6 November 2017
BTG, easyJet and AFH“Blue-chips made a downbeat start to the week following a mixed performance on markets in Asia this morning and with ongoing geopolitical and Brexit concerns continuing to weigh on sentiment,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Healthcare group BTG was the FTSE250’s biggest faller in early trading after a US court ruled that it breached...
3 November 2017
IAG, H&T and Smith & Nephew“The FTSE100 opened on the front foot and continued yesterday's rally, despite political turmoil in the UK and Europe, Brexit uncertainty and a mixed performance in the US overnight,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group was one of the biggest blue-chip risers in early...
3 November 2017
What does the first interest rate rise since 2007 mean for your finances?While a hike in interest rates from 0.25% to 0.5% might not seem like a momentous event, it is the first increase by the Bank of England in over a decade and for many investors it will be the only rise they have ever experienced.
Although this is unlikely to signal a rapid increase in interest rates in the near future, investors attempting to...
2 November 2017
RSA Insurance, Howdens and BT“London's FTSE 100 index was virtually flat in early trading ahead of today's interest rate decision from the Bank of England and following mixed messages out of US and Asian markets overnight,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ RSA Insurance was one of the biggest blue-chip fallers in early trading after third quarter growth was...
1 November 2017
Lack of festive cheer disappoints shareholders in Next“A downbeat outlook for Christmas trading is weighing on Next today as the High Street bellwether’s shares slump to the bottom of the FTSE 100,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The reaction looks a bit harsh to me. After all, the company is keeping the mid-point of its profit forecasts unchanged, is ticking to its plan to pay a fourth...
31 October 2017
BP offers welcome dividend reassurance as cash flow starts to gush again“ BP’s best operating profit since early 2014 and the resulting huge improvement in cash flow are both helping to drive the oil major’s shares towards a five-year high as investors welcome the support the third-quarter earnings figures show for the company’s tempting dividend yield,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Based on consensus’...
31 October 2017
BP, Croda and Just Eat“Blue-chips opened in positive territory but ongoing issues in Catalonia and the Bank of England’s warning over City job losses in the event of ‘no deal’ Brexit stifled any significant upward move,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ BP’s shares were up after underlying replacement cost profits for the first nine months of the year...
30 October 2017
easyJet, Lok'n Store and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels“The FTSE100 opened lower and ahead of this week's interest rate decision from the Bank of England,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Budget airline easyJet was an early riser after it confirmed it had agreed to buy part of failed airline Air Berlin’s operations for €40m. easyJet will lease up to 25 A320s and has started a recruitment...
27 October 2017
IAG, RBS and ATTRAQT“The FTSE100 started the final session of the trading week on the front foot following solid gains on Asia's main markets,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“British Airways parent International Consolidated Airlines Group was the biggest blue-chip faller despite record third quarter results. All the group’s companies, which also...
26 October 2017
How to make sure portfolios do not get entangled in a web of technology stocksA couple of weeks ago this column mentioned a throwaway comment provided by a shrewd fund manager that: “There is no value in momentum [stocks] and no momentum in value [stocks].”
This issue has reared its head again, as this column has attended events hosted by
Schroders, Fidelity and M&G which have covered a range of topics from emerging...
26 October 2017
Debenhams, Barclays and National Express“Blue-chips edged higher in early trading despite ongoing uncertainty for businesses over Brexit and ahead of today's European Central Bank policy statement,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“High street bellwether Debenhams was an early riser despite full-year pre-tax profits falling by more than 44% to £59m. The group has made good...
25 October 2017
Why Lloyds’ desire for growth and investors’ desire for yield means the shares are going nowhere fast“After a long and painful retrenchment and restructuring process Lloyds’ preparation for next February’s Strategic Review suggests the lender’s management team is gearing up for a dash for growth but this may be precisely what a lot of its shareholders do not want, as they are looking for a safe utility bank which pays them a safe and reliable...
25 October 2017
Defenx, Lloyds Bank and Lombard Risk“Blue-chips opened lower despite Wall Street's strong finish with traders looking for guidance regarding the direction of the UK economy with preliminary GDP figures, high street lending and services data due to be released later this morning,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Cyber-security software group Defenx lost more than a...
23 October 2017
GKN, Pendragon and Braemar Shipping Services“The FTSE100 opened in negative territory, despite US markets climbing on Friday. Investors remain cautious amid tensions in Catalan and the ever-present shadow of Brexit negotiations,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Engineering giant GKN led the blue-chip board in early trading following good organic growth in the third quarter...
20 October 2017
Henry Boot, InterContinental Hotels and Interserve“Blue-chips opened the last trading day of the week on the front foot with investors focussing on company fundamentals rather than being distracted by the ongoing Brexit talks taking place in Brussels,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Construction and property development group Henry Boot was one of the biggest FTSE All-Share risers...
19 October 2017
Unilever’s lack of volume growth may explain why advertising agencies are having a tough time“At first glance Unilever’s mildly disappointing trading update, which revealed virtually zero volume growth for the fifth quarter in a row, looks unconnected to today’s sharp share price drops at WPP and Publicis – but appearances could be deceptive and Unilever’s cost-cutting drive could have profound implications for the global advertising...
19 October 2017
Interserve, Unilever and IWG“Blue-chips slipped in early trading amid continued uncertainty around Spain and Catalonia and ongoing unpredictability over the direction of Brexit negotiations,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ Interserve’s shares plunged after the support services and construction group warned of a 50% drop in second half operating profits and...
18 October 2017
Reckitt’s reorganisation wipes away sales growth disappointment (for now)“Health-to-hygiene group Reckitt Benckiser is bowing to the inevitable by downgrading its organic sales growth target for the year, although shareholders appear (surprisingly) unperturbed, as they focus instead on a corporate reorganisation designed to fully integrate the summer’s Mead Johnson acquisition and strip more costs out of the business,”...
18 October 2017
How to guard against a market crashMonday 19 October 1987 will live in the memory of investors as the day of Black Monday stock market crash. But this is not the only anniversary of note that has already been marked in 2017.
The Asian currency devaluations and debt crisis happened 20 years ago and we have just passed the tenth anniversary of the failure of Northern Rock.
Each date...
18 October 2017
Reckitt Benckiser, Foxtons and Flybe“Blue-chips opened higher ahead of unemployment and earnings data, while overseas markets were mixed overnight,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ Reckitt Benckiser was one of the biggest FTSE100 fallers in early trading after like-for-like net revenues fell in the third quarter. The group continues to count the cost of a cyber attack...
17 October 2017
Investors welcome pragmatic response from Pearson but long-term problems remain“A third straight trading update without a profit warning, work to adapt the business model to boost both digital and print rental sales and the commencement of a £300 million share buyback programme on Wednesday are all giving shares in Pearson a boost today, even if long-term structural challenges still face the business,” says AJ Bell Investment...
17 October 2017
Merlin Entertainments, Hornby and Bellway“The FTSE100 edged lower ahead of today's inflation figures which could potentially trigger the widely expected underlying base rate rise from the Bank of England in November,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Entertainment group Merlin propped up the FTSE100 board in early trading after revenue growth slowed in the wake of terror...
16 October 2017
ConvaTec, Acal and Low & Bonar“The FTSE100 opened on front foot as UK Prime Minister Theresa May headed to Brussels for emergency talks in an attempt to end the current deadlock on Brexit,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Medical products group ConvaTec was the biggest blue-chip faller after it lowered its full-year revenue growth forecasts. The group continues...
13 October 2017
GKN falls into the FTSE 100 profit gap (and it may not be the last firm to do so either)“A profit warning means that GKN is the worst performer in the FTSE 100 today and although the impact of a pair of legal claims upon profits were hard to spot, the company’s accounts had given a few clues that it had very little margin for error if underlying trading took any sort of turn for the worse,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould...
13 October 2017
GKN, Provident Financial and Angus Energy“The FTSE100 opened in negative territory as Brexit negotiations remained in deadlock, with mixed messages coming out of Europe and the UK on the pace of progress and current status of trade talks,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Engineering group GKN was the biggest blue-chip faller after warning that full-year profit growth will...