8 October 2020
Renewed stimulus hopes drive global market rally and TalkTalk attracts takeover interest“Investors have responded positively to signs from Donald Trump that he hasn’t turned his back on stimulus measures until after the US Presidential election,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Having originally said stimulus talks would be paused until the election was done, Trump yesterday used Twitter to encourage Congress to pass...
7 October 2020
Banks struggle to persuade investors (and regulators) that better times lie aheadThe release of third-quarter results from US Main Street banks JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup on Tuesday 13th October and then Bank of America and Wells Fargo on the 14th will be important both as the starting point for America’s third-quarter reporting season and a precursor for the results that are due from the FTSE 100’s Big Five banks at the end...
7 October 2020
FTSE resilient despite US stimulus setback, Tesco profit up as Murphy takes over“Despite a sell-off on Wall Street as the Trump administration torpedoed the latest talks on a stimulus package for the US, the FTSE 100 was flat at around the 5,950 mark on Wednesday morning,” say AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“There are hopes that the stimulus plans could be revived in the period between the election and January’s...
6 October 2020
Wagamama owner reassures with update, Premier Oil merger to create UK’s largest independent oil play“The return of Donald Trump to the White House from hospital may have given US stocks a boost overnight but the FTSE 100 started Tuesday with modest losses, down 0.4% to 5,917.75,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Despite the seemingly improved prognosis for Trump, the US is likely to remain a source of considerable uncertainty until...
5 October 2020
Picture darkens at Cineworld as pandemic punctures film release schedules againCineworld’s annual report for 2018 described that year as ‘transformative’ for the group, thanks to the £2.3 billion acquisition of US cinema owner and operator Regal Entertainment and it was absolutely spot on – but unfortunately not in the way that was intended, not least because the purchase price came with an extra £1.6 billion in inherited...
5 October 2020
Cineworld shuts down temporarily after Bond delay, and Weir exits oil and gas“Hopes that Donald Trump might return to work early this week after a stay in hospital with Covid-19 helped lift the markets on Monday. The FTSE 100 gained 0.5% to 5,933 while other European markets also chalked up solid gains,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“One of the first items across the President’s desk should he return to the...
2 October 2020
Market destabilised by Trump catching coronavirus and oil price fall“Donald Trump catching coronavirus has put the markets in a mild state of disarray. First, the President of the United States becoming ill creates a sense of instability for markets in general. Second, it raises the question of how the Presidential election will play out – has Joe Biden also been affected, will Trump be well enough to continue the...
1 October 2020
James Halstead’s proud dividend growth record is still intact“Given how well the company is run and how solidly it is financed, it is going to take something extraordinary to break James Halstead’s phenomenal run of increases in its dividend and – so far – even a global pandemic is failing to snap the growth streak,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director.
“The AIM-quoted floorings expert may have...
1 October 2020
Rolls-Royce confirms big fundraise and Halfords soars“Investors were hungry for a broad mixture of stocks on the UK market on Thursday, with banking, insurance and mining among the sectors in demand. Bottling company Coca Cola HBC topped the FTSE 100 risers thanks to a bullish broker note,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“In mainland Europe, fashion retailer H&M beat profit...
30 September 2020
Woodford investors left hanging until mid to late 2021The latest update from Link does little to ease the pain for embattled investors stuck in the Woodford Equity Income fund with the news that the winding up of the fund could still be happening in another 12 months, meaning that over 2 years would have passed since the fund originally suspended. This is of course dependent on Link being able to...
30 September 2020
Presidential debate revives bad memories of hanging chads and sliding marketsWith Joe Biden leading in the polls, President Trump seems determined to take to heart Dylan Thomas’ cry ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ and his aggressive stance and apparent determination to challenge the election result – should he lose – will put financial markets on edge. The prospect of a contested result will stir bad memories of the...
30 September 2020
Boohoo sales growth has a sour taste, and Shell to streamline“A very bitter first Presidential debate between incumbent Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden was short on policy and long on insults so was largely seen as having changed few minds or revealed anything to excite or disturb the markets,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The FTSE 100 was broadly unchanged despite mixed trading in...
29 September 2020
Two in five UK adults have been targeted by a scam or fraud during lockdownThe financial uncertainty created by the Covid-19 crisis is like blood in the water for scammers, with a huge proportion of the UK population believing that they have been targeted during lockdown.
Over a fifth of people have already been made financially worse off during Covid-19 and as the Government prepares to end the furlough scheme, millions...
29 September 2020
B&M well positioned for tough economic times, and barriers in the way of Greggs’ recovery“Yesterday’s impressive rally has failed to extend into Tuesday’s session with stocks flashing red almost across the board as the number of Covid-19 deaths surpassed 1 million worldwide,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The FTSE 100 slipped 0.4% to 5,904 while markets elsewhere in Europe were also weak. Asia was mixed with losses...
28 September 2020
Diageo toasts improved trading, and Caesars takes pole position in bid for William Hill“A very strong start to markets sets the tone for an interesting week ahead, including Brexit trade talks and the first 2020 US Presidential debate. Biden has the lead in opinion polls but Trump has form on the stage.
“Equities rallied across Europe and Asia with financial stocks and drink makers in particular demand. HSBC led the banking sector...
25 September 2020
Boohoo told to pull its socks up and Shaftesbury reveals big Covid hit for West End property“After US stocks concluded a see-saw session in positive territory the FTSE 100 is managing to put on its happy face on Friday, eking out modest gains,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The UK Government borrowing figures are eye-watering but not surprising given the levels of intervention in the economy as it looked to cushion the...
24 September 2020
Rishi Sunak unveils new COVID-19 support package as 2020 Budget is shelvedWhile the Chancellor had previously made clear the furlough scheme could not continue on the never-never, removing all support just as the UK enters a new – albeit less severe - national lockdown would have risked crippling sectors of the economy which rely on people going out and travelling to work.
The new Jobs Support Scheme moves away from the...
24 September 2020
Cineworld suffers from lack of major releases, and Pets at Home trading ahead of expectations“One step forward, two steps back. It appears the wall of worry is just too big for the markets to climb right now without the odd setback,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Bricks in that wall include the coronavirus second wave, an end to the Brexit transition period which could see an effective border for hauliers in Kent...
23 September 2020
Rising dollar dulls the appeal of goldGold bugs may be getting nervous that they are about to be squashed by a rising dollar, as the precious metal’s price is now trading back below $1,900 an ounce. Precious metal miners Fresnillo, Polymetal, Hochschild and Centamin are all languishing at the bottom of the FTSE 350’s performance today. A bouncy buck is traditionally seen as bad for...
23 September 2020
A guide to stop loss ordersDan Coatsworth, Stock Market Analyst, gives a guide to how stop losses work.
23 September 2020
AJ Bell Favourite funds list – TM Crux European Special Situations fund removedWe’ve removed TM Crux European Special Situations.
What is the AJ Bell Favourite funds list?
The AJ Bell Favourite funds list is designed to lighten your research load. To narrow the field, we’ve attempted to select a high-quality shortlist of funds capable of delivering their objectives over the long term. To make the list, each fund needs to...
23 September 2020
FTSE higher after US gains, and SSP’s recovery faces a setback“Investors seemed to breathe a sigh of relief that the coronavirus restrictions (in England at least) aren’t as severe as back in March and, taking its cue from yesterday’s strong showing on Wall Street, the FTSE 100 made solid gains to trade in the vicinity of 5,900,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Also helping the index was...
23 September 2020
Six months of lockdown - women more likely to be financially worse off than menIt is staggering that we have been living in the surreal world of full or partial lockdown for half a year now. Shutting down large parts of the economy was always going to take its toll on people’s finances, but it is still worrying to see over a fifth of the country is worse off as a direct result of the pandemic.
Although there is not a vast...
22 September 2020
TUI's recovery faces a washout and Kingfisher could benefit from tighter lockdown conditions“European markets staged a small recovery rally on Tuesday with investors flocking to two of this year’s hot sectors, healthcare and technology,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“In the UK, the FTSE 100 trades 0.3% higher at 5,823 with Just Eat Takeaway, Ocado and AstraZeneca among the stocks in positive territory. Interestingly...
21 September 2020
Second wave fears crash into markets, HSBC shares at 25-year low“The UK may have enjoyed a bit of an Indian summer in recent days but sentiment was ice cold in the markets on Monday morning as the FTSE 100 fell sharply below the 6,000 mark,” comments Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The move followed mixed trading in Asia and matched similar-sized drops on other European exchanges as investors weigh...