3 October 2025
Daily market update: FTSE 100 hits fresh all-time high, cost pressures hit WetherspoonThe FTSE 100 reached new record highs in early trading on Friday as investors shrugged off concerns about the US government shutdown.
News of OpenAI’s valuation reaching $500 billion, making it the world’s most valuable private company, helped fire enthusiasm in the tech sector and push US indices to new records yesterday.
There is growing...
3 October 2025
US stocks hit records on AI as government shutdown shrugged off, Nike steps up its recoveryDespite the feared US government shutdown coming to pass, investors have shrugged off the news as Wall Street indices have reached fresh record levels.
The focus instead has been on the continued buzz around the AI sector as OpenAI’s latest fundraise revealed its valuation had hit a record level for a private company at $500 billion.
Stocks linked...
3 October 2025
Russ Mould: What to look out for in the UK real estate investment trust spaceAJ Bell Investment Director, Russ Mould dives into the world of real estate investment trusts, specifically looking at UNITE who publish third-quarter results next week.
2 October 2025
UK active fund managers bounce back in historic year for the stock marketIn the battle of the manager versus the machine, humans have been punching above their weight with UK funds so far this year. In both the UK All Companies and UK Equity Income categories, the top 10 performers were dominated by actively managed funds.
Fund managers will be jumping for joy given the active fund industry has faced growing criticism...
2 October 2025
Daily market update: OpenAI, Tesco, Thames Water, stamp duty holidayYesterday, the FTSE 100 bucked a weak market open by rising above its peers in Europe. Today, it’s done the opposite, says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
Strength among financials and miners wasn’t enough to offset weakness in utilities, tobacco and energy stocks.
Experian’s shares tumbled after the emergence of a new competitive...
1 October 2025
Daily market update: Diversified Energy, Nike, Taylor Wimpey, Topps TilesThe US government shutdown has left investors wondering what might happen next, with a minor pullback on European equity markets and weaker futures prices for Wall Street, says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell. The FTSE 100 bucked the negative trend, rising 0.4% thanks to a surge in pharmaceutical stocks.
AstraZeneca, Hikma and GSK...
30 September 2025
Daily market update: gold, Smith & Nephew, Royal Mail, ASOS, AG BarrThe FTSE 100 was lower on Tuesday as investors started to fret about the prospect of a government shutdown in Washington, says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Relations between the Democrats and Republicans are frostier than an Alaska morning, so markets are not confident on the prospects of agreeing a deal before midnight tonight.
One of...
29 September 2025
Daily market update: FTSE 100, gold, GSK, AstraZenecaThe FTSE 100 was firmly higher on Monday after the market took reassurance from Friday’s reading of US inflation, says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
The fact the PCE number – closely followed by the Federal Reserve when making interest rate decisions – came in bang in line with expectations helped create a positive mood on Wall Street...
26 September 2025
Rates uncertainty sees US markets slip, OpenAI and Nvidia unveil $100 billion tie-upUS stocks hit rockier waters as we moved into autumn with mixed messages on interest rates, new tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty all weighing on sentiment.
Initial excitement early in the week about the $100 billion tie-up between OpenAI and Nvidia faded as concern built over potential antitrust issues. Though Intel, which inked its own deal...
26 September 2025
Daily market update: new tariffs, TikTok, PennonThere was a peculiar end to the week for financial markets as Asian indices were in the red while European indices moved higher, says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
Asia was dragged down by weakness in pharmaceutical stocks as investors worried that numerous players would be caught up in a twist to Trump’s tariff regime.
There was also...
26 September 2025
Russ Mould: A look at Greggs, Tesco & JD Wetherspoon ahead of their forthcoming resultsAJ Bell Investment Director, Russ Mould takes an in depth look at a selection of UK company updates expected next week, focusing on Greggs, Tesco & JD Wetherspoon.
25 September 2025
Fed up of chasing the next big thing? These stocks have stood the test of timeIt’s been hard to avoid the chatter about AI stocks, debating whether the companies live up to lofty valuations or if it’s a bubble waiting to burst. Even though returns from many tech stocks in the past few years have been remarkable, it doesn’t mean they are the right choice for all investors.
Instead, some may be more comfortable with companies...
25 September 2025
Daily market update: Mitchells & Butlers, H&M, Babcock, DFSThere was a sea of red across European markets as healthcare, real estate, financials and industrial stocks were out of fashion, says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
Weakness in names such as HSBC and AstraZeneca would suggest a more cautious tone among investors, but not a complete shift in sentiment.
Futures prices imply progress for...
24 September 2025
Daily market update: JD Sports, Greggs, Alibaba, Beauty TechThe FTSE 100 was off to a poor start on Wednesday, taking its cue from losses in the US overnight as Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell painted a mixed picture on the outlook for interest rates, says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Powell’s measured take, as he seeks to balance risks posed by inflation and a stuttering labour market, was...
23 September 2025
Daily market update: OpenAI-Nvidia tie-up, Kenvue, Kingfisher, Raspberry PiThe FTSE 100 ticked higher on Tuesday as US shares were higher despite the hoo-ha around visa fees, says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
Helping to draw focus from this issue was Nvidia’s $100 billion tie-up with OpenAI which helped US indices and some Asian markets to new record levels.
There was a split of opinion on whether this...
22 September 2025
Daily market update: FTSE 100, gold, airport cyberattackLike a teenager still adjusting to being back at school, the FTSE 100’s recent lethargy continued as the index traded lower at the start of the new trading week, says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
US indices may have clawed their way to new record highs last Friday and the Nikkei 225 bounced back on Monday, but UK stocks were held back by...
19 September 2025
What to expect from FTSE 100 dividends this yearThe FTSE 100 has performed well so far in 2025 and has hit new highs. That share price success might have delivered capital gains for investors but also means the prospective dividend yield is less attractive, currently offering 3.3%.
Dividend yields are calculated by expressing the expected dividend per share as a percentage of the current share...
19 September 2025
US indices hit record highs on rate cut, Intel boosted by Nvidia investmentWhile it was accompanied by some mixed messages, news of the first rate cut from the Federal Reserve this year was still enough to push all the major US indices to new record highs.
It was notable that the 25-basis point cut, with recent Trump appointee Stephan Miran the lone dissenter pushing for 50 basis points, gave the biggest boost to the more...
19 September 2025
Daily market update: public sector finances, UK retail sales, TikTok, Live NationThe FTSE 100 was steady on Friday morning as US indices reached record highs overnight before news from Japan inspired some modest selling in Asia, says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
While the Bank of Japan kept rates on hold last night there were two dissenters pushing for a hike and this offered a hint the central bank might phase out...
19 September 2025
Russ Mould - A look at Smiths Group, Kingfisher and JD Sports ahead of their forthcoming resultsJoin Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director, as he provides an overview of the key company results and trading updates to watch out for in the week ahead. With a focus on Smiths Group , Kingfisher , and JD Sports Fashion , Russ discusses the expected performance and financial guidance for these FTSE 100 firms.
18 September 2025
UK IPOs lag the US by volume, but the potential pipeline looks interestingA surge in the number of companies joining the stock market – known as IPOs or initial public offerings – in the US bodes well for an uplift in UK stock market listings as we head towards 2026.
It implies investors are eager to embrace new opportunities on the stock market, and they’re no longer panicking about the impact of tariffs and any...
18 September 2025
Fund managers turn their back on UK and European markets in favour of US sharesThe big rotation from the US stock market to cheaper regions such as the UK, Europe and emerging markets may have peaked, judging by what fund managers are saying around the world.
At the start of 2025 we saw a shift in investor behaviour as many people expressed concern about the outlook for the US economy and policies being adopted by the Trump...
18 September 2025
Daily market update: central banks, gold, Next, InspecsWhile the rate cut machine has whirred back into action for the US, it’s expected to remain idle in the UK for a bit longer, says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
Central banks have a key focus on two things: inflation and the jobs market. They raise interest rates if inflation or the economy are looking too hot and cut if the economy...
17 September 2025
Daily market update: GSK, AstraZeneca, Barratt Redrow, UnileverIt’s the big day investors have been anticipating all year – the first likely rate cut from the Federal Reserve in 2025. It’s a question of how much, not if, says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
The market expects a quarter percentage point cut in recognition of a cooling jobs market. That result could help financial markets to keep...
16 September 2025
Daily market update: Nvidia, TikTok, Unilever, KierA barrage of US companies are expected to announce big investments in the UK to coincide with Donald Trump’s state visit, says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
They are guaranteed widespread publicity and will likely please Trump by making the US look good.
Google-owner Alphabet is the latest name in the frame, with news it will spend £5...
