Shares & the stock market

26 January 2026

There may not be any big geopolitical news to rival last week’s Greenland drama, but internal tensions in the US are helping to keep precious metals prices elevated.

Gold has moved through $5,000 for the first time – showing investors are still seeking out the traditional haven for some insurance against what remains a febrile backdrop.

In less...

24 January 2026

For many investors dividends are a good source of income, but they can also be a good source of capital growth. Long-term studies have shown that dividends have contributed more than half of the stock market’s total return.

This shows that reinvesting dividends is crucial for maximising shareholder returns and compounding wealth. Even for investors...

23 January 2026

It’s a calmer end to a chaotic week on the markets.

While it looks like a crisis has been averted, investors’ patience has been well and truly tested.

Gold nudged ahead to trade ever closer to $5,000 an ounce as investors were reluctant to let go of their safety blanket, just in case Donald Trump woke up with another controversial idea.

The FTSE...

23 January 2026

What was shaping up to be a disaster of a week for US indices, curtailed by Martin Luther King Day, turned out instead to be at worst mixed.

President Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on European countries over Greenland and hints at the use of military force to acquire the territory if it wasn’t possible to do so by other means put markets on...

23 January 2026

Donald Trump’s moves on Greenland threatened to cause the biggest upset on financial market since last April’s Liberation Day, an event that knocked shares for six.

Fortunately, a U-turn on 21 January by the US president subsequently brought a sense of calm. It was good reminder for investors to not panic in times of turmoil.

It’s fascinating to...

22 January 2026

Activist investor Saba’s latest setback in its push for change in the investment trust universe is unlikely to be the end of the story. The disruptor has lost in its campaign to reform Edinburgh Worldwide but it still has holdings in plenty more trusts.

AJ Bell’s inaugural report on activists in the investment trust world shows Saba has stakes in...

22 January 2026

Donald Trump’s TACO bell has rung once again, much to the joy of financial markets.

Trump has form in chickening out of his threats, and investors are pleased he confirmed no plans to use military action to take Greenland or to impose new tariffs on parts of Europe.

Following a strong session for Wall Street last night, Asian and European markets...

21 January 2026

The FTSE 100 held up in early trading on Wednesday despite a rebound in UK inflation and continued uncertainty over Greenland.

The hope will be that some form of compromise can be found as Donald Trump meets with European leaders and speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

After a difficult day on Wall Street yesterday, US futures point to a...

20 January 2026

Despite a difficult start to the week it feels like the market is still in wait-and-see mode over whether there will be a full-blown trade war between the US and Europe.

Since the market close last Friday, the French and German flagship indices are down 2.5% and 2.3%, partly thanks to French luxury goods firms’ and German carmakers’ substantial...

19 January 2026

A big reason lots of people invest in the stock market is to get income and funds are a popular option because they offer the added benefit of diversification.

Unlike when you invest in an individual company, which can pause or cancel its dividend at a management team’s discretion, the risk of your income stream being meaningfully disrupted is much...

19 January 2026

Plot out the timeline of policy announcements since Trump returned to the White House and it’s longer than the Bayeux Tapestry.

Financial markets have been subjected to a barrage of heavy-hitting decisions by Trump during his second term, with endless twists and turns. A new tougher stance on tariffs towards parts of Europe in Trump’s quest to own...

16 January 2026

This week got off to an inauspicious start after the Justice Department served Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell with a subpoena, threatening a criminal indictment.

In a highly unusual turn of events Powell gave a public statement and video where he accused the administration of political pressure and putting the independence of the Fed under...

16 January 2026

Investors have been kept on their toes year-to-date with non-stop geopolitical issues, and mixed messages from the business world. A quieter day on the corporate reporting calendar gave investors a chance to catch their breath and take stock of events.

European indices quietened down, with small losses in the UK, France, Spain, and Germany. Asia...

15 January 2026

The UK stock market was flat despite positive GDP news.

The FTSE 100 is not a direct play on the UK economy given the multitude of overseas earners. The flat performance was a result of gains in financials and industrials being offset by weakness in oil producers and miners.

Brent crude fell by 3.2% to $64.40, a substantially larger movement than...

15 January 2026

Tuesday 20 January 2026 marks one year since Donald Trump returned to the White House. It’s been a testing period for consumers and businesses, amid extraordinary levels of unpredictable behaviour by the president which have had consequences globally.

Trump’s decisions have shaken up the status quo and put the world on a different path. Financial...

14 January 2026

The FTSE 100 is going from strength to strength, hitting yet another new record high.

The blue-chip index of UK stocks hit 10,171 in early trading, propelled by a good spread of industries. Endeavour Mining was boosted by ongoing strength in the gold price, with the metal hitting $4,639 per ounce. Gold has become an investor favourite over the past...

13 January 2026

The FTSE 100 held steady just below its recent record highs early on Tuesday despite the ongoing geopolitical tensions which have been a feature of 2026 so far.

This followed a new record for the Nikkei 225 overnight in Japan. A weak yen, which boosts an export-reliant economy, and the possibility of increased stimulus helped generate significant...

12 January 2026

Markets dipped as investors feared about the independence of the Federal Reserve.

US prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into Fed chair Jay Powell over a renovation of the central bank’s headquarters. Powell implied the root of the issue was the Fed’s refusal to cut interest rates as fast as Trump wants, rather than any matters involving...

10 January 2026

The price of copper and oil have tended to move in lockstep historically as both have been barometers of the health of the global economy. Both commodities, sometimes namechecked as ‘Dr. Copper’ and ‘Dr. Oil’ are pro-cyclical, which means they thrive at times of economic expansion.

That connection seems to have broken down of late with copper...

9 January 2026

The FTSE 100 solidified its position above 10,000 on Friday after a mixed week which has seen the index attain fresh record levels.

The mood music around UK stocks remains positive, even if Christmas updates from the retail sector have not inspired too much cheer – a downbeat update from the British Retail Consortium on footfall only adding to the...

9 January 2026

The UK stock market hit a new high at the start of 2026, with the FTSE 100 index breaking through the 10,000 level for the first time and extending last year’s solid run. The 25.8% total return from the FTSE 100 in 2025 was the fifth best year for the UK index since inception in 1984.

US strikes on Venezuela on 3 January 2026 failed to derail the...

9 January 2026

US markets made a positive start to 2026 with gains seen across the board and new all-time highs for the S&P 500 index and the small cap Russell 2000 index, which gained almost 4%.

Investors were bombarded with a raft of macroeconomic data which showed US services activity expanding in December at the fastest pace in more than a year, notching up...