...and the rest

The Times

Pharmaceutical giant Moderna’s Covid vaccine has been so effective that demand for it has been dwindling. The shares now trade at less than a quarter of their 2021 highs, but the mRNA technology used in the jabs has the potential to be applied to other treatments, especially in oncology. The shares are fairly risky, but offer good long-term growth potential from the current level. Buy

Investors’ Chronicle

Post-pandemic pressure has eased in key insurance markets for Aviva, enabling management to launch a £300m buyback and pencil in a higher dividend. The group has sold off noncore operations. The resulting business is leaner and offers a return on equity of more than 30%, yet the shares are on a modest nine times 2024 earnings. Buy

The Mail on Sunday

Demand for the packaging produced by Glasgow-based Macfarlane has wobbled of late because of nervous consumers. Still, overall performance has remained robust and the firm’s two “innovation laboratories” help it stay ahead of rivals by designing the best boxes for retail customers’ needs. The shares remain a “robust, longterm investment”

Shares

Listed private-equity play HgCapital Trust holds stakes in 50 unquoted software and service companies that work across areas including payroll and factory automation, fintech and healthcare. Total share-price returns are a very impressive 18.8% a year over the past decade. The ongoing charge of 1.69% is comparatively high, but is justified by its strong record even through periods when wider markets underperformed