Shares & the stock market

13 May 2025

“The party didn’t last long,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.

“Having seen a strong start to the week on global markets following trade talks between the US and China, the rally has petered out. European markets were generally flat on Tuesday, big chunks of Asia pulled back, while futures prices imply a soggy start to trading on...

12 May 2025

Oil producers, pharmaceutical companies and Vietnam-focused investment trusts have been left behind on the UK stock market as shares rebound across the world following the Liberation Day-triggered sell-off.

Most of the major indices globally have clawed back all the lost territory since Trump’s 2 April speech sent shockwaves across the investment...

12 May 2025

“Markets have welcomed the tentative US-China trade agreement with open arms,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.

“While the trade spat has only been dialled back for 90 days, it’s a major breakthrough as far as investors are concerned. The fact the two countries were talking was already a major win given they’ve been at each other’s...

9 May 2025

The gains were modest but there were gains over the past week, something that has been in short supply for much of 2025. It was a narrow ‘general terms’ sort of a trade deal struck with the UK, described as the ‘first of many’, by president Trump, stoking hopes for a flurry of trade deals ahead.

Under the deal, the 10% tariff that was imposed on...

9 May 2025

“With the UK having basked in trade deal glory yesterday, the spotlight has now turned to China,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.

“China is America’s biggest rival in the trade war and any sign of a compromise in their tit-for-tat tariff spat could be taken positively by markets. It would help to settle nerves and dial down...

8 May 2025

“Investors are watching history unfold before their eyes,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.

“The Trump administration has already caused turmoil in the business world with the Liberation Day tariff plan. We’re now entering the next phase as countries do deals with the US, and Trump once again changes the rules as he rips up Joe...

7 May 2025

“The FTSE 100 was lower in early trading after a ramp-up in geopolitical tensions,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.

“Nuclear powers India and Pakistan in a stand-off over the Kashmir prompted a few jitters, with the Federal Reserve meeting later also inducing a few butterflies in investors’ stomachs. The Fed is widely expected to...

6 May 2025

“The FTSE 100 started the week with a bang, yet those early gains quickly faded away,” says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

“A mixture of takeover talk and investors reaching for defensive stocks initially gave the UK blue-chip index a lift.

“ British American Tobacco was the biggest mover on the FTSE 100 in terms of index points, with...

2 May 2025

Despite clear signs of mounting pressure on the economy and companies, markets seem remarkably sanguine and have more or less completed their recovery from the dramatic tariff-driven sell-off at the start of last month, helped by largely impressive hotly watched big tech earnings.

Although ‘Liberation Day’ wasn't until the start of April, US first...

2 May 2025

“The FTSE 100 was on course to extend its winning streak after signs of a potential de-escalation of the tariff stand-off between US and China gave investors real heart,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.

“There were strong gains in Asia and on Wall Street overnight. The latter helped by strong after-hours results from Microsoft and Meta...

1 May 2025

As President Trump hits 100 days in office, a near 12% rally in America’s S&P 500 index from its closing low on 8 April has stopped his second term in office from offering investors the worst start of any post-war American leader, in terms of stock market returns.

The S&P 500 is down by 7.1% since Trump’s inauguration on 20 January and only Richard...

1 May 2025

A big rally from the 8 April lows means the NASDAQ Composite is now in the black for this month, while the S&P 500 is flat.

This may look to vindicate a ‘buy-on-the-dip’ strategy, and persuade the White House that all is still going to plan, but the Dow Jones Industrials is down and so is the Dow Jones Transports, so there remains the risk that...

1 May 2025

“The FTSE 100 was firm in early trading,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.

“Ever since President Donald Trump announced his partial U-turn on tariffs on 9 April the index has been on the rise.

“There was plenty of corporate news for the markets to digest on Thursday morning – with the good, bad and ugly all represented.

“Banks, energy...

30 April 2025

“The FTSE 100 held firm as corporate results came thick and fast”, says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.

“GSK’s upbeat tone helped to lift the broader pharma sector while Barclays’ results pleased the market.

“Acting as an anchor to the UK index was Glencore which fell after issuing weak first-quarter production numbers. The mining and...

29 April 2025

The recovery in global markets since the crash caused by Donald Trump’s Liberation Day tariff announcement is gathering pace.

Brazil, India, Japan and UK mid-caps have fully recovered and Germany is within a whisker of doing the same. Anyone who held their nerve and didn’t panic sell when markets started to crash on 3 April will now be reaping the...

29 April 2025

“Banks, defence and miners did their best to lift the FTSE 100, yet the negative pressures were too great from pharma and energy stocks for the UK index to make any headway,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.

“A significant amount of corporate news flow gave investors food for thought. News flow has generally been good for the first...

28 April 2025

“A weekend light on drama was just what the doctor ordered for financial markets and the FTSE 100 made a strong start on Monday to move closer to recovering all of its post-Liberation Day losses,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.

“Domestic focused names, including housebuilders and retailers, were among the gainers in London.

“Recent...

25 April 2025

The US markets have come full circle thanks to several U-turns from the Trump administration on tariffs and its attacks on US Fed chair Jerome Powell.

Over the past three trading sessions, the tech-heavy Nasdaq index has soared more than 8%, the S&P 500 by a little more than 6% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index by more than 5%.

These gains...

25 April 2025

“Another strong session on Wall Street yesterday lifted spirits at the end of the trading week, resulting in small but welcome gains across much of European equities markets on Friday,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.

“France and Spain led the way with 0.3% gains apiece, while the FTSE 100 tried its hardest to keep its head above...

24 April 2025

“Markets paused for breath after the recent rally as investors were treated to a barrage of corporate news to get their heads around,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.

“As always, the outlook statement was more important to investors than the backward-looking numbers. Comments about tariffs from business leaders are omnipresent and...

23 April 2025

Tesla’s first-quarter delivery and production numbers on 2 April were as ugly as its Cybertruck design. That meant expectations were rock-bottom in the run-up to its financial results and it’s why the shares didn’t tank upon release of the Q1 earnings on 23 April.

The shares moved higher following the financial results, predominantly driven by the...

23 April 2025

“European markets including the UK enjoyed a solid bounce following yesterday’s strong rally on Wall Street,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.

“There are several reasons why markets have moved higher. Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the trade war between the US and China was unsustainable, with Donald Trump...