27 October 2016
Debenhams, Barclays and BT“The FTSE100 was in negative territory in early trading after a mixed performance on Wall Street overnight and falls on Asia,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ Debenhams’ shares surged after a solid full year performance in line with forecasts. The high street giant, which is a bellwether for the retail sector, saw like-for-like...
26 October 2016
Apple’s earnings forecast highlights core challenge for the company“ Apple’s fourth-quarter figures may have beaten the analysts’ consensus forecasts but the sense of disappointment with the Californian’s firm’s guidance for the first-quarter of its new financial year is tangible, as shown by a share price drop in after-hours trading," says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Boss Tim Cook’s core challenge is...
26 October 2016
Lowland Investment CompanyIs it right for Lowland to continue being so heavily invested in industrial sector companies given the economy is late stage in its cycle?
On one hand the post-Brexit environment is quite reassuring. Markets have recovered to beyond pre-referendum peaks and data releases are, on the whole, upbeat. In the face of already extremely low interest...
26 October 2016
Lloyds, Antofagasta and Armadale“The FTSE100 opened in negative territory amid lower oil prices, and after falls on Wall Street and a mixed turn in Asia overnight. Crude oil prices fell after an API report revealed a significant build in US inventories,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Like Banquo’s ghost, the spectre of personal protection insurance claims...
25 October 2016
Carpetright, Anglo American and GKN“Equities tracked the positive session on Wall Street last night in early trading and with a comparatively slim corporate diary investors are looking to US consumer and economic confidence data this afternoon along with the Richmond Manufacturing Index,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ Carpetright’s shares fell in early trading...
24 October 2016
Begbies Traynor, Petra Diamonds and Chapel Down“The FTSE100 opened on the front foot after cautious gains in Asia overnight and a mixed US session on Friday with the market looking to eurozone manufacturing data out mid-morning,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Fears that June’s Brexit vote would take its toll on British businesses have been allayed by insolvency specialist...
21 October 2016
British American Tobacco, Laura Ashley and Acacia Mining“Blue-chips opened on the front foot after falls on Wall Street and a mixed Asia last night although Brexit, UK inflation and sterling's demise remain key factors in trader sentiment. On the economic front, UK's public-sector net borrowing figures are due out this morning, while an EU consumer confidence index is released this afternoon,” says AJ...
20 October 2016
A four-step method to check markets’ healthThe FTSE 100’s dash to a new intra-day all time high of 7,130 in early October may remain a source of bafflement to many investors, given the prevailing uncertainties in the UK across a range of issues, including monetary policy, the wider economy and Brexit.
Yet the UK market’s ability to climb a wall of worry is quite typical behaviour and it...
20 October 2016
RioTinto, Keller and Hayward Tyler“Equities opened lower after gains on Wall Street and in Asia, with sentiment undermined by ongoing Brexit jitters. Investors are looking to the European Central Bank's rate call soon after midday and a raft of US data including the Philly Fed's manufacturing index and the CB leading index,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Mining...
19 October 2016
Brexit hits home as inflation jumps“This week’s rise in inflation is the first real evidence of Brexit hitting people’s wallets as the price of restaurants, hotels, transport and alcohol starts to rise, taking headline consumer price inflation to 1.0% year-on-year, the fastest rate of growth since November 2014,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Marmitegate was the...
19 October 2016
BHP Billiton, Foxtons and Hotel Chocolat“Blue-chips edged lower in early trading following gains on Wall Street and a mixed performance in Asia with traders looking to unemployment-related data in the UK and latest building permit and housing starts in the US,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Mining and energy giants have been hit hard by the fall in commodity prices in...
18 October 2016
Bellway, Ryanair and Burberry“The FTSE100 opened on the front foot and broke through the 7000 barrier with shares in builders doing well following good results from Bellway,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Housebuilder Bellway had another record year as the British love affair with property remained as solid as ever. The number of homes sold rose by 12.5% to a...
17 October 2016
Ladbrokes, Gala Coral, Pearson and Anglo Asian“Blue-chips opened lower after mixed trading in Asia this morning and gains on Wall Street overnight on Friday, with traders looking to UK housing data and US industrial and manufacturing figures later today while fears over a ‘hard Brexit’ continue to weigh on sentiment,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Bookmakers Ladbrokes and Gala...
14 October 2016
Sterling’s slide to help decide the winners and losers Unilever’s clash with Tesco over the price of Marmite, ice-cream and other household products brings the issue of the pound’s decline and its possible impact into stark relief but the markets were already on a state of high alert.
Both the supermarket spat and early October’s split-second plummet in the pound to $1.18, its lowest level against...
14 October 2016
Elegant Hotels, Ashmore & Diamondcorp“The FTSE was up 40 points at 7,018 in early trading on Friday as the pound edges lower once more,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“We may grumble about an attempted 10% hike in the price of a jar of Marmite, but I’d bet most of us would inevitably hand over the cash. The same cannot be said about luxury holidays in the Caribbean...
13 October 2016
Pricing power: Tesco versus Unilever Marmite war is a timely reminder of a vital factor in stock selectionAt a time when investors are still wondering whether an inflationary recovery or deflationary downturn will be the ultimate endgame after seven years of unorthodox monetary policy, the bitter battle between Tesco and Unilever is a timely reminder of one vital factor in stock...
13 October 2016
Unilever / Tesco, WH Smith & Sports Direct“The FTSE 100 fell 0.7% at the market open with weakness in financial and mining stocks. Gold miners were the exception with the precious metal price staging a small recovery,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
“Pricing power is a sign of a great business and that’s exactly why you should look at Unilever’s spat with Tesco over attempts...
12 October 2016
Domino's Pizza, Premier Foods & Diamondcorp“The FTSE 100 is down 0.4% to 7,042.33 after weak trading in US and Asian markets overnight and as sterling recovers some ground,' says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Pizza delivery firm Domino's Pizza is down 1.8% at 366p despite serving up a perfectly respectable set of third quarter results. Tough comparatives with a stellar second...
11 October 2016
What now for Lloyds as retail share offer withdrawnIn early October, while on a trip to the USA, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced that the Government would again try to sell its final 9% stake in the Lloyds Banking Group. This immediately drove the shares down 4% and left private investors with a dilemma, as Hammond made it clear they would not be given chance to participate in...
11 October 2016
McCarthy & Stone, Prairie Mining & Pure Gym“The FTSE 100 is off to a fairly quiet start on a lack of big name corporate news, although keep an eye on sterling as it is moving down yet again which will be good for overseas earners but not for UK domestic stocks,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
"You sometimes wonder if the Brexit vote was a dream. After the initial shock...
10 October 2016
Randgold Resources, InnovaDerma & PetardsBlue-chip stocks are cautiously on the front foot, led by miners, following on from a softer Asian session and a lower Wall St on Friday," says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
"Sterling remains weak against both the dollar and euro as concerns about a so-called 'hard Brexit' continue to weigh on investor sentiment," he says.
“ Randgold...
6 October 2016
Is the oil rally for real?A series of drops in US oil inventories and the announcement that OPEC’s late-September Algerian summit could lead to production cuts are boosting the oil price, which is back above $50 a barrel.
This is good news for any investors with oil exposure in their portfolio, either directly or indirectly, and may even benefit the whole UK equity market.
...
6 October 2016
easyJet, DFS Furniture and Dunelm“Blue-chips failed to track rises on Wall Street and in Asia and were marginally down in early trading with the market looking to the European Central Bank's monetary policy meeting accounts and US jobs data later,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The post-EU referendum slump in sterling is taking its toll on low-cost airline easyJet...
5 October 2016
Tesco, DP Poland and Kodal Minerals“The FTSE100 slipped back slightly after falls on Wall Street and despite a further fall in the plummeting pound,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“ Tesco’s shares soared following its return to sales growth with a like-for-like improvement in all regions across the group. But while the supermarket giant’s tills have kept ringing it...
4 October 2016
Greggs, AstraZeneca and Wizz Air“The FTSE100 broke through the psychologically important 7000 barrier in early trading with blue-chip multinationals set to benefit from the plummeting pound,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Bakery giant Greggs topped the FTSE250 board after a bullish third quarter update. Total sales were up 5.6% with the group’s summer menu proving...