31 May 2018
FTSE recovers as European fears recede, FirstGroup is off track, CRH targets margin improvement“The FTSE 100 moved back above the 7,700 mark on Thursday morning as the euro rallied, reflecting reduced concern over the future of the eurozone,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
FIRSTGROUP
“If rails and buses business FirstGroup was looking for validation for its decision to rebuff a bid from US private equity firm Apollo then today...
29 May 2018
FTSE endures Bank Holiday hangover, kitchen sinking at Dixons Carphone, Smiths Group break-up calls to be realised?“Political chaos in Italy sees the FTSE 100 sink as traders return to their desks after the Bank Holiday, down 0.9% at 7,659.01,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
DIXONS CARPHONE
“Often when a new chief executive joins a company, particularly if has faced operational challenges or is in a difficult sector, he will look to rebase...
24 May 2018
Capital & Counties, TalkTalk and Electrocomponents“The FTSE 100 halted yesterday’s decline by holding firm at 7,792 on Thursday. The minutes of May’s Federal Reserve monetary policy meeting gave no hint of a faster pace of tightening in response to inflationary pressures. Investors are now taking a moment to catch their breath and try to make sense of where markets could head next and, in...
23 May 2018
Fat dividend yield may tempt M&S investors to wait patiently at the check-out (at least for now)“A sharp jump in Marks & Spencer’s shares this morning means that the retailer got its news management right, by releasing the details of big store closures ahead of its results, but the numbers themselves are nothing to be proud of and show just how much work there is still to be done,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“At least the...
23 May 2018
Marks & Spencer, Dairy Crest and Britvic Markets“The FTSE 100 goes into reverse and follows a similar pattern seen with Asian stocks earlier today as markets reacted to comments from US president Donald Trump regarding dissatisfaction with the latest round of trade talks with China.
“The commodities sector was worst hit with shares in miners and oil producers taking a tumble, not helped...
22 May 2018
Three reasons why the FTSE 100 could keep on running (and three why it might not)“The FTSE 100 continues to overcome investors’ concerns over the Brexit negotiations, a wobbly Government, indecisive central bank and modest UK economic growth as it reaches further new highs. There are three good reasons why the index could keep going, too, and launch a fresh assault on the 8,000 mark – although investors also need to be aware of...
22 May 2018
Halfords and Entertainment One“We’re nearly two months into one of the strongest rallies in the FTSE 100 for a long time, rising 14% since 26 March to 7,859.99 on Tuesday,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Halfords“News that Halfords’ 2018 underlying pre-tax profit is down on the previous year, plus guidance for no profit growth in the new financial year, would...
21 May 2018
Ryanair and NewRiver REIT“The market last week had its focus on whether the FTSE 100 would achieve a new record high, which it did – and does so again today. Now the focus is on how quickly the blue chip index can smash through the 8,000 level. On Monday it nudged ahead 0.6% or 47 points to 7,826, helped by the US and China trade war being put on hold and the US dollar...
18 May 2018
Lloyds Banking and Oil/Petrofac“Having succeeded last night in setting a new record high, the FTSE 100 takes a small step back thanks to weakness in pharmaceutical, utility and telecoms stocks.
“In early trading the index had slipped 0.2% to 7,774. Nonetheless, that level still means the FTSE 100 has recovered all of the losses caused by the global market sell-off in February...
17 May 2018
Gambling Companies / William Hill and Ocado“Is today the day that the FTSE 100 achieves a new record high at the market close? It is up 12 points to 7,746 on Thursday and only needs another 33 points to smash the all-time high achieved in January,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Gambling Companies / William Hill“Confirmation that the maximum stakes for fixed odds betting...
16 May 2018
Parliamentary report on Carillion is powerful – but now investors need to see action because we have been here before“The report prepared by the Parliamentary Business and Work and Pensions Committees on Carillion offers a clear analysis of what caused the company to collapse and offers a potent-looking list of potential responses, including a break-up of the big auditing firms, an overhaul of the UK’s corporate governance regime and how management teams are paid...
16 May 2018
Mitchells & Butlers, Crest Nicholson and Micro Focus“The FTSE 100 is now trading a mere 40 points from its all-time high of 7,778 achieved in January 2018 (on a market close basis). The blue chip index is trading 0.2% higher on Wednesday at 7,738 thanks to strength in natural resources stocks. Investors will be watching the market very closely to see if a new record can be set today or at least...
15 May 2018
Vodafone, Taylor Wimpey and EasyJet“The FTSE 100 is maintaining a calm manner on Tuesday, trading flat at 7,713. Strength among insurers and housebuilders is offset by weakness in telecoms and mining,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Vodafone“Standing down after a decade at the helm, Vodafone’s chief executive Vittorio Colao has struggled to do much for the share price...
14 May 2018
Centrica and Victrex“After last week’s impressive rally, the FTSE 100 is refusing to budge on Monday with the index flat at 7,722. This week’s big events include UK unemployment and wage growth figures on Tuesday, Japan’s latest GDP growth figure on Wednesday and full year results from Royal Mail on Thursday,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Centrica“It...
11 May 2018
ZPG, Carpetright and Crawshaw“The FTSE 100 is on track to end the week nearly 2% ahead, given its current position of 7,700 in early trading on Friday. Maintaining this pace of growth would put the blue chip index at new record highs early next week,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
ZPG“A takeover of Zoopla parent company ZPG could be a done deal as the £2.2bn...
10 May 2018
Next, Royal Bank of Scotland and BT“The FTSE 100 is now only inches away from hitting the all-time high achieved in January 2018 and potentially breaking a new record. The blue chip index traded at 7,670 in early trading on Thursday versus the all-time high of 7,778 four months ago,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Next“ Next has defied its critics by reporting a very...
9 May 2018
Five slick ways to play oil“Oil traders may have seen President Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the 2015 nuclear sanctions coming from some distance away but confirmation of the move and American plans to exclude OPEC’s third-biggest producer* from global markets is still giving a fresh lift to the price of crude,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Inve...
9 May 2018
Greggs, Imperial Brands and Compass“The FTSE 100 index is doing the very best to break through the 7,600 market and test the all-time highs seen earlier this year. Today it nudges up to 7,593 in early trading, helped by strength in oil stocks,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Greggs“Sausage rolls specialist Greggs has become the latest victim of bad weather and weak...
8 May 2018
CYBG / Virgin Money and William Hill“The FTSE is on the verge of breaking through the 7,600 level once again, meaning it only has to rise by approximately 2.5% from the current 7,591 level in order to achieve a new record high. The previous market close record was 7,778 on 12 January 2018,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
CYBG / Virgin Money“ CYBG has often been seen as...
4 May 2018
HSBC, Games Workshop and International Consolidated Airlines“The FTSE 100 is on track to finish the week on a positive note, rising approximately 0.3% over the five trading days to 7,521. Next week’s main events include the Bank of England’s UK interest rate decision,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
HSBC“A disappointing first quarter reporting season for UK banks concludes with an...
3 May 2018
Glencore and Trinity Mirror“The impressive rally in the FTSE since late March stops to catch its breath on Thursday, trading flat at 7,538. Gains in the mining, oil and supermarket sectors are offset by weakness in utilities and insurers,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Glencore“Missing first quarter market expectations would often prompt a company to...
2 May 2018
Apple offers cash bonanza but still has three questions to answer“ Apple beat analysts’ forecasts for its second quarter, reassured on iPhone growth and upped its already massive cash returns to investors, by increasing its dividend and launching a new $100 billion share buyback scheme – but the fact that its shares rose only 2% after hours, shedding some of their initial gains, suggests that the tech firm has...
2 May 2018
Paddy Power Betfair, Sage and Ocado“The FTSE 100 enjoys another healthy rise on Wednesday morning as results from Apple surprised on the upside overnight,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Paddy Power Betfair“News of a £500m capital return to shareholders is not enough to save bookmaker Paddy Power Betfair from a bashing by the market this morning as it reports a weak...
1 May 2018
BP clears a high hurdle, Just Eat’s margin dilemma and National Grid is out of gas“The FTSE 100 trades slightly higher on Tuesday, continuing its impressive recovery from the recent lows seen in late March. Trading above the 7,500 mark, the index is back within striking distance of the record highs attained in January,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
BP“Oil company BP beating expectations on trading for the first...
30 April 2018
Investors must decide whether services and buybacks trump slowing smartphone sales at Apple“Tuesday’s second-quarter figures from Apple have huge implications for both the company’s own shares, the wider technology sector and even the whole US stock market, as they may leave investors having to decide whether they are happy to swap state-of-the-art technological engineering for financial engineering,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment...
30 April 2018
FTSE springs into life, Sainsbury’s M&A raises questions about rivals and suppliers, and WPP on life after SorrellThe FTSE 100 springs into life on Monday with a 0.3% rise to 7,526, driven by a strong showing from financial stocks, Sainsbury’s M&A move and advertising giant WPP bouncing back,” says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
Sainsbury’s“The proposed tie-up between Sainsbury’s and Asda raises a lot of questions regarding how the competitor and...
27 April 2018
FTSE keeps its chin up, Royal Bank of Scotland fights negative sentiment and new boss has tough job at Pets at Home“The FTSE 100 nudges up 0.2% to 7,437 on Friday, meaning it has made a small but welcome progress this week, rising a little less than 1% in total. Investors will no doubt be hoping for a stronger showing next week,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Royal Bank of Scotland“ Royal Bank of Scotland becomes the latest UK bank to see its...
26 April 2018
Markets under pressure, Domino’s easy win, Taylor Wimpey blames the weather and Shell’s cash flow issue Global Markets“The recent UK stock market recovery has ground to a halt following a jump in US bond yields causing investors to rethink their stance on equities. Trends in the US have a habit of influencing investor action elsewhere in the world.
“Later today we have the latest monetary policy decision from European Central Bank which could also...
25 April 2018
Costa Coffee to go, Persimmon faces up to shareholders, Boohoo growth overshadows margin pressure“A weak trading session on Wall Street, driven by disappointing corporate earnings and a spike in the yields on government bonds, saw the FTSE 100 come under pressure on Wednesday. In early trading the index was down around 0.4%,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Whitbread“That didn’t take long. Just over a week after it emerged...
24 April 2018
FTSE storms ahead, Melrose updates on GKN trading and Focusrite amplifies the small cap space“It’s another positive day for the FTSE 100, advancing 0.4% to 7,429 and extending a winning streak since late March. The UK blue chip index has taken its cue from strong trading on Asian markets earlier today and is clawing its way back towards the record highs marked in January,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Melrose Industries“In...
23 April 2018
FTSE 100 keeps rising, Capita relief despite heavily discounted fundraise, Rotork in strong demand and Clarkson sinks on profit warning“After a decent showing last week, the FTSE 100 has continued to shine with a small advance on Monday to 7,370. Financial services, mining and pharma are among the stronger sectors on the UK stock market today,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
CAPITA
“Shares in troubled outsourcing provider Capita have jumped upwards despite the...
20 April 2018
Sunny end to the week for UK stock market, Royal Mail boss is twelfth FTSE 100 CEO to be replaced this year and Reckitt Benckiser misses expectations“The FTSE 100 has made an impressive comeback since hitting a year-to-date low of 6,888 on 26 March. The blue chip index has risen by nearly 7% since that low and now trades at 7,365. This week alone it has risen by approximately 2.5%, meaning investors should have a reason to smile in addition to the April heatwave,” says Russ Mould, investment...
19 April 2018
FTSE comeback, Debenhams’ latest disaster and Weir doubles down on resources“The FTSE 100 gains 0.2% to 7,333.07 as yesterday’s weak inflation figures continue to weigh on the pound. Around 70% of constituents’ earnings come from overseas and weaker sterling should boost the relative value of these overseas earnings,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
Debenhams“A 52% decline in first half underlying pre-tax...
18 April 2018
No wedding for Hammerson, Rio Tinto unscathed by disruption galore, and Dignity is back from the dead“The FTSE 100 advances 0.3% to 7,248 thanks to strength in the natural resources sector, backed up by a positive showing from tobacco stocks and insurers. We’re back in corporate earnings season again with a flurry of results and trading updates from big names scheduled for the coming few weeks, which should drive increased trading volumes on the...
17 April 2018
FTSE 100 in need of boost to earnings momentumOver a quarter of the FTSE 100 benchmark’s constituents are due to release figures or host their annual general meetings in the next two weeks and this could go a long way to shaping how UK equities perform in the coming weeks and months,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director.
“Short-term share price movements are driven by sentiment but...
17 April 2018
Sterling strength weighs on the FTSE, Majestic Wine invests for the future, ImmuPharma on trial“The FTSE 100 index trades slightly lower despite a strong close overnight on Wall Street. The blue chip index has been held back by a stronger pound,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
Majestic Wine“Shares in wine retailer Majestic Wine are lower as the company signals plans to invest an additional £9m to £13m in its business in its...
16 April 2018
Syria strike fails to move market, second activist targets Whitbread and Shire’s oncology sale may complicate a potential takeover UK Stock Market“The UK stock market barely moves on Monday despite the Syria missile strikes at the weekend serving to heighten geopolitical tensions, something that has historically had a negative impact on stock markets around the world.
“Also perplexing is the failure for the gold price to move upwards; the precious metal has historically...
12 April 2018
Carpetright enters CVA, WHSmith looks to travel, Saga cruises higherThe FTSE 100 starts more or less flat on Thursday despite mounting tensions between the US and Russia over Syria,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. Carpetright
"Investors in carpet retailer Carpetright are having to endure more pain this morning as the company looks to enter a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) – essentially a formal...
11 April 2018
Spotify has enjoyed a successful first week – but now the hard work begins“Spotify shares are trading some 17% above their $132 initial reference price after their first week on the public markets but even that gain pales compared to the 51% average leap over the same time frame at Twitter, Snap and fellow recent float Dropbox,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director.
Flotation date IPO price ($) Change in shares...11 April 2018
Market volatility – we haven’t seen anything yet“Despite talk of stock market volatility, the reality is that the FTSE 100 and S&P 500 indices are still behaving pretty calmly relative to the last 20 years, so investors may need to be prepared for wilder times ahead,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director.
Similar quiet periods to match the subdued stock market action of 2015-2017 – such...
9 April 2018
Trade tensions cool, Rolls transformation continues, Keywords results underwhelm“The FTSE 100 starts the week on a positive note as trade tensions between the US and China appear to cool,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
Rolls-Royce“The market appears to welcome the news engineering giant Rolls-Royce is selling off its fuel injection technology business L’Orange for a little over £600m.
“As well as providing a...
6 April 2018
FTSE grinds to a halt, AO World potentially still years from profit and Motorpoint bucks negative car market trend“After rallying on Thursday, the FTSE 100 grinds to halt on Friday, sitting still at just under 7,200. Next week could be more interesting as there are some big names reporting results including Tesco and ASOS, as well as trading updates from several recruitment companies which should provide insight into corporate confidence when it comes to...
5 April 2018
Wall Street rally propels FTSE, Hammerson’s case for the defence, Sophos bounces back and bleak outlook for Rank“The FTSE 100 bounces back strongly on Thursday, taking its cue from a strong finish to a volatile trading session on Wall Street last night,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
Hammerson“Today’s trading update from shopping mall landlord Hammerson reads like a defence against continuing takeover interest from French rival Klepierre.
“Ma...
4 April 2018
Cider maker swoops on Conviviality, WPP’s CEO under scrutiny and Entertainment One still enjoying Peppa Pig boost“The 7,000 mark appears to be acting as a magnet for the FTSE 100, refusing to let the index stray too far from this level. The market on Wednesday takes a 0.4% step back to 7,005,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
C&C“Irish cider maker C&C has thrown its hat into the ring as a potential saviour for Conviviality’s distribution business...
3 April 2018
FTSE in trouble, wet Easter bad for consumer-facing companies and latest twist in the Sky takeover saga“The FTSE 100 is struggling once again as the markets reopen on Tuesday, trading 0.6% lower at 7,012. Insurers and utility companies are the principal sectors weighing on the index,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Consumer-facing companies likely to be hit by washout Easter“A wet Easter weekend for much of the country will have been...
29 March 2018
FTSE’s first quarter performance worst since 2009 and Compass dragged down by rival’s warning“The market is trying its best to end the week on a positive note, with the FTSE 100 rising 0.09% to 7,050 in early trading on Thursday,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Stock Market Movements“Data suggests the FTSE 100 is the worst performing major stock market index in the first quarter of 2018, assuming no major changes to its...
29 March 2018
Four lessons to draw from 18¼ years of precisely zero from UK stocksA potential takeover bid for a fourth FTSE 100 stock is helping the index to try to cling on to the 7,000 mark, as Takeda’s plan to consider an offer for drug manufacturer Shire adds to the offers (hostile or otherwise) for GKN, Smurfit Kappa and Sky.
But that 7,000 mark is still awfully close to the 6,930.2 mark reached on 31 December 1999. This...
28 March 2018
FTSE back in the red, trading recovery for DFS Furniture and working capital issues weigh on Diploma“It’s a miserable day for the UK stock market with the FTSE 100 falling 0.8% to 6,942 in early trading, dragged down by weakness in oil, gas and mining stocks. Investors will be hoping that tomorrow’s session is better so the short trading week ends on a positive note,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
DFS Furniture“It is fair to say...
27 March 2018
FTSE in recovery mode, Glaxo cleans up, Ferguson beats expectations and AG Barr fizzes higher ahead of sugar tax“Big gains on Wall Street as easing trade tensions set the scene for the FTSE 100 to move sharply back towards the 7,000 mark on Tuesday morning,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
GlaxoSmithKline“ GlaxoSmithKline appears to be cleaning up its act and gaining a tighter focus on what it does best.
“We now know why it pulled out of the...
26 March 2018
JD Sports goes shopping, Restore makes largest ever acquisition and Speedy Hire beats expectations“After a terrible five days last week, the FTSE 100 is doing its best to claw back some of the lost territory with a 0.2% rise to 6,934 on Monday,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
JD Sports“Sports retailer JD Sports Fashion made a splash after announcing the $558m acquisition of US rival The Finish Line – giving it a real footprint...