22 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets steady on ceasefire extension, JD Sports, Shoe ZoneThe FTSE 100 was steady after an extension to the ceasefire between the US and Iran.
Mixed messages from Donald Trump, and an insistence that a US blockade of Iran will continue, mean investors are still playing a guessing game. Suggestions from the Iranian side that they will not attend today’s talks in Pakistan and an attack on a container ship...
22 April 2026
Why three markets haven't reacted how we might expect to conflictMarkets are fickle. Even if we knew exactly what was going to happen in the world before they did, it’s another matter entirely to guess what the reaction would be. Investors in gold, bonds and US equities might currently be experiencing a bit of shock at how markets have performed this year.
This can be unnerving. We expect assets to follow a...
21 April 2026
How the bumper US rally compares with previous two-week surgesMarkets scaled new all-time highs recently following a ceasefire in the Middle East and hopes that a lasting resolution in imminent.
The S&P 500 has now gained roughly 12% in just two weeks, one of the steepest rises ever seen over that timeframe. (For clarity this encompasses the trading days within a two-week period rather than 14 trading days)...
21 April 2026
Daily market update: new CEO for Apple, British Land, Associated British FoodEuropean markets trod water in early trading as investors waited for the next update on US-Iran peace talks.
Oil prices remained below $100 a barrel which suggests cautious optimism that the Middle East conflict won’t intensify. However, the longer oil remains in the 90s range (currently $95), the higher the chance of an inflationary shock and a...
20 April 2026
Daily market update: Stocks slip back, oil above $90, Evoke, FTSE 100It appears last week’s market enthusiasm over the Strait of Hormuz reopening may have been premature.
Events over the weekend have left the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington looking as fragile as ever.
The Strait was open for just a day before the US seizure of an Iranian vessel. The continuing blockade of the country’s ports over the weekend...
17 April 2026
Daily market update: S&P 500 has increased, Asian and European markets, IntertekCrisis, what crisis? In forging ahead to new all-time highs on Thursday night, the S&P 500 has now increased by $1.5 trillion in value since the Iran war began.
While other global indices aren’t quite as buoyant – Asian stocks largely easing back in their latest trading sessions and European shares starting Friday modestly lower – most of the falls...
17 April 2026
I want £500 in yearly dividends – how much do I need to invest?What total would you have to invest in the stock market to get £500 worth of dividends every year?
This is the amount you can earn in dividends and not pay tax on them. Though if you have a larger dividend income from your investments than this amount you can shield the income from HMRC by holding them within an ISA or SIPP.
It depends where you...
17 April 2026
Retail investors set to get more choice in corporate bondsRetail investors could soon have greater choice among corporate bonds. Three bonds from London Stock Exchange Group are now available to the public, and more bonds could follow suit in the coming months by other companies.
Historically, corporate bonds required minimum investment amounts beyond the reach of individuals. That is now changing. While...
17 April 2026
Sainsbury results preview: can grocery stocks hold up?Sainsbury results are in focus as UK grocery stocks face rising cost pressures and competition.
Here’s what investors should watch as Tesco hits record highs and the retail sector faces uncertainty.
With Sainsbury set to report full-year results, this video explores whether the recent strength in UK food retailers can continue. While supermarket...
17 April 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: US stocks hit record highs, Netflix slumpsUS markets continued their march upwards led by renewed enthusiasm for AI stocks and supported by growing optimism over a peaceful solution in the Middle East.
The S&P 500 breached 7,000 points for the first time with new all-time highs also seen in the Nasdaq Composite and Russell 2000 indices.
The S&P 500 has now gained 10% in just over 11...
16 April 2026
What kind of returns can I expect on my investments?This is the million pound question. Unfortunately, it comes with the answer that it’s impossible to know how your money will perform in the future.
Regardless of what you invest in, there’s simply no guarantee you will profit. However, we can look at what has happened in the past and learn some lessons from earlier investors. Just remember that...
16 April 2026
Daily market update: China growth lifts miners, Tesco, EasyJet, DunelmFor the most part, markets are still clinging to hopes of a resolution to the Middle East conflict, with a decent advance in the US and Asia followed up by more modest gains in Europe .
Miners did some heavy lifting for the FTSE 100 after Chinese GDP growth hit its 5% target in the first quarter despite the disruption from the Iran war. This is...
15 April 2026
UK stocks delivering good news you may have missedIt has been easy to miss UK companies delivering better than expected earnings and upgrading full-year outlooks in the last month of volatile market trading.
Yet despite the turmoil, in some cases, these positive bits of news led to double-digit share price increases and prompted analysts to upgrade their earnings estimates.
This is interesting...
15 April 2026
Tired of the markets? How to take a break without losing outIf you’ve been following the markets this year, you’re likely exhausted. Investing veterans will know that trying to anticipate each market rise and fall is often a lost cause, but it can be hard to let it go when your investments are tied to important life goals, like buying a home or retiring.
Is taking a break okay?It feels unnatural to take a...
15 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets edge higher, ASML, Barratt RedrowMarkets appear to be more optimistic about a Middle East peace deal, with stocks edging higher across Asia and Europe.
Despite the advance in equities, there was still a slight sense of nervousness as there remains considerable uncertainty over a successful outcome from peace negotiations.
Investors seem happy to dip their toe in the water again...
14 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets higher, BP, Intertek, Novo Nordisk, Imperial BrandsEuropean 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
Daily market update: Markets slip, Strait of Hormuz blockade, Vistry, Heathrow, LidlThe 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
What's happening to clean energy as oil soars?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
Daily market update: European markets steady, peace talks, AO joyA 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
Martin Gamble on US markets: Ceasefire bounce and Netflix previewWall 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
Discover the UK market’s inflation-busting dividend growersDividends play a crucial role in wealth creation. A study by Hartford Funds showed they contribute almost half of shareholder total returns (share price gains plus dividends) over the long run.
Some of the best shareholder returns are generated by companies that can consistently grow dividends ahead of inflation. These tend to be high-quality...
9 April 2026
UK utilities stocks: Russ Mould on defensive sectorsUK utilities stocks are back in focus as investors look for stability in uncertain markets. In this video, we explore why defensive sectors like utilities are outperforming and what it could mean for your portfolio.
With geopolitical tensions influencing inflation and interest rate expectations, utilities are once again being viewed as a potential...
9 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets retreat, ME Group, Asda, UniqloThere 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
Sitting on losses? Why cashing out typically isn’t the right moveMarkets 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
Daily market update: Markets rally on ceasefire, ShellInvestors’ 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...
