6 April 2018
FTSE grinds to a halt, AO World potentially still years from profit and Motorpoint bucks negative car market trend“After rallying on Thursday, the FTSE 100 grinds to halt on Friday, sitting still at just under 7,200. Next week could be more interesting as there are some big names reporting results including Tesco and ASOS, as well as trading updates from several recruitment companies which should provide insight into corporate confidence when it comes to...
5 April 2018
Wall Street rally propels FTSE, Hammerson’s case for the defence, Sophos bounces back and bleak outlook for Rank“The FTSE 100 bounces back strongly on Thursday, taking its cue from a strong finish to a volatile trading session on Wall Street last night,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
Hammerson“Today’s trading update from shopping mall landlord Hammerson reads like a defence against continuing takeover interest from French rival Klepierre.
“Ma...
4 April 2018
Cider maker swoops on Conviviality, WPP’s CEO under scrutiny and Entertainment One still enjoying Peppa Pig boost“The 7,000 mark appears to be acting as a magnet for the FTSE 100, refusing to let the index stray too far from this level. The market on Wednesday takes a 0.4% step back to 7,005,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
C&C“Irish cider maker C&C has thrown its hat into the ring as a potential saviour for Conviviality’s distribution business...
3 April 2018
FTSE in trouble, wet Easter bad for consumer-facing companies and latest twist in the Sky takeover saga“The FTSE 100 is struggling once again as the markets reopen on Tuesday, trading 0.6% lower at 7,012. Insurers and utility companies are the principal sectors weighing on the index,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Consumer-facing companies likely to be hit by washout Easter“A wet Easter weekend for much of the country will have been...
29 March 2018
FTSE’s first quarter performance worst since 2009 and Compass dragged down by rival’s warning“The market is trying its best to end the week on a positive note, with the FTSE 100 rising 0.09% to 7,050 in early trading on Thursday,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Stock Market Movements“Data suggests the FTSE 100 is the worst performing major stock market index in the first quarter of 2018, assuming no major changes to its...
29 March 2018
Four lessons to draw from 18¼ years of precisely zero from UK stocksA potential takeover bid for a fourth FTSE 100 stock is helping the index to try to cling on to the 7,000 mark, as Takeda’s plan to consider an offer for drug manufacturer Shire adds to the offers (hostile or otherwise) for GKN, Smurfit Kappa and Sky.
But that 7,000 mark is still awfully close to the 6,930.2 mark reached on 31 December 1999. This...
28 March 2018
FTSE back in the red, trading recovery for DFS Furniture and working capital issues weigh on Diploma“It’s a miserable day for the UK stock market with the FTSE 100 falling 0.8% to 6,942 in early trading, dragged down by weakness in oil, gas and mining stocks. Investors will be hoping that tomorrow’s session is better so the short trading week ends on a positive note,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
DFS Furniture“It is fair to say...
27 March 2018
FTSE in recovery mode, Glaxo cleans up, Ferguson beats expectations and AG Barr fizzes higher ahead of sugar tax“Big gains on Wall Street as easing trade tensions set the scene for the FTSE 100 to move sharply back towards the 7,000 mark on Tuesday morning,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
GlaxoSmithKline“ GlaxoSmithKline appears to be cleaning up its act and gaining a tighter focus on what it does best.
“We now know why it pulled out of the...
26 March 2018
JD Sports goes shopping, Restore makes largest ever acquisition and Speedy Hire beats expectations“After a terrible five days last week, the FTSE 100 is doing its best to claw back some of the lost territory with a 0.2% rise to 6,934 on Monday,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
JD Sports“Sports retailer JD Sports Fashion made a splash after announcing the $558m acquisition of US rival The Finish Line – giving it a real footprint...
23 March 2018
Next keeps a cool head as many of its rivals and peers start to flounder“ Next’s 54-page-long results release is a whopper but it is what is missing from the statement that matters more than what is in it – there is no profit warning, there is no dividend cut and there is no sense of panic,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Instead, investors are getting a clear analysis of the challenges which face the...
23 March 2018
Market rout on trade war fears, Glaxo pulls out of Pfizer bid, Indivior’s drug disaster and Aviva’s preference share climbdown“A rough week for the markets sees the FTSE 100 on course for a 3.6% fall at 6,902.43, reaching its lowest level since December 2016 as fears of a trade war between the US and China ratchet up,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
GlaxoSmithKline“After Reckitt Benckiser pulled out of a bid for Pfizer’s consumer healthcare business on...
22 March 2018
How to test the foundations of the property sectorHe is unlikely to have appreciated it, or cared, at the time, but Mark Twain’s advice to “Buy land, they aren’t making it any more” has long since formed the basis of the investment case for UK commercial property, either via quoted stocks or dedicated funds.
Whether property is right for an investor’s portfolio will depend upon their overall...
22 March 2018
Reckitt acquisition relief, Ted Baker caught up in retail gloom and M&C Saatchi bucks the advertising agency trend“The FTSE 100 continues to fall on Thursday, down 0.2% to 7,025 amid weakness in insurers and tobacco stocks and after the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday night,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Reckitt Benckiser“Consumer goods business Reckitt Benckiser is the top FTSE 100 riser as it abandons plans to buy the...
21 March 2018
Kingfisher’s cash conundrum, second warning for Moss Bros and Softcat’s worrying language“The FTSE 100 takes a small step back on Wednesday, falling 0.3% to 7,037 on the back of weakness in miners and banks,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Kingfisher“The retail sector is truly going through one of its worst periods in recent memory. B&Q may be one of Britain’s best known DIY chains but brand strength doesn’t always...
20 March 2018
FTSE in a better mood, Ocado’s shrinking basket size and Bellway’s future risks“The UK stock market bounces back on Tuesday with the FTSE 100 rising 0.3% to 7,064,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Ocado“Forget the snow impacting Ocado’s earnings; the more interesting fact is the reduction in the number of items per basket.
“A reduced average order size is bad news for companies like Ocado. It isn’t really cost...
19 March 2018
FTSE dealt a blow, activist targets Barclays, major setback for Micro Focus and Accrol kicks up another stink“The FTSE 100 has been dealt a blow at the start of the new trading week, falling more than 1% to 7,090. Weakness in miners and utilities is principally to blame,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Barclays“Banking group Barclays has topped the FTSE 100 leader board this morning on news activist investor Sherborne has taken a 5%-plus...
16 March 2018
FTSE 100’s poor show, Berkeley hits a wall and gloomier outlook for JD Wetherspoon“It’s been one step forward, two steps back for the UK stock market this week. The FTSE 100 is on track to end the five-day trading session more than 1% down, making it one of the worst performing major stock market indices in the world,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Berkeley Group“The chairman of London-focused housebuilder...
15 March 2018
Four indicators suggest markets may be gathering for an upwards move“The FTSE 100 looks to be stabilising in the wake of February’s sudden sell-off but the index is still trading some 7% below the all-time closing high of 7,779 reached two months ago. It is being helped by a slight retreat in Government bond yields, where an increase had threatened to suck some cash away from stocks, and especially sterling, whose...
15 March 2018
How to use moving averages to pin down the FTSE 100In capital, local currency terms, the UK is the worst performing country among the 23 nations classified by the MSCI as ‘developed’ markets in 2018 to date.
The UK is the worst performing developed market so far in 2018 Capital return, local currency Last 12 months 2018 to date * Hong Kong 25.6% Hong Kong 5.6% Austria 20.6% Singapore 4.4% Norway...
15 March 2018
Savills troubles property sector, Cineworld’s new chapter and profit warning from PZ Cussons“While the FTSE 100 nudges ahead 0.1% to 7,141 on Thursday, overall the UK stock market remains stuck in a rut since February’s stock market sell-off,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Savills“The real estate sector is weak this morning as major player Savills points to market uncertainty and a ‘tempering’ in strong transaction volumes...
14 March 2018
Muted response to Morrison’s figures suggests food retailers have yet to convince the bears“The combination of rising sales, a healthy jump in pre-tax profits, lower debt, an increased ordinary dividend and even a special dividend of 4p sounds very appealing but investors are still declining to stock up on shares in Morrison,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“One reason for this is that operating profit fell year-on-year...
14 March 2018
Prudential’s amicable divorce, there is still life in Dignity and Balfour fights back“Insurers and miners help to lift the FTSE 100 on Wednesday with the blue chip index rising 0.2% to 7,153,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Prudential“They say breaking up is the hardest thing to do, yet Prudential doesn’t seem to have any qualms about splitting its business into two. There has been speculation for years that the...
13 March 2018
The real reason why Fevertree shares are down, the FTSE takes a step back and further problems for Greencore“The FTSE takes a step back on Tuesday, trading five points lower at 7,209. Gains in the oil and mining sectors are offset by losses among consumer goods companies and insurers,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Fevertree Drinks“Can you imagine drinking gin without tonic? The same goes for Fevertree Drinks and earnings upgrades. The...
12 March 2018
FTSE holds firm, Melrose’s final attempt to buy GKN and Polymetal’s countless moving parts“The UK stock market starts the week on a quiet note as the FTSE 100 is flat at 7,227,” says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
Melrose“With just 5.76% of GKN shareholders acquiescing to its initial approach and with the 29 March deadline for acceptances fast approaching, Melrose has upped its cash and shares bid from £7.4bn to £8.1bn.
“...
9 March 2018
FTSE on track for strong week, looking beyond SIG’s headlines and GVC issues reassuring numbers“Although The FTSE 100 doesn’t seem to want to move on Friday morning, trading flat at 7,196, it is still on track to finish the week up nearly 2%. That would be its best weekly performance since early February,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould..
SIG“Results from specialist building products firm SIG are a lesson in not just focusing...