8 October 2026
Daily market update: Tesco, Imperial Brands, VodafoneA sharp jump in the price of oil weighed on financial markets, leaving investors with no choice but to stare the inflation monster in the eyes.
Brent crude jumped 3.7% to $103.88 per barrel amid ongoing attacks on tankers in the Middle East and hurricane-related production disruption in the Gulf of Mexico.
Concerns around potential damage from...
8 October 2026
What could help to calm the bond market?UK gilt yields have risen sharply, but could higher yields eventually help calm the UK bond market?
In this video, Russ Mould examines why sentiment towards UK government bonds may be excessively bearish and what could persuade investors to reconsider gilts.
The discussion looks at the pressures facing the UK bond market, including inflation...
8 October 2026
Record dividends could help shares outrun rising bond yieldsThis article uses data from our quarterly Dividend Dashboard report which looks in more detail at the biggest dividend payers and growers.
Read: Dividend Dashboard guideHeightened tensions in the Middle East, concerns over the UK’s fiscal situation, and sticky inflation are all feeding into government bond yields, which stand within a whisker of...
7 October 2026
Cash feels safe in a crisis – but history tells a different storyHolding your money in cash during some of the biggest crises of the past 40 years rather than investing would have done you more harm than good in the short and long run.
Data from JP Morgan Asset Management looked at how much a 60/40 portfolio of equities and bonds, respectively, would have made relative to cash in the year after the biggest...
7 October 2026
Daily market update: Shell, Pennon, Avon TechnologiesPositivity around Tuesday’s record-breaking session on Wall Street, with the S&P hitting new highs, failed to make its way across the Atlantic on Wednesday.
European markets were in the red as the mood music continues to change daily. One minute investors are upbeat, the next they’re not.
Wall Street got a lift yesterday as investors resumed their...
6 October 2026
Daily market update: Kenmare Resources, InformaThe FTSE 100 enjoyed broad-based gains, with only the energy sector in the red.
Brent crude oil fell back below $100, much to the relief of the market. This gave a boost to interest-rate sensitive stocks including real estate and consumer cyclicals. Investors are praying that inflationary pressures start to ease off and central banks have less of a...
5 October 2026
How ‘Stoptober’ and ‘Sober October’ could save you tens of thousands of poundsThis October people will be encouraged to give up smoking for good and drinking for at least a month. The health benefits are clearly the most important thing, yet it could make a meaningful difference to your finances too. Research shows health is the biggest reason for quitting smoking, but the financial motive was also significant for a lot of...
5 October 2026
Daily market update: Metlen, BT, Ithaca EnergyThe FTSE 100 managed a steady start on Monday morning after weak US jobs numbers prompted a Wall Street rally on Friday.
The non-farm payrolls number was a long way short of expectations, but in a looking-glass world where weak economic data could mean relief on the rate hike front this has been taken positively by investors. This logic was applied...
2 October 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: Micron beats, Nike slumpsUS stock markets struggled this week against the stiff headwind provided by a bond market sell-off, which saw 10-year Treasury yields rise to 5.4%, their highest levels since the start of the century.
The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, PCE (personal consumption expenditures) came in lower than expected with the core measure landing at...
2 October 2026
Daily market update: Wetherspoons, Cumberland Farms IPOThe FTSE 100 picked itself up off the canvas on Friday, after being knocked for six by Thursday’s aggressive selling in government bonds.
Other European markets also managed to claw back some ground even as Asian stocks played catch up with losses to match the trend seen in parts of Europe and the US on Thursday.
Bond yields have stabilised for...
2 October 2026
Bonds vs Shares: Where should income investors look?Ten-year UK Gilts are offering around 5.4%—so how do they compare with UK shares for investors seeking income? This video examines the changing case for bonds and equities.
With UK Government borrowing costs near their highest levels since 2007, bonds are becoming more significant for income investors. But the FTSE 100 continues to offer dividends...
2 October 2026
AI stocks: The developers, the enablers and the winnersThe regulatory filing by Anthropic in the US formally fires the starting gun on the company’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) and its path to becoming a publicly owned firm whose shares trade on a US stock exchange.
This deal comes hot on the heels of SpaceX’s listing in June, when the sale of $75 billion in shares put a valuation of $1.75 trillion...
1 October 2026
Daily market update: Micron, Topps Tiles, Land SecuritiesA renewed uplift in oil prices and bond yields put European stocks under pressure.
While there are signs that an increased flow of oil is getting through the Strait of Hormuz, Brent crude hovered around $100 per barrel on the continuing war of words between the US and Iran.
Despite US inflation data which came in softer than anticipated yesterday...
1 October 2026
Bond yields are rising again – here’s why investors should careThe bond market continues to dominate market discourse as yields on government debt have surged to fresh multi-decade highs.
This is putting pressure on equity markets and has heightened concerns around government finances, but what exactly is going on and why is it important to investors?
What is happening?As a reminder, bonds are IOUs issued by...
30 September 2026
Daily market update: GreggsA rebound in Asian technology names as well as a drop in bond yields and oil prices helped set the scene for a positive start to proceedings as European markets began trading on Wednesday.
Brent crude prices slumped overnight, sinking back below $100 per barrel on signs of improved flows from the Middle East, despite the ongoing conflict between...
29 September 2026
Daily market update: AstraZeneca, Vesuvius, AG Barr, Card FactoryDespite rising oil prices and bond yields and selling in Asia, UK stocks made decent progress.
Mining stocks did a lot of the heavy lifting as they recovered some of their recent losses. Utilities firms were headed in the other direction as investors reacted to news of Andy Burnham’s unveiling of GB Grid – a state-backed body intended to invest in...
29 September 2026
Budget uncertainty puts stock gains in focus – here’s how investors can planSpeculation that capital gains tax (CGT) rates could rise at the Budget may encourage some investors to bring forward plans to sell investments held outside ISAs and pensions. While no changes have been announced, the prospect of higher future tax rates could lead some investors to realise gains sooner rather than later.
CGT rate increases, if...
28 September 2026
Daily market update: BP, Shell, Berkeley GroupThe FTSE 100 started off on the front foot on Monday, supported by its limited tech exposure and heavyweight oil and gas names.
This put it on the right side of two major developments over the weekend. First, the pausing of training of OpenAI’s latest models on safety concerns led to selling in Asia, particularly for those pockets of the market...
25 September 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: Meta charms, Costco beatsUS markets were mixed this week with the technology-led Nasdaq Composite scaling a new all-time high while the smaller companies Russell 2000 index fell as bond yields rose.
US 10-Year bond yields moved higher to 5.3% following the release of stronger than expected preliminary readings from the S&P Global composite index of economic activity, which...
25 September 2026
Daily market update: Genel Energy, Capricorn Energy, HarworthEuropean equities enjoyed a strong boost at the end of the trading week as investors regained their risk appetite.
Miners topped the FTSE 100 risers’ list, with banks and pharma also in strong demand. Brent crude oil pulled back slightly to just below $106, but remains at elevated levels. Government bond yields eased back a touch after yesterday’s...
24 September 2026
Daily market update: Raspberry Pi, Vistry, ASOS, On The BeachThe FTSE 100 ticked up after yesterday’s renewed surge in oil prices above $100 per barrel.
BP and Shell were among the names making progress in London, along with more traditionally defensive stocks. Housebuilders, aviation-linked names and financials were among those losing ground in early trading.
This followed a sell-off on Wall Street last...
24 September 2026
What are the UK’s most discounted cash-generating shares?This article looks at UK companies which are generating a lot of cash in relation to their share price. Often referred to as free cash flow yield, this overlooked metric is becoming more important in a world of higher interest rates.
With UK 10-year bond yields rising by 0.8% since the start of the year to around 5.2%, investors can earn a higher...
23 September 2026
Daily market update: Diageo, JD Sports, Airtel Money IPOOil’s slow but steady retreat below $100 has been welcomed by investors, helping to give European equity markets a lift.
Positive feedback from a meeting between US and Iranian representatives helped to calm markets, even though Donald Trump made more threats regarding military action.
Oil resuming a downward trend is the market’s way of saying it...
23 September 2026
Discover the UK market’s inflation-busting dividend growersDividends play a crucial role in wealth creation. A study by Hartford Funds showed they contribute almost half of shareholder total returns (share price gains plus dividends) over the long run.
Some of the best shareholder returns are generated by companies that can consistently grow dividends ahead of inflation. These tend to be high-quality...
22 September 2026
Daily market update: KingfisherAfter the return of risk appetite which saw the Nasdaq advance to a new record last night, there was a more measured feel to proceedings in Asia and Europe on Tuesday.
Bitcoin – a key measure for investors’ craving for riskier assets – took a step back from its recent rally but is still up more than 10% since last Friday.
After falling for four...
