanut processing amid sector tensions. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye inaugurated a new edible vegetable oil refinery on January 27 at the port area of Sendou, in the Rufisque district. Built on a 23-hectare site, the facility represents a total investment of CFA60 billion (about $109.5 million) and is operated by agri-food company Mavamar Industries SA. The refinery has a daily processing capacity of 600 tons of vegetable…

Clinical-grade chlorine dioxide products aren’t meant to inspire warm, fuzzy feelings. If they do, the safety manuals suggest you should first wash the affected area, then seek medical help. However, in my case, I’m pretty sure that sentimentalism, not chemical burns, is the issue.Aim-traded Tristel (TSTL) was one of the first stocks I covered as a small-cap reporter. From the start, the growth story, social utility and financials were easy to grasp and compelling. It was also one of my first ‘tips’ (as the Investors’ Chronicle once called our Ideas). That buy recommendation has also stood the test of time.…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.A commercial real estate investment trust managed by Apollo has agreed to sell its $9bn loan portfolio to the private capital group’s insurance arm Athene, after the trust languished for years on public markets.Shares in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (ARI) have traded at an average of 77 per cent of book value over the past four years, the company said on Wednesday, a reflection of the discount the market placed on its portfolio.Athene has agreed to buy ARI’s loan book at…

Already falling behind on your resolutions? If you’re hoping to build your savings this year, getting specific is important (Picture: Getty Images) How many New Year’s Resolutions did you make this year, and how many have you already broken? Every year, millions of us make resolutions, but often we’ve given up even before the tree has been taken down. January 9th, which has been called ‘Quitters Day’, is the point when people are most likely to give up their resolutions, only keeping them up for just over a week of the new year. From weight loss and increased exercise to…

As India heads into Union Budget 2026, the smartphone industry is looking beyond headline assembly numbers and asking for policies that make local manufacturing less vulnerable to global shocks. The past year’s supply chain disruption has again exposed how quickly device plans can be thrown off by shortages, shipping delays, and abrupt price swings in critical inputs, especially when the bulk of components are still imported. A key pressure point is cost. Component prices have been moving up across categories, and brands say inflation in memory and semiconductors is making it harder to keep mass-market phones affordable without squeezing margins.…

The UK commercial property market remains subdued, but early signs of stabilisation are emerging as sentiment improves modestly across occupier and investment markets, according to the latest RICS UK Commercial Property Monitor for Q4 2025. While elevated borrowing costs and a challenging macroeconomic backdrop continue to weigh on activity, survey respondents reported a gradual improvement in confidence. Notably, 32% of contributors now believe market conditions are consistent with the early stages of an upturn, up from 27% in Q3. The Occupier Sentiment Index improved slightly to -10, from -12 in the previous quarter, signalling that downward momentum may be easing.…

Mumbai: Muthoot Finance tapped the overseas debt market on Thursday, raising around $600 million through a senior secured, amortising 4.5-year US dollar bond, according to people familiar with the matter. The bond was launched with initial price guidance in the 6.125% area. However, it was priced at a much tighter price of about 5.75%. The 144A/Reg S notes are secured against the company’s current assets, including loans and advances and gold loan receivables. The bond has a weighted average life of about four years. Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered acted as global coordinators and joint bookrunners. This marks the third…