Shares & the stock market

15 October 2025

Markets have been lifted by the rekindling of rate cut expectations in the US after comments from Fed chair Jerome Powell which highlighted sluggish hiring were taken as an indication that not one, but two further cuts were very much on the table for 2025.

Buoyed by continued deal making in the frothy AI sector, investors seem prepared to overlook...

13 October 2025

Just as it looked as if the US and China were making baby steps to repair their relationship, Donald Trump throws a spanner in the works.

A new threat of high tariffs on Chinese goods coming into the US spooked investors in the East, with Asian markets showing a sea of red, following a similarly bad session for Wall Street last Friday.

This new...

10 October 2025

US stocks marched to new record highs this week despite the government shutdown, spurred on by further AI excitement as chip maker Advanced Micro Devices inked a chip supply deal with ChatGPT owner OpenAI.

The multi-year deal is expected to bring in billions of dollars in annual revenue and gives OpenAI an option to buy up to 10% of the chipmaker.

10 October 2025

The FTSE 100 was stuck in the mud as the rest of Europe ploughed ahead at the end of the trading week.

Strength in consumer stocks and utilities was offset by weakness in miners and healthcare.

Gold miners sold off as investors took some profits following the storming run for the metal price. There was bound to be a pullback at some point given...

10 October 2025

Join Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director, as he discusses the third-quarter results from JPMorgan Chase and delves into domestic updates from Bellway and Whitbread.

9 October 2025

Two of the biggest flotations on the London market this year will allow retail investors to participate in their IPO (initial public offering). Financial services group Shawbrook and tinned food specialist Princes Group are keen to get the public involved, rather than the old model of restricting IPOs to institutional investors.

This is significant...

9 October 2025

Another day, another record closing level for both AI chip giant Nvidia and the tech-heavy Nasdaq index in the US, says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

Investors who have held their nerve are cleaning up, yet the drums of worry are banging louder each day.

Concerns around excessive valuations, elevated levels of government borrowing...

8 October 2025

After a miserable day on Wall Street yesterday, European markets opened with a spring in their step,” says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

The FTSE 100 was propelled by Lloyds enjoying a relief rally amid relatively positive news on the motor finance scandal, while Endeavour Mining continued to shine off the back of gold surpassing $4...

7 October 2025

The FTSE 100 held firm at the market open on Tuesday as strength in energy stocks was offset by weakness in miners and banks, says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

The broader Stoxx Europe 600 index was also flat despite the best efforts of construction group Skanska which stood tall after a bullish broker note.

Futures prices imply a...

6 October 2025

One of the UK stock market’s key attractions is the rich bounty of dividends on offer. There are companies with a history of returning copious amounts of money to shareholders and that makes the UK a fertile hunting ground for income investors.

At a headline level, the FTSE 100 yields 3.2% based on forecast payments. While 3.2% is less than you’d...

6 October 2025

The FTSE 100 briefly touched new highs on Monday but soon became sluggish as investors continue to weigh the risks posed by shutdown in Washington.

Japanese stocks were much livelier as it emerged the ruling Liberal Democratic Party had selected Sanae Takaichi to be its new leader, meaning she looks set to become the country’s first female prime...

3 October 2025

The FTSE 100 reached new record highs in early trading on Friday as investors shrugged off concerns about the US government shutdown.

News of OpenAI’s valuation reaching $500 billion, making it the world’s most valuable private company, helped fire enthusiasm in the tech sector and push US indices to new records yesterday.

There is growing...

3 October 2025

Despite the feared US government shutdown coming to pass, investors have shrugged off the news as Wall Street indices have reached fresh record levels.

The focus instead has been on the continued buzz around the AI sector as OpenAI’s latest fundraise revealed its valuation had hit a record level for a private company at $500 billion.

Stocks linked...

3 October 2025

AJ Bell Investment Director, Russ Mould dives into the world of real estate investment trusts, specifically looking at UNITE who publish third-quarter results next week.

2 October 2025

In the battle of the manager versus the machine, humans have been punching above their weight with UK funds so far this year. In both the UK All Companies and UK Equity Income categories, the top 10 performers were dominated by actively managed funds.

Fund managers will be jumping for joy given the active fund industry has faced growing criticism...

2 October 2025

Yesterday, the FTSE 100 bucked a weak market open by rising above its peers in Europe. Today, it’s done the opposite, says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.

Strength among financials and miners wasn’t enough to offset weakness in utilities, tobacco and energy stocks.

Experian’s shares tumbled after the emergence of a new competitive...

1 October 2025

The US government shutdown has left investors wondering what might happen next, with a minor pullback on European equity markets and weaker futures prices for Wall Street, says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell. The FTSE 100 bucked the negative trend, rising 0.4% thanks to a surge in pharmaceutical stocks.

AstraZeneca, Hikma and GSK...

30 September 2025

The FTSE 100 was lower on Tuesday as investors started to fret about the prospect of a government shutdown in Washington, says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.

Relations between the Democrats and Republicans are frostier than an Alaska morning, so markets are not confident on the prospects of agreeing a deal before midnight tonight.

One of...

29 September 2025

The FTSE 100 was firmly higher on Monday after the market took reassurance from Friday’s reading of US inflation, says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.

The fact the PCE number – closely followed by the Federal Reserve when making interest rate decisions – came in bang in line with expectations helped create a positive mood on Wall Street...

26 September 2025

US stocks hit rockier waters as we moved into autumn with mixed messages on interest rates, new tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty all weighing on sentiment.

Initial excitement early in the week about the $100 billion tie-up between OpenAI and Nvidia faded as concern built over potential antitrust issues. Though Intel, which inked its own deal...

26 September 2025

There was a peculiar end to the week for financial markets as Asian indices were in the red while European indices moved higher, says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.

Asia was dragged down by weakness in pharmaceutical stocks as investors worried that numerous players would be caught up in a twist to Trump’s tariff regime.

There was also...

26 September 2025

AJ Bell Investment Director, Russ Mould takes an in depth look at a selection of UK company updates expected next week, focusing on Greggs, Tesco & JD Wetherspoon.

25 September 2025

It’s been hard to avoid the chatter about AI stocks, debating whether the companies live up to lofty valuations or if it’s a bubble waiting to burst. Even though returns from many tech stocks in the past few years have been remarkable, it doesn’t mean they are the right choice for all investors.

Instead, some may be more comfortable with companies...

25 September 2025

There was a sea of red across European markets as healthcare, real estate, financials and industrial stocks were out of fashion, says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.

Weakness in names such as HSBC and AstraZeneca would suggest a more cautious tone among investors, but not a complete shift in sentiment.

Futures prices imply progress for...

24 September 2025

The FTSE 100 was off to a poor start on Wednesday, taking its cue from losses in the US overnight as Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell painted a mixed picture on the outlook for interest rates, says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.

Powell’s measured take, as he seeks to balance risks posed by inflation and a stuttering labour market, was...