8 February 2022
BP beats expectations amid windfall tax calls, Ocado still lacking profit, and Hong Kong markets dip on new Covid restriction fears BP“ BP followed Shell by reporting bumper profits but both companies probably wished the timing didn’t coincide with the rise in the UK energy price cap which piles pressure on households already facing a cost of living crisis,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The UK Government has ruled out a windfall tax for the oil and gas...
7 February 2022
Mixed start to markets, more FTSE 350 female CEOs, and bid rumours lift THG and Peloton“European equity markets kicked off the new week with a mixed performance. The FTSE 100 moved 0.3% higher while the Dax initially fared even better with a 0.8% gain although most of those gains quickly faded away. The joy was not shared in parts of Asia where the BSE Sensex slumped 2% and the Nikkei 225% fell 0.7%,” says Russ Mould, Investment...
4 February 2022
FTSE up on resources rally, Facebook-owner Meta drags US stocks lower, and Amazon’s advertising disclosure excites the market“US tech stocks endured their worst day since March 2020 overnight – led screeching lower by Facebook-owner which saw its stock market value collapse by a record amount for a US firm,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Now was not the time to be releasing disappointing quarterly figures and the drop in Facebook users clearly spooked...
4 February 2022
Why is gold not doing better when everything seems set up for it to shine?“Gold is trying once more to break through, and away from, the $1,800 an ounce mark but it is making heavy work of it and sceptics could be forgiven for thinking the trading price is as inert as the metal itself,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“This is no doubt frustrating for gold bugs as everything seems set for the metal to do...
3 February 2022
Markets stumble, BT under pressure despite Discovery venture, and Virgin Wines disappoints with new customer sign-ups“After a few decent days on the market, equities hit a stumbling block on Thursday with most of the major indices across Europe and Asia easing back. One of the few exceptions was the FTSE 100 which once again is proving to be ugly duckling that has turned into a beautiful swan as far as investors are concerned,” says Russ Mould, Investment...
1 February 2022
FTSE makes strong gains after US tech fightback, Rio Tinto culture shock, and Joules continues its run of profit warnings“Like a prize fighter on the ropes, the US tech sector produced a stunning fightback overnight and helped provide a positive cue for European markets this morning,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The FTSE 100 was up 0.9%, with investors hoping February will bring a more positive outlook for global markets. Unsurprisingly tech...
31 January 2022
Markets up, Vodafone becomes activist target, and Ryanair comeback hit by Omicron turbulence“A decent start to the week for markets in Europe and Asia hopefully sets the tone for a better five-day trading session for investors, given the carnage we’ve seen for most of January,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Chatter about Vodafone being the next activist investor target put the telecoms company at the top of the FTSE...
28 January 2022
FTSE 100 runs out of puff and Apple needs to be more creative despite strong earnings growth“The recovery in the FTSE 100 ran out of puff on Friday as a turbulent start to 2022 continued,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The index is still comfortably ahead of most global counterparts year-to-date though as January draws to a close.
“Once seen as about as fashionable as socks under sandals thanks to the absence of any big...
28 January 2022
IG Design’s American dream turns into a nightmareA second profit warning in four months is tearing a big hole in the share price of greetings cards, crafting, gifts and gift wrapping specialist IG Design.
Supply chain problems, higher raw material prices and higher shipping and fulfilment costs have been compounded by drop in demand for crafting in the USA as lockdowns have eased and Americans...
28 January 2022
Markets ponder whether it will be trumpets or cannons next as Ukraine tensions riseThe maxim that investors should ‘buy to the sound of cannons, sell to the sound of trumpets’ is always attributed to banking giant Nathan Meyer Rothschild (though he denied saying it) and portfolio builders could be forgiven for worrying about which may come next as Russian troops remain active on the borders of Ukraine – even if movements in share...
27 January 2022
Fed fails to stop market worries, Ackman goes big on Netflix, and Dr Martens gets the boot as growth slows“Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell failed to stop the market rout with the central bank’s latest policy update, with US stocks falling further after the announcement and the equity sell-off extending to most of Asia and Europe on Thursday,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“It’s what he didn’t say that troubled investors. The key...
26 January 2022
FTSE up despite more US selling overnight as Fed meeting looms, airline shares in demand, and Pets at Home pepped up after latest update“The FTSE 100 bounced back sharply on Wednesday, bucking the negative trend set in the US last night and some mixed trading in Asia,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“With today’s US Federal Reserve meeting firmly in view the UK’s flagship stock index has become somewhat dislocated from other global benchmarks thanks to the absence of...
25 January 2022
Markets fight back despite omnipresent headwinds, and Royal Mail plans further streamlining Markets rebound, but is it just a dead cat bounce?“Highly unusual movements on the US stock market yesterday are difficult to explain. While it is easy to say that the S&P 500 going from a 4% decline to a 0.3% gain in a single session was investors simply buying on the dip, nothing has changed in terms of the market headwinds. Therefore, we could...
24 January 2022
FTSE holds steady amid Ukrainian tensions, US giants set to report figures this week, and De La Rue warns on profit again“Anyone hoping for a measure of calm on the markets after a testing period is likely to be disappointed as we start what could be another turbulent week,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The FTSE 100 was just about holding steady on Monday morning having given back its year-to-date gains last week and globally the picture has been...
21 January 2022
Netflix shocks the market, FTSE 100 year-to-date gains wiped out, and Restaurant Group delivers good news Netflix“When Netflix released Don’t Look Up, was it trying to second guess what would happen when its fourth quarter numbers came out? The share price is doing exactly what was instructed by that film title – it’s looking down to the tune of a 20% decline in after-hours trading,” says Danni Hewson, Financial Analyst at AJ Bell.
“Fourth quarter...
21 January 2022
Share prices stumble after just two months of less loose policy from the FedWell, that didn’t take long. The Fed began to pump less Quantitative Easing (QE) into the financial system in November and the stock market’s wheels have started to wobble after barely two months of less cheap money, let alone move to withdraw it.
Investors are already starting to ask themselves how much the US Federal Reserve can do to tighten...
20 January 2022
FTSE up as China cuts mortgage rate, Deliveroo gets Omicron sales boost, and Primark enjoys bumper sales growth“The FTSE 100 started Thursday on the front foot as the Chinese central bank continued to buck global trends by cutting a key mortgage rate,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“China has often found itself at odds with the rest of the world economically over the last two years, perhaps unsurprisingly given it was the first country to be...
20 January 2022
Why the FTSE 100 could come into its own if inflation becomes entrenched“It is very early in 2022 but there is an old saying that ‘As goes January, so goes the year.’ So far, the FTSE 350 is up by less than 2% and only 15 of its 40 individual industry subsectors are showing any gains. However, the identity of those 15 sectors is telling and suggest that the UK stock market may not be a bad place to be if inflation...
19 January 2022
Markets shrug off UK inflation spike, Burberry on the up, WH Smith still waiting for the big recovery, and Best of the Best suffers post-lockdown hangover“While UK inflation has hit a 30-year high at 5.4%, this is only marginally ahead of expectations, and certainly shouldn’t shock the markets. Indeed, the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices barely budged on the news,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Ongoing weakness among tech-related stocks was offset by strength in housebuilders...
18 January 2022
THG slumps on margin miss, inflation concerns return with oil at a seven-year high, and Hotel Chocolat delivers sweet Christmas trading THG“The only way THG is going to win back the market’s favour is if it delivers better than expected figures consistently for at least two or three quarters. Unfortunately, its latest update doesn’t pass the test as it flags margins are slightly below expectations,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Under normal circumstances, a...
17 January 2022
Unilever and Glaxo shares move in opposite directions on unit bid news, FTSE 100 up, and Taylor Wimpey reassures on cladding costs Unilever / GlaxoSmithKline“The market has given a thumbs down to news that Unilever has bid for GlaxoSmithKline’s consumer goods division. The negative share price reaction probably reflects investors’ fears that Unilever is going to come back with a higher offer and potentially pay too much,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Gla...
14 January 2022
UK dodges big equity sell-off seen in other parts of the world, Currys delivers a turkey of an update, and Cineworld is walking a tightrope“Investors cannot make up their minds whether they’re worried about inflation and rising interest rates, or that they’re comfortable central banks can work their magic and get inflation under control,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Fear has returned, with a miserable showing on Wall Street last night including a 2.5% drop in...
13 January 2022
Vistry shares unmoved as remediation cost worries chip away at confidenceA 41% jump in completions, firm selling prices and growing confidence in its mixed-tenure Partnerships operation mean that housebuilder Vistry is reaping the benefit of strong demand for housing, Government support for the industry and 2020’s £1.1 billion purchase of Galliford Try’s housing and regeneration business.
However, the share price isn’t...
13 January 2022
FTSE lower as inflation clouds gather, Tesco looks well set for 2022, and relief as ASOS avoids another sales miss“The FTSE 100 started Thursday a touch lower as investors turned their nose up at some mildly positive updates from the likes of Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Persimmon,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The markets had a reminder of inflationary pressures yesterday afternoon as US inflation figures hit a 40-year high.
“This is clouding...
13 January 2022
How the US megabanks could set the tone for results season (on both sides of the Atlantic)“The fourth-quarter reporting season kicks off in earnest on Friday when the megabanks JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo all release their earnings and these figures could set the tone for both the FTSE 100 banks (who report in February) and stock markets more widely,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The Big Four US banks...
12 January 2022
Markets rise, Sainsbury’s mixed fortunes and Dunelm is still riding high“Volatility is down, equities are up. Investors look to be regaining their confidence after a choppy start to 2022 with all the main indices across Europe and Asia pushing ahead, following a similar performance on Wall Street last night,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Driving confidence were remarks by Federal Reserve chairman...
11 January 2022
Tech stocks try to fight back, Darktrace soars, and Games Workshop still having a spot of bad luck“Shares in Darktrace enjoyed a double whammy of raised earnings guidance and a small recovery in the broader technology sector following a big sell-off in recent days,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The company has attracted its fair share of critics in recent years, but this cyber security juggernaut keeps on trucking with...
10 January 2022
FTSE held back by housebuilders amid cladding cost reports, while Tortilla delivers knock-out trading update“The FTSE 100 stalled around the 7,500 mark on Monday morning as investors remain watchful of lingering Covid risks and the dangers posed by inflation,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Despite some tentative positivity in Asian trading, the UK index was not helped by a weak start for the housebuilding sector.
“The UK Government is...
7 January 2022
Why Apple’s $3 trillion market cap may make sense (and why it may not)“For some, Apple’s $3 trillion price tag is the Californian company’s due reward for its innovation and ability to offer products and services which change people’s lives for the better, in terms of connectivity, productivity and entertainment,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
“For others, it is simply another sign that stock markets...
7 January 2022
FTSE struggling for direction ahead of US jobs data, and Aston Martin declares return to health despite new profit warning“It looks like investors are really trying to start 2022 in an optimistic spirit but despite a clear diminishing of concern over Omicron, there are still enough worries out there to prevent them from getting carried away,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Later on the US non-farm payrolls number will be closely monitored. The first...
6 January 2022
Fed comments spook markets, Next has a challenging year ahead, and new master chef for Greggs“The Federal Reserve continues to wield considerable power over global markets and its latest comments are not what investors want to hear,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Minutes from its latest monthly meeting implied that a tight jobs market and ongoing inflation could result in a more aggressive change in monetary policy...
5 January 2022
FTSE 100 takes modest step back as inflation returns to the fore, while UK supermarkets enjoy strong Christmas sales“If the UK markets started their first trading day of 2022 by climbing the wall of worry over Omicron, they took a slight stumble on day two as inflation concerns and speculation on interest rates returned to the fore,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Overnight US bond yields rose – reflecting expectations that the US Federal Reserve...
4 January 2022
UK markets start 2022 with a bang“There is no sign of an extended New Year hangover for the UK markets. The FTSE 100 was instead in fine fettle on the first trading day of 2022, reaching new post-pandemic highs,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
“Sentiment was helped by a strong showing on Wall Street yesterday, with Apple reaching the remarkable milestone of a $3...
22 December 2021
From cash to crypto - asset class outlook for 2022Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis at AJ Bell looks at some of the key factors which could influence asset prices in 2022.
SharesThe Omicron variant has raised the prospect of a stagflationary start to the new year. covid vaccines and treatments will take some of the edge off any social disruption we may face, and while many businesses...
22 December 2021
Five key portfolio decisions to make for 2022 (and beyond)“No investor, no politician and no central banker knows what is coming next, and whether inflation, stagflation or deflation will result from the combination of the pandemic, lockdowns and supply-chain chaos on one side, and massive amounts of fiscal and monetary stimulus designed to boost demand on the other,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ...
22 December 2021
FTSE 100 trades modestly lower as UK GDP disappoints, and Parsley Box readies cash call“The FTSE 100 took a modest step back on Wednesday as UK third quarter growth figures came in short of expectations, dragged lower by weak exports,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
“Investors are preparing to go into hibernation for Christmas and will hope by this time next week we’ll know a lot more about the trajectory of Omicron and...
21 December 2021
FTSE 100 rebounds as UK public finances improve“As we head towards an uncertain festive break the market is swaying about more than someone who’s over-indulged on the sherries on Christmas Day,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“That’s unsurprising as investors still awaiting a full picture on just how disruptive Omicron is going to be – with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson putting...
20 December 2021
Omicron fears accelerate and lead to sharp decline in European and Asian shares“After battling endless headwinds in recent weeks, markets have finally been knocked over as the rapid spread of Omicron finally reaches panic mode,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Tighter restrictions across parts of Europe and fears that we could see a circuit breaker in the UK have put a chill in the air for investors.
“A...
17 December 2021
Dividend estimates stall but FTSE 100 forecast to yield 4.1% in 2022The FTSE 100 is currently expected to yield 4.1% in 2022, helped by the second annual increase in a row after 2020’s sharp decline. The index’s total dividend pay-out is expected to reach £83.2 billion in 2021, compared to £61.8 billion in 2020, excluding special dividends.
These articles are for information purposes only and are not a personal...
17 December 2021
FTSE higher despite rate hike and US tech sell-off“The Bank of England surprised everyone by hiking interest rates yesterday. In doing so it only confirmed new Governor Andrew Bailey’s reputation as an ‘unreliable boyfriend’ after he flirted with a widely expected rise back in November before thinking twice, but the market seems to be taking this latest development in its stride,” says AJ Bell...
16 December 2021
Boohoo (unwittingly) makes the case for bricks-and-mortar shops“The pandemic may be an ongoing boon for online retailers, but Boohoo’s profit warning makes the case for having brick-and-mortar stores and suggests that their days are not as badly numbered as many investors or shoppers might think,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Handling product returns via a physical shop is relatively easy, if...
16 December 2021
Markets rally, Boohoo slumps on profit warning, and Domino’s cuts deal with franchisees“Is the Santa Rally finally here? Markets certainly seem to have a spring in their step, with the major indices across Europe, Asia and the US all pushing forward,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy update last night has gone down well with the markets.
“The prospect of three US interest...
15 December 2021
AJ Bell Favourite funds list updateWhat is the AJ Bell Favourite funds list?
The AJ Bell Favourite funds list is designed to lighten your research load. There are thousands of funds out there – so we’ve narrowed the field by selecting a high-quality shortlist of funds we believe can deliver their objectives over the long term. To make the list, each fund needs to pass our robust...
15 December 2021
FTSE lower as inflation comes in higher than forecast, Cineworld told to cough up C$1.2 billion, and Currys sees weaker sales ahead of Christmas“The FTSE 100 started Wednesday on the back foot as investors got a big reminder that while all the focus has been on the latest twist in the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation risks haven’t gone away,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The squeeze on the cost of living is just getting worse as consumer prices jumped 5.1% in November, the...
14 December 2021
FTSE 100 recovers as labour market tightens, Relief over Ocado legal battle, and Rentokil gets mixed response to blockbuster US deal“The FTSE 100 was off to a strong start on Tuesday, recovering some of yesterday’s losses as investors await the big central bank action to come this week and as concern over the Omicron variant continues to wax and wane,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“More signs of a tightening jobs market may be good news for employees but could...
13 December 2021
FTSE 100 higher as weak pound helps salve Omicron wounds“The FTSE 100 was off to a solid start on Monday despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s warning of a ‘tidal wave’ of Omicron in a televised address last night,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“However, this is less a case of investors shrugging off the news as it is the index responding as it usually does to weakness in the pound.
“...
10 December 2021
FTSE runs out of breath while Associated British Foods soldiers on despite difficult backdrop“After a decent start to the week, come Friday and the FTSE 100 had run out of breath, falling 0.2% to 7,305. Only the basic materials sector was able to muster any gains, led by BHP and Rio Tinto,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“UK growth nearly stalled in October, according to new GDP data, and that’s before Omicron struck...
9 December 2021
AJ Bell Favourite funds list update – Allianz Gilt Yield removedWhat is the AJ Bell Favourite funds list?
The AJ Bell Favourite funds list is designed to lighten your research load. There are thousands of funds out there – so we’ve narrowed the field by selecting a high-quality shortlist of funds we believe can deliver their objectives over the long term. To make the list, each fund needs to pass our robust...
9 December 2021
Is a jump in the ‘Fear Index’ another chance to ‘buy on the dip’ or a sign of trouble ahead?“As he tried to rally his people during the Great Depression of the 1930s, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt may have asserted that ‘The only thing to fear is fear itself,’ but from a stock market point of view it is lack of fear that usually causes problems, as investors take more risk than they would do normally, overpay for assets and allocate...
9 December 2021
Investing for the year ahead - eight funds and investment trusts for 2022The year end is a natural time for people to review their investment portfolios and ensure it is well positioned for the year ahead. Ryan Hughes, head of investment research at AJ Bell, looks at eight funds and investment trusts with different risk levels covering bonds, global equities, infrastructure, healthcare and dividends.
These articles...
