Shares & the stock market

14 April 2026

European equity markets pushed higher on talk that US and Iranian negotiation teams would continue peace talks later this week.

Brent Crude oil fell to $98 a barrel on renewed hopes of a path towards peace, helping to improve investor sentiment and rev up risk appetite. Miners and airlines were in demand, while oil producers slipped back.

Investors...

13 April 2026

The failure of initial talks between the US and Iran cannot be counted as a huge eye-opener, but Donald Trump’s threat to launch a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz might not have been on the market’s bingo card.

Investors are trying to gauge whether a fragile ceasefire will hold, and they are waiting to see the next moves from Tehran and...

13 April 2026

The price of energy has rocketed since the beginning of March, as one of the world’s biggest shipping routes for oil and gas, the Strait of Hormuz, has effectively been blocked.

This increase has quickly been seen at places like the fuel pump, as the price of petrol rose by 15% in the UK throughout the month of March. Companies like BP and Shell...

10 April 2026

A strong finish on Wall Street on Thursday and an advance in Asian stocks on Friday set the tone for steady trading in Europe as attention turns to Pakistan-brokered peace talks between the US and Iran.

The ceasefire agreement announced earlier this week has felt fragile at times, although news that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has...

10 April 2026

Wall Street enjoyed a healthy bounce following the announcement of a temporary ceasefire in the Middle East. The technology-led Nasdaq Composite and smaller companies-focused Russell 2000 index led the gains.

These interest rate sensitive parts are of the market were buoyed by a fall in 10-year government bond yields.

The odds of interest rate...

9 April 2026

There is an air of renewed nervousness pervading financial markets after the euphoria which was initially prompted by the US-Iran ceasefire.

This agreement already seems to be fraying at the edges – with continued strikes by Israel on Lebanon a key sticking point. With talks on a lasting deal yet to begin it’s understandable that investors are...

9 April 2026

Markets have felt like wild ride so far this year. But, when we look at the returns for many of the main markets since the start of 2026 then, by the standards of someone who follows markets for a living, the picture doesn’t look so dramatic.

The MSCI World dropped by 1.7% from the start of the year to the end of March, making for a negative first...

8 April 2026

Investors’ wish for a ceasefire has been granted, triggering a rally across financial markets and pulling down the oil price.

The positive market reaction is understandable as a two-week ceasefire raises hope for a complete end to the conflict. Markets have been clouded by multiple kinds of uncertainty, from fears of higher inflation and rising...

7 April 2026

Markets were steady with investors largely non-committal as they await the apparent cliff-edge deadline imposed by the Trump administration.

President Trump’s threats widespread strikes on Iran if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by the early hours of tomorrow morning UK time, if taken at face value, create the conditions for a binary set of...

2 April 2026

Investors didn’t get what they wanted from President Trump’s address to the American people and have reacted accordingly.

Famously, uncertainty is kryptonite for the markets and between the contradictory messages from Trump, disputed claims on both sides, and the lack of clarity on a plan which can provide a resolution to the conflict they are...

2 April 2026

While some market crises seem to be limited to a single country or region, others are happy to rope everyone in. In the past month, it’s become increasingly clear that the war in Iran is a crisis that’s not leaving anyone out. Jumps in energy prices caused by the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have investors scrambling to determine what...

1 April 2026

The market appears increasingly optimistic that an end to the war in Iran is in the offing as big gains in the US and Asia were matched in Europe on Wednesday morning.

The FTSE 100 is now firmly ensconced above the 10,000 mark and nearly 5% above its lows last week while Brent crude oil prices have dropped below $100 per barrel. European gas prices...

31 March 2026

The FTSE 100 consolidated Monday’s gains to stand firmly above the 10,000 mark as investors continue to weigh competing narratives over the Iran conflict.

Wall Street saw selling yesterday and Asian shares were weaker on Tuesday but European markets responded positively to suggestions President Trump is mulling an exit from the war.

Reportedly this...

30 March 2026

Market nervousness around the situation in the Middle East continues to ratchet up as the Iran conflict enters a fifth week.

Comments from President Trump about seizing Iranian oil and the country’s Kharg Island export hub, a build-up of US troops and the involvement of Tehran-backed Houthis in the war all create the impression of a conflict that...

28 March 2026

Bitcoin has become a catch-all term for all things cryptocurrency, an asset which has captured investors' attention for the best part of two decades. Yet it's an investment which has largely been shunned by professionals in the fund manager space.

Launched in 2009 by the anonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto as a rebellion to the traditional banking...

26 March 2026

Investors have eagerly awaited a ceasefire in the Middle East this week but once again there are mixed messages from the US and Iran, leaving markets confused. Momentum has been lost across the main European stock indices and oil has edged higher, meaning it’s still a waiting game.

The FTSE 100 dipped 0.7% to 10,036, dragged down by several big...

25 March 2026

European markets moved higher in early trading on Wednesday, despite conflicting messages about the Middle East crisis.

The FTSE 100 moved back through the 10,000 level, led by banks and miners. Oil prices remained volatile as talk of a potential peace plan was offset by ongoing strikes in the Middle East and reports of the US sending more troops...

25 March 2026

One of the striking market reactions to the US-Iranian conflict is the sharp reversal in interest rate expectations as investors anticipate the potential inflationary impacts of energy supply disruptions.

UK markets were expecting two interest rate cuts over the next 12 months from the Bank of England in late February, but just three weeks after...

24 March 2026

Investors will be relieved to see further gains for European stocks after recent market turmoil.

It implies some faith on the part of markets that an off-ramp can be found for all parties in the Iran conflict before the economic damage becomes too acute.

Asian indices were higher, taking their lead from yesterday’s bounce back in the US and Europe...

23 March 2026

The risk dial has been turned up again on the Middle East conflict, causing widespread turbulence on financial markets.

Donald Trump imposing a tight deadline changed the narrative for markets. Up until yesterday, investors were unsettled by activities but hoped the US president would eventually back down.

Trump telling Iran it had 48 hours to open...

21 March 2026

As of the close on Thursday (19 March), the FTSE 350 Banks sector index was down by 6% in 2026.

That leaves the sector ranked just 24th out of the 38 industrial sectors that make up the FTSE 350 overall, which is a huge contrast to 2025 when Banks ranked third behind only Precious Metals & Mining and Aerospace & Defence – and indeed the last five...

20 March 2026

US stock markets fell for the third consecutive week as tensions in the Middle East escalated, while bond yields went up on inflation fears.

The Federal Reserve’s interest rate meeting saw policy makers vote 11-to-one to keep rates unchanged with Trump appointee Stephen Miran, once more, calling for a rate cut.

The central bank also revealed its...

20 March 2026

A small rebound in European stock markets brought a sense of relief to the end of a turbulent week.

Oil prices eased back and the FTSE 100 advanced 0.5% to 10,113 thanks to a solid showing from banks and miners – the two main culprits for Thursday’s market weakness.

Unilever sprung to life as talk about selling its food brands intensified. The...