13 September 2018
Morrisons and John Lewis Partnership“The FTSE 100 is pausing for breath after fighting back earlier this week. On Thursday morning it was flat at 7,306 with gains in the banking and mining sectors offset by weakness among utilities and consumer goods companies,” says Russ Mould, InvestmentDirector at AJ Bell.
Morrisons“For all the talk about heightened competitive pressures...
12 September 2018
SSE and Sports Direct“Investors will be happy to see the colour green on their screens today with the FTSE 100 finally returning to an upward trajectory. The blue chip index was up 0.1% to 7,280 in early trading on Wednesday, helped by strength in the mining, housebuilding, chemicals and oil sectors,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
SSE“It is very...
11 September 2018
We've refreshed our Favourite funds listAt AJ Bell Youinvest, we're proud to offer a huge range of possible investments – including over 2,000 funds and shares from 24 markets. But we’re also acutely aware how time-consuming, not to say bewildering, it can be to sift through these choices to find the right one for you.
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11 September 2018
Ashtead“The FTSE 100 is not having a good time of late and trading on Tuesday takes the blue chip index down a further 0.2% to 7,266. Investors saving for their pension, new house, children’s school fees, loft conversion or any other major expenditure will be frustrated at how the UK market has performed this year as there is a high chance their...
10 September 2018
Associated British Foods and Debenhams“The FTSE 100 showed little sign of recovering the ground it lost last week in early trading as investors digested the latest political instability in Europe and as trade tensions continue to simmer away in the background,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Associated British Foods“Investors may be getting worried about the ongoing...
7 September 2018
Sky shareholders face deal deadlinesNearly two years after an initial £10.75 per share takeover bid from Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox, shareholders in pay-TV giant Sky have some very important dates coming up which should finally settle the destiny of the company.
At 1pm on 12 September the deadline for acceptances on US media conglomerate Comcast’s £14.75 offer, backed by Sky...
7 September 2018
International Consolidated Airlines (British Airways) and Greene King“The FTSE 100 is on track for one of its worst weeks this year. Assuming no change from the 7,316 trading level seen early on Friday, the blue chip index will have fallen nearly 1.6% across the week, taking it to a five-month low.
“The banking sector remains one of the worst offenders with investors clearly worried about the state of the UK...
6 September 2018
Utilities rally as Ofgem review proves no worse than feared“ Centrica, SSE and United Utilities are all rallying this morning, even as the FTSE 100 languishes back at four-month lows, because the findings of the Ofgem report are no worse than expected and their shares’ dismal performance over the last 12 months reflected the chance of a harsher outcome,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director.
“The...
6 September 2018
Melrose Industries, Centrica and Sirius Minerals“The FTSE 100 is now trading at a five-month low as trade war concerns escalate. Software, mining, tobacco and banks are among the worst performing sectors so far this year with stocks like Vodafone, Imperial Brands and HSBC being particularly disappointing. “A continuation of the current downward trend could cause investors to lose confidence...
5 September 2018
Housebuilders: Berkeley / Barratt Developments and William Hill“It’s another red day for the markets with FTSE 100 falling 0.5% to 7,421 and losses seen across Asia and Europe. Emerging markets have been particularly weak and a lack of progress regarding international trade talks continues to unsettle investors,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
Housebuilders: Berkeley / Barratt Developments“T...
4 September 2018
WPP and Halfords“The FTSE 100 was just about consolidating yesterday’s gains in early trading as speculation continues over whether Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is likely to stay in post beyond 2019,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
WPP“Advertising giant WPP answered one key question this week as it promoted internal candidate Mark Read to...
3 September 2018
Dechra Pharmaceuticals and Footasylum“The FTSE 100 gets off to a strong start on its first trading day of the autumn, gaining 0.6% to 7,478.98. The index endured a difficult August, falling by more than 4%,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Dechra Pharmaceuticals“Today’s mixed update from veterinary products specialist Dechra Pharmaceuticals shows the dangers of a high...
31 August 2018
Whitbread sale of Costa begs the question of who will be next on the activists’ hit-list?“Today’s huge leap in Whitbread’s shares following the sale of Costa Coffee, breaking up the group far more quickly than expected and for a higher price than analysts had expected, must be seen as a vindication of activist investors that the FTSE 100 firm’s unwieldy structure meant that there was hidden value waiting to be unlocked,” says Russ...
31 August 2018
Whitbread and Sage“The FTSE 100 looks set to end the week on a downbeat note with a threat from Donald Trump to pull the US out of the World Trade Organisation helping to revive fears over global trade,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Whitbread“After being told they would have to wait two years for a spin-off of Costa Coffee to complete when it was...
30 August 2018
Why next week’s US wage growth numbers may be even more important than usual“As America’s S&P 500 index continues to rack up new highs, investors are sensibly asking themselves what could go wrong and puncture the bull run in US stocks. History suggests that a combination of rising interest rates, lofty valuations and earnings disappointments usually proves deadly,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director.
“Interest...
30 August 2018
Property stocks, Hunting and Hays“Markets on Thursday were flashing red with losses seen across the UK, Europe and parts of Asia amid renewed concerns about the relationship between the US and China. The FTSE 100 traded 0.6% lower at 7,515 with miners, telecoms and media stocks among the worst performing blue chips,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
Property stocks...29 August 2018
Aston Martin and Countrywide“The FTSE continues to stage a comeback after the summer lull with another 0.1% advance to 7,625 on Wednesday. Utilities lead the charge with United Utilities, Severn Trent and National Grid all in positive territory,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
Aston Martin“Aston Martin is set to be London’s highest profile stock market...
28 August 2018
Bunzl and NMC Health“The FTSE 100 springs to life following the Bank Holiday with a 0.7% gain to 7,629. Driving the index is strong showing from miners, transport groups, chemicals and financial sectors,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
Bunzl“ Bunzl has delivered another business-as-usual performance with revenue, profit and the dividend all going up...
24 August 2018
Some of Britain's best known companies leave investors nursing losses“The FTSE 100 is on track to end the week with zero gains, hovering at the 7560 mark as the summer lull nears its conclusion. It’s a regular-seen scenario of miners trying to lift the index, only to be offset by weakness among tobacco stocks and utilities,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
Some of Britain's best known companies...23 August 2018
CRH and Playtech“The FTSE 100 has ignored the latest tit-for-tat tariffs between the US and China to forge slightly higher in early trading,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
CRH“Weather disruption has not prevented building materials business CRH from chalking up a solid first half, with revenue nudging higher and profit up 5%, there’s also a 2% hike...
22 August 2018
Avast and Grafton“Dollar weakness once again drags on the FTSE 100, leaving the blue chip index trading 0.3% lower at 7,545. In contrast, Asian markets are in much better health including a 0.6% rise in Japan’s Nikkei 225 index.
“Unhelpful to the London market is the fact that not a single FTSE 100 company has issued corporate results or trading updates on...
21 August 2018
BHP Billiton and Persimmon“Having risen for three trading sessions in a row, the FTSE 100 comes to a grinding halt. Strength in utility and consumer goods companies is not enough to offset weakness in miners, construction companies and financial stocks, leaving the blue chip index trading 0.1% lower at 7,582,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
BHP Billiton“...
20 August 2018
G4S and Mulberry“The FTSE 100 starts the week on the front foot as investors await key trade talks between the US and China later this week,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
Mulberry“Today’s announcement from luxury handbag maker Mulberry is a reminder that the victims of the current high street malaise in the UK do not just include the retailers...
17 August 2018
Graveyard index beats the FTSE 100“The market is firmly in holiday mode with minimal corporate announcements and no movement from the FTSE 100 on Friday. Trading at 7,559, the blue chip index is going to have work harder if it is to stand a chance of returning to the 7,877 high seen in May. Risk appetite looks weak at present, so markets may remain in a small trading range until...
16 August 2018
French woes weigh on Kingfisher“ Kingfisher’s Turkish joint-venture Koçtaş is a very, very small part of the DIY giant – it contributed just £3 million in profit last year in combination with a 49%-owned French operation – so investors don’t need to worry too much about that, but slack sales at the core Castorama brand in France is a bigger concern altogether,” says Russ Mould...
16 August 2018
Amazon / Insurance price comparison sites and on the beach“Investors will be very relieved there isn’t a continuation of yesterday’s market slump on Thursday. The FTSE 100 manages to claw back some of the lost territory with a 0.2% gain to 7,511.
“European markets follow suit, although Asia had another bad day with markets in India, Hong Kong and Japan all in the red, suggesting that some investors still...
15 August 2018
Balfour Beatty and Copper price / Mining sector“The FTSE 100 refuses to budge on Wednesday as mining sector weakness is offset by another good day for the insurance sector, plus gains in drug and healthcare companies,” says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
Balfour Beatty“You can sum up the market reaction to Balfour Beatty’s results as ‘what have you got up your sleeve for your next...
14 August 2018
Turkey teaches new generation of investors some old (and painful) lessons“The collapse of the Turkish lira and the threat of contagion across emerging and also developed stock and bond markets look to be catching many investors off guard but this is just an example of what the economist J.K. Galbraith once termed ‘the extreme brevity of financial memory, because we have been here before,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell...
14 August 2018
Royal Mail and Antofagasta“The utilities sector came to the market’s rescue on Tuesday, helping to put the FTSE 100 in positive territory with support from the insurance sector off the back of Esure’s takeover bid. The blue chip index nudged up 0.2% to 7,656 in early trading,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
Royal Mail“ Royal Mail’s £50m fine by Ofcom for...
13 August 2018
Turkey fall out: emerging markets funds, South African companies, DP Eurasia and Chemring“Cyclical stocks were out of fashion on Monday as miners and travel companies served to drag down the FTSE 100, falling 0.7% to 7,617 amid wider weakness in global markets triggered by troubles in Turkey.
“On the UK market, TUI, EasyJet, Anglo American and Evraz were among the FTSE 100 stocks in negative territory.
“In Europe, the Cac 40 index in...
10 August 2018
House of Fraser fighting to avoid becoming fourth founder member of FTSE 100 to go bust“Three founder members of the FTSE 100 in 1984 went broke and it is to be hoped that House of Fraser – a private company since 2006 – does not become a fourth, not least for the sake of the company’s staff and suppliers,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The retailer is being placed in administration but this is quite different...
10 August 2018
Volution and Prophotonix“The FTSE 100 is firmly lower this morning after weak trading in the US and Asia overnight. Just when you think the index is regaining some momentum it suffers another setback. Since achieving a record level in late May, the FTSE has been stuck in a pretty tight range,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Volution“Investors in ventilation...
9 August 2018
TUI and Cineworld“The steady advance in the FTSE 100 so far this week is rudely interrupted as global tensions over trade continue to dog the financial markets,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
TUI“It’s hard to know how to read today’s third quarter update from travel operator TUI. On the one hand earnings are down nearly 7% year-on-year and yet on...
8 August 2018
Short-sellers in Tesla get burned again as Musk floats plan to take firm private“A very experienced – and successful – hedge fund manager once told me that he never shorted high-flying, popular stocks until they had at least halved, because that was when confidence would finally begin to crack and shareholders would start to sell on the rallies and not buy on the dips. The latest action in Tesla’s share price reinforces the...
8 August 2018
TT Electronics and Hill & Smith“For a second day the FTSE 100 is enjoying modest gains although the index is still trading only slightly higher than it was a month ago, reflecting the lack of momentum behind stocks at present,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
TT Electronics“When electrical components manufacturer TT Electronics snapped up its smaller peer Stadium...
7 August 2018
Domino's pizza and Intertek“The FTSE 100 traded materially higher this morning after positive trading sessions in the US and Asia overnight,’ says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Domino's pizza“Markets are always looking forward so it is unsurprising that a solid second quarter performance from takeaway pizza firm Domino’s, achieved despite the headwind created by...
6 August 2018
HSBC, Spire and IWG“The FTSE 100 was flat early on Monday amid ongoing tensions over trade between the US and China and some chatter on Brexit,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
HSBC“The better-than-expected performance of HSBC shares put pressure on the company to deliver with its first half results and on that basis they came up a little short.
“Prof...
2 August 2018
Countrywide and Rolls-Royce“The FTSE 100 traded lower on Thursday morning ahead of today’s UK interest rate decision. A hike is widely expected but investors will be watching the voting split and guidance on the future direction of rates closely,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Countrywide“Investors should be very wary when a business is both operationally and...
1 August 2018
Apple’s valuation nears the $1 trillion mark – but is that such a good thing?“Apple’s third-quarter earnings easily beat analysts’ forecasts, as sales rose 17% and earnings per share soared by 40%, as price increases on its hardware and flourishing services and app store revenues more than compensated for sluggish volume growth in iPhones, iPads and iMacs,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director.
“The shares...
1 August 2018
Lloyds and Next“The FTSE 100 traded materially lower on Wednesday, with fears of a renewed escalation in trade fears taking a bite out of any positive sentiment created by Apple’s strong earnings report,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Lloyds“It may seem strange given the volatility the sector has endured in the wake of the global financial crisis...
31 July 2018
Cash flow finally starts to gush at BP but concerns over BHP deal overshadow dividend increase“Gone are the days when BP was offering a dividend yield of 7% to 8% and that is actually a good thing, because it means investors are no longer demanding such a high return to compensate themselves for the risks associated with holding the shares,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director.
“Fears of a dividend cut three years ago, as oil...
31 July 2018
BP, Travis Perkins and Centrica“The FTSE 100 traded modestly higher on Tuesday morning despite heavy losses in US technology stocks overnight,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
BP“For a long period in the wake of 2014’s oil price crash the key question was whether or not BP could maintain its generous dividend payments.
“Well the debate has now moved on after the...
30 July 2018
Foxtons and Clipper Logistics“The FTSE 100 begins the week in uncertain form as investors await key decisions on monetary policy in the UK, US and Japan this week,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Foxtons“Today’s numbers from London-focused estate agent Foxtons reflect a continuation of the negative trends the company has been facing of late.
“The lettings...
27 July 2018
FTSE 100 and Rightmove UK stock market: FTSE 100“The UK stock market has effectively gone nowhere in the past two months, much to the frustration of investors who are desperate to find ways to generate returns better than the feeble rates paid on cash deposit accounts,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The FTSE 100 on Friday managed a 0.3% gain to 7,686...
25 July 2018
ITV and Victrex“The mining sector continues to be volatile with metal and coal producers reversing yesterday’s rally to drag down the FTSE 100 on Wednesday. The blue chip index was down 0.3% to 7,687 in early trading with weakness in banking stocks also weighing on the market,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
ITV“ ITV’s new strategy to go beyond...
24 July 2018
Fevertree drinks, Hammerson and Britvic“Miners, transport companies and banks do their best at lifting the FTSE 100 on Tuesday, with the index rising 0.1% to 7,663,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
Fevertree drinks“ Fevertree is a true British success story, showing how it is possible to take a seemingly commoditised product, introduce a higher quality version and...
23 July 2018
Ryanair and McColl's Retail‘The UK stock market follows Asia lower on Monday with a 0.7% drop in the FTSE 100 to 7,629 as trade war concerns continue to trouble investors. The blue chip index saw notable weakness in travel stocks, tobacco companies and housebuilders,” says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
Ryanair“Michael O’Leary may have to dust off some of his...
20 July 2018
Retail sector and Sirius Minerals“After a patchy start to the week, the FTSE 100 has subsequently managed to keep its chin up and is on track to end the five-day session approximately 0.5% ahead at 7,700.
“Unilever is the best performing FTSE 100 stock over the past week with a 4.1% gain, closely followed by Ocado which is up 4%. The worst performer is WPP, down 7.4%,” says Russ...
19 July 2018
Babcock, Sports Direct and Moneysupermarket“It’s another static day for the UK markets with the FTSE 100 flat at 7,676. Gains in oil companies, transport firms and tobacco stocks are offset by weakness in miners, industrial companies and tech stocks,” says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
Babcock“ Babcock has been a frustrating business for a number of years. It is highly...
18 July 2018
EasyJet, RPC and Smiths Group“Weak sterling gives a lift to the FTSE 100 on Wednesday, benefiting the large number of companies that generate earnings overseas, such as miners and construction firms. The blue chip index was up 0.5% to 7,667 in early trading,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
EasyJet“ EasyJet’s latest trading update is a perfect reminder of the...