17 May 2017
Countryside, Patisserie and British Land“The FTSE100 was lower in early trading as pensive investors awaited UK average earnings and unemployment data, both due out mid-morning, which follow yesterday’s bigger-than-expected rise in inflation,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Home-builder and regeneration partner Countryside Properties was an early riser after upgrading its...
16 May 2017
Cash flow optimism boosts Vodafone after thumping loss"Higher cash flow and yet another dividend increase are giving a boost to Vodafone’s shares but the juicy 5.5% yield looks necessary to compensate investors for the modest underlying sales and profit increase revealed by both this set of annual numbers and weak long-term record of growing book, or net asset, value," says AJ Bell Investment Director...
16 May 2017
Easyjet, DCC and ITE“ EasyJet’s results are a good example of why it pays to drill down into the numbers," says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
"The headline news is record passenger numbers for the first six months of the 2017 financial year at 33.8m, equal to a 9% year-on-year rise. You might therefore question why the shares have fallen 5.9% to £12.33 on...
15 May 2017
Shell, BP, Dignity and TUI“Oil majors Royal Dutch Shell and BP help drive the FTSE 100 higher on speculation that oil producing countries are considering further output cuts to support oil prices,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Producers’ cartel OPEC is due to meet in Vienna on 25 May. Shares in Shell trade 1.1% higher at £22.17 and BP is up by the same...
12 May 2017
AstraZeneca, Filtronic and Provident Financial“The FTSE100 opened in positive territory after falls on both Wall Street and in Asia. Traders are looking to German CPI and GDP data this morning, along with EU industrial production figures. This afternoon US retail and CPI figures will be in focus,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca topped the blue...
11 May 2017
Four ways to test whether a dividend is safe or notThe swingeing dividend cut from Talk Talk and BT’s decision to abandon its plan to increase its shareholder pay-out by 10% a year are both timely reminders to investors of the dangers of over-reaching for yield in a low-interest-rate world.
BT’s shares held up relatively well on the news, albeit in the wake of a near 30% slide over the past 12...
11 May 2017
BT, Hikma Pharmaceuticals and Mondi“The FTSE100 opened tentatively with investors awaiting the Bank of England’s interest rate call, inflation report and monetary policy summary at midday,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ BT’s shares were down in early trading after the telecom giant posted a 19% drop in profits, unveiled plans to cut 4000 jobs and stripped the chief...
10 May 2017
Barratt, ITV and Aviva“The FTSE100 edged into positive territory in early trading following a mixed session on Wall Street and firmer markets in Asia, with traders looking to the US Federal budget balance tonight and cautious prior to the Bank of England's interest rate decision and inflation data tomorrow,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“House-builder...
9 May 2017
Stanley Gibbons, Centaur Media and Cambria Automobiles“Blue-chips opened on the front foot despite minor gains in sterling against the dollar and mixed industrial metals futures doing little to suppress gains in miners and financials,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The decision by Stanley Gibbons to sell a major part of its interiors division failed to get a stamp of approval from...
8 May 2017
Centrica, Europa Oil & Gas and Anglo Asian Mining“Blue-chips opened on the back foot weighed down by mining stocks with heavyweights Antofagasta, Anglo American, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton occupying the four bottom positions on the board,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“British Gas parent Centrica was one of the FTSE100’s biggest fallers as warmer weather hit its margins although...
5 May 2017
Why retailers may be looking to the pound for some reliefAt its core, stock-picking can be pretty simple stuff.
The key is to identify firms which are going to show the best profit and dividend growth. (The hard part is doing the research into companies’ business models, competitive position, financial strength and management acumen so you have a good grasp of the firms’ potential to consistently...
5 May 2017
Pearson, IAG and Smith & Nephew“The FTSE100 was down in early trading against a backdrop of lower crude oil lower and industrial metals prices. Investors will be looking to US non-farm payrolls and other employment data this afternoon while also assessing the upcoming second round of France's presidential election,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ Pearson’s...
4 May 2017
Morrisons maintains its momentum as Next stumbles again"Over the past 12 months Morrisons shares are up by 26% and Next’s are down by 20% and today’s numbers show why," says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Morrisons reported like-for-like-sales growth of 3% in its first quarter, the sixth consecutive period of growth and accelerating growth at that.
Source: Company accounts
“By contrast...
4 May 2017
HSBC, Next and Morrisons“The FTSE100 opened on the front foot after the US Federal Reserve held interest rates last night, pushing gold down and the dollar up. Investors are awaiting a range of services purchasing-managers' indices in the UK across Europe, plus a range of other data including UK mortgage approvals and net lending,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ...
3 May 2017
ITV, Sainsbury and JD Wetherspoon“The FTSE100 opened in negative territory with investors looking to UK construction and eurozone economic growth data and the US Federal Reserve's interest rate decision tonight,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ ITV’s shares fell in early trading following chief executive Adam Crozier’s decision to step down after seven very...
2 May 2017
BP, Aberdeen Asset Management and BT“The FTSE100 opened the shortened trading week on the front foot, following on from gains in the US and Asia overnight, with investors looking ahead to the US Federal Reserve interest rate call tomorrow,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Oil giant BP led the blue-chip board in early trading after swinging back into profit in the first...
28 April 2017
Hastings, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays“The FTSE100 followed falls on Wall Street and in Asia with investors waiting on a raft of economic data ahead of the long weekend. In the UK, mortgage approvals, preliminary GDP and the index of services will be closely watched, while the eurozone's consumer price index, private loans and M3 money supply will also be in focus,” says AJ Bell...
27 April 2017
Why the Conservatives power cap pledge may not short circuit the FTSEConfirmation from the Conservative Party that its manifesto will feature a commitment to cap certain power tariffs charged by the Big Six energy providers means that FTSE 100 Centrica and SSE are both among the list of the 10 worst performers in the FTSE 100 over the past week and the past month, while both are also in the bottom 15 on a three-...
27 April 2017
Lloyds, Taylor Wimpey and Harvey Nash“The FTSE100 opened on the back foot following overnight softness on Wall Street and in Asia as markets doubted whether US President Donald Trump would get his tax reforms, including paring of the corporate rate, past Congress,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ Lloyds was one of the biggest blue-chip risers in early trading after a...
26 April 2017
boohoo.com, Croda and London Stock Exchange Group“The FTSE100 failed to track gains on Wall Street and in Asia and opened in negative territory with the market looking ahead to US President Donald Trump's tax reform proposals due out later today and the European Central Bank's rate decision tomorrow,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Online fashion group boohoo.com's shares fell in...
25 April 2017
Whitbread, Carpetright and Botswana Diamonds“The FTSE100 edged higher in early trading following gains on Wall Street and in Asia as investors continue to assess the implications of the upcoming second round of France's presidential election,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Costa Coffee and Premier Inn group Whitbread was the blue-chips’ biggest faller in early trading...
21 April 2017
Reckitt Benckiser, Amerisur and Charles Stanley“Blue-chips opened in positive territory following gains on Wall Street and in Asia with multi-commodity miners benefiting from rises in industrial metal prices,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ Reckitt Benckiser sat at the foot of the FTSE100 board in early trading after first quarter sales were flattered by currency gains. The...
20 April 2017
Stocks to consider if the market totally loses its nerve around the General Election“A crunching 2.5% fall in the FTSE 100 welcomed yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister of a snap General Election on 8 June and further volatility is possible as the ballot draws nearer and the debate over issues such as Brexit, the economy and the Union becomes ever hotter", says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“However, investors...
20 April 2017
Debenhams, Unilever and Go-Ahead“Blue-chips opened timidly as investors continued to consider the upcoming UK general election alongside wider geopolitical issues and the stronger pound weighed on the index. In the absence of any UK financial data today investors will look to EU consumer confidence figures and later the Conference Board’s Leading Index for the US,” says AJ Bell...
19 April 2017
How to research commercial property fundsLast week this column looked at the UK commercial property sector and did so from the perspective of quoted property development and management companies known as Real Estate Investment Trusts (or REITs).
This was because commercial property stocks have begun to perform better after a lengthy period in the doldrums following the UK’s referendum...
