21 March 2025
Daily market update: JD Sports, Nike, ASOS, Wetherspoons“The FTSE 100 fell after more selling on Wall Street overnight and weakness in Asia as the Bank of China kept rates unchanged. This put pressure on the mining space given heavy Chinese consumption of commodities,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
“Among the fallers was JD Sports Fashion as the retailer reacted to weak results from Nike...
20 March 2025
Russ Mould: What to expect from Bellway, Kingfisher & Next when they report next weekAJ Bell Investment Director, Russ Mould gives a rundown of the companies scheduled to report next week (week commencing: 24 March 2025), along with what to expect from housebuilder Bellway, DIY expert Kingfisher and retailer Next.
20 March 2025
The changes we've made to the Favourite funds listWe keep our Favourite funds list under constant review to ensure we have the highest conviction in the funds we’ve selected. Following a recent review, we’ve added the Schroder Asian Alpha Plus fund and removed the Fidelity Asia and Schroder European funds.
In Asia, we’ve chosen to add the Schroder Asian Alpha Plus fund because of its strong...
20 March 2025
Daily market update: Wickes, Bloomsbury Publishing, Crest Nicholson“The market seems to like the Fed’s current take on events, with Wall Street having enjoyed a decent session last night and futures prices implying more of the same today,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“No change to US interest rates was expected, as was a more cautious outlook with reduced growth forecasts. While no-one wants a...
19 March 2025
Daily market update: FTSE 100, gold, Haleon, Rio Tinto“The FTSE 100 was lower on Wednesday after selling resumed in the US overnight with airlines and miners among those taking a step back,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Investors will be keenly awaiting the Federal Reserve’s meeting later today. The central bank is widely anticipated to keep rates on hold. There will be considerable...
18 March 2025
Daily market update: gold, UK tech shares, Trustpilot, Close Brothers“The FTSE 100’s recovery from a dip earlier this month continued with pace,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Investor risk appetite is tentatively returning, as evidenced by miners leading the charge and people buying the recent dip in retailers. However, investors aren’t diving headfirst into the deep end. They’re taking things...
17 March 2025
Daily market update: QinetiQ, AstraZeneca“The FTSE 100 was steady on Monday despite the Trump administration disappointing hopes for a UK carve-out in tariff plans, saying there would be no exemptions to the levies on aluminium and steel,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Resources stocks were higher after figures from China showed an uptick in retail sales as it looks to...
14 March 2025
US stocks enter ‘correction’ territory while Tesla crashesAnother turbulent week on Wall Street saw one trillion dollars wiped off the value of the Nasdaq 100 on Monday (10 March), with the index registering its biggest one-day fall since October 2022, while the S&P 500 suffered its worst fortnight in two years with back-to-back weekly losses of more than 3%, entering ‘correction’ territory.
Markets...
14 March 2025
Daily market update: Berkeley, BMW“The FTSE 100 looked set to end the week on a positive note, supported by sterling weakness after an unexpected drop in UK GDP,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“While Wall Street entered official correction territory overnight, Asian stocks shrugged off this weakness as Chinese authorities introduced measures aimed at boosting...
13 March 2025
Daily market update: Hornby, DFS, C&C, Trainline, Deliveroo“Investors remain on the edge of their seat as they weigh up the impact of tariffs and whether ceasefire talks will yield an agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Despite a small bounce-back last night on Wall Street, nervousness prevailed across Asia and Europe on Thursday,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The FTSE 100 was the...
12 March 2025
$1.57 trillion wiped off value of the Magnificent Seven so far this year while Meta becomes the Lone RangerAn astonishing $1.57 trillion has been wiped off the value of the Magnificent Seven year-to-date. Six of the seven stocks have fallen in value, with Meta the only one to produce a positive return. Meta has become the Lone Ranger, representing a significant turning point for the tech collective.
Other labels slapped on popular stocks including...
12 March 2025
Russ Mould: How interest rate decisions affect investment marketsWhy it is important to keep a close eye on central bank policy decisions.
12 March 2025
Daily market update: Inditex, Legal & General, 4imprint, Porsche“The winds keep blowing in different directions on tariffs that it is impossible for markets to establish the lay of the land,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Donald Trump keeps moving the goal post and investors are getting fed up. Metal tariffs are today’s special on the menu and they’ve been a major catalyst for many of...
11 March 2025
Daily market update: Persimmon, Boohoo / Debenhams, Domino’s Pizza“Investors took a moment to catch their breath after dramatic declines on global markets yesterday,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Wall Street suffered a big hit as investors panicked that Donald Trump’s policies could lead the US into a recession. Asian and European markets were already jittery ahead of Wall Street opening...
10 March 2025
Daily market update: BP, Assura / Alliance Pharma, WH Smith“The FTSE 100 slipped lower in early trading on Monday as fears about deflation in China and a recession in the US took air out of the market’s balloon,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Resource stocks were lower as figures showed the inflation rate went negative in China in February. China’s domestic demand was weak, which will...
7 March 2025
Tariffs spark tech sell-off as Klarna plots $15 billion IPOInvestors on Wall Street were affected by uncertainty over president Donald Trump’s trade policy this week.
After initially announcing immediate broad-based tariffs on neighbouring countries Canada and Mexico, exemptions for carmakers were introduced before other industries were given respite amid suggestions tariffs could be rolled back entirely.
...
7 March 2025
Daily market update: Walgreens Boots Alliance, housebuilders, Broadcom“More uncertainty around tariffs has weighed on global stock markets,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Even though Donald Trump has made more goods exempt from tariffs on Canada and Mexico, it’s the constant tinkering that’s upset investors.
“If Trump had stuck to his guns, companies could have planned adjustments accordingly and...
6 March 2025
Russ Mould: Updates from an informative UK reporting seasonRuss Mould delves into the ongoing UK reporting season, highlighting positive earnings surprises and dividend increases. He provides a detailed analysis of upcoming results from key companies, including Persimmon, Legal & General, and OSB.
6 March 2025
Cracks in the AI story: worst performing shares this year include semiconductor firms and cloud computing providersAssociation with AI was the ticket to share price success in 2023 and 2024 as investors got excited about the technology revolution. The opposite is now playing out, with AI association being more of a hindrance than a help.
Cracks are appearing in the AI story as expectations are reined in. As with all ‘next big thing’ events, people expect the...
6 March 2025
Daily market update: Reckitt, ITV, Pepco, Melrose Industries“The FTSE 100 slumped on Thursday despite mining stocks enjoying strong gains on hopes of a reprieve on tariffs and expectations China will launch a big stimulus package,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The UK’s flagship index was dragged lower as several big names traded without the right to their next dividend and some corporate...
5 March 2025
Daily market update: Games Workshop, Adidas, CrowdStrike“European and Asian markets were on the front foot on Wednesday amid hopes that Donald Trump might partially wind back tariffs if deals could be struck with Canada and Mexico,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Investors are looking for any signs that Trump is open to deals rather than doling out tariffs and refusing to listen. US...
4 March 2025
Daily market update: Greggs, Ashtead“Donald Trump forged a reputation for being Mr Unpredictable during his first term as US president. This time he’s on a mission to do something dramatic on a daily basis and markets continue to be taken aback by the pace and ferocity of his decisions. He is sending a clear message to the world: ‘Don’t mess with Donald’,” says Russ Mould, Investment...
3 March 2025
Daily market update: Cryptocurrencies, Mixue Ice Cream and Tea, Bunzl“Investors were remarkably calm given a whirlwind of geopolitical events over the past three days,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Donald Trump accusing Volodymyr Zelenskyy of ‘gambling with World War Three’ could have easily triggered chaos on the markets, particularly as the meeting didn’t play out as expected. The fiery...
28 February 2025
US markets slump on Nvidia and tariff threatIt was a tough week for US markets and technology stocks in particular as concern about tariffs mounted and Nvidia's latest earnings failed to impress.
Big losses for the Nasdaq Composite put the tech-heavy index in the red for the year, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which has a lower weighting towards the sector, traded only modestly...
28 February 2025
Daily market update: International Consolidated Airlines, Dell, Rightmove“The countdown to Trump’s tariffs coming into force is now in the final few days and investors have got the jitters,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Trump likes to make threats and stand his ground, hoping the other side blinks first and doesn’t put up a fight. The tariff recipient countries will be working hard over the weekend...