Industrials, smart investing & real estate: The Companies and Markets Show

On this week’s show, we begin with industrials. It was only a month or so ago that the sector was being touted by many as a potential safe haven from AI disruption. Then the US/Israel war with Iran began, and the merits of energy-intensive physical assets were hastily reconsidered. But of course not all industrials are alike. Today we take a look at top-performing Diploma (DPLM) – crucially more of a distributor than a manufacturer – whose shares rose by a fifth after its latest trading update. We’ll also examine Essentra , which has had a far worse time of it for many years but is now starting to see improvements. Valeria Martinez is here to ask whether both companies can maintain their operational progress in the face of a variety of external threats. Our big read this week is all about the price investors pay for buying and selling shares. Most DIY investors will know whether or not they’re charged a trading fee when they buy or sell investments, but what actually happens behind the scenes when those trades are executed? Hugh Moorhead is here to explain more and ask whether the system could be improved. Lastly, we look at another sector that’s likely to feel a significant second-order impact from the war: real estate. And yet, as we’ll discuss, the mood at a recent industry conference was relatively upbeat. Hugh will touch on everything from housebuilders to the London office market and more. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:35 Diploma 06:02 Essentra 11:54 Mechanics of trading 22:39 Real estate Investors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities. Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Industrials, smart investing & real estate: The Companies and Markets Show is an episode from Investors Chronicle by Investors' Chronicle.

This episode is 31:30 long.

This episode was published on Mar 20, 2026.

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