19 June 2024
Nvidia enjoys network effect while UK housebuilders dragged down by services inflation reading and negative comments from Berkeley“ Nvidia is enjoying a network effect – the more people talk about it, the more publicity it gets and the greater the demand for investors to own the shares,” says Dan Coatsworth, Investment Analyst at AJ Bell.
“This creates a virtuous circle and has made the AI chip giant one of the hottest stocks to own in decades. Just as you think the hype is...
19 June 2024
Pound jumps on inflation figures, Games Workshop’s blunt update hits the right note, Berkeley branches out to build-to-rent and Spectris warns on profit“Inflation hitting the Bank of England’s 2% target might not be the magic moment desired by investors. The pound jumped on the news, implying little chance of the Bank cutting rates at its meeting tomorrow. Few thought it would happen anyway, but today’s figures make it even less likely,” says Dan Coatsworth, Investment Analyst at AJ Bell.
“The...
18 June 2024
UK large and mid-cap stocks spring into action, Micron soars, BP leads FTSE 100 as oil price hits two-month high and investors poised for inflation data“Sometimes all it takes is a positive analyst comment to propel a stock and that’s exactly what’s happened with Micron Technology. BofA has added the company to its US 1 List, a collection of its best investment ideas. That action is enough to get investors reaching for the ‘buy’ button,” says Dan Coatsworth, Investment Analyst at AJ Bell.
“While...
18 June 2024
93% of FTSE 100 in positive territory, another UK IPO, supermarkets battle bad weather, Whitbread wades through mud and Ashtead disappoints“European markets enjoyed a strong start to Tuesday, with the FTSE 100 the biggest gainer among the continent’s key equity indices,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The UK index jumped 0.5% to 8,185, led by banking, mining and energy sector shares. Ninety-three stocks out of 100 were in positive territory which is an encouraging...
17 June 2024
London’s blue-chip index subdued at the close despite being back on top“London’s newly regained crown lost a little of its lustre this afternoon as the blue-chip FTSE 100 sagged under the weight of all those miners dazed from the latest update on China’s property sector,” says Danni Hewson, Head of Financial Analysis at AJ Bell.
“But the more domestically focused FTSE 250 was still showing signs of the life that has...
17 June 2024
FTSE 100 lifted by financial stocks, Chinese property market slumps and WH Smith dragged into E.coli crisis“After a difficult last week, the FTSE 100 started Monday on the front foot, with the index given a modest lift by financial stocks,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Asian stocks were mixed after weak figures from the Chinese property market which showed an acceleration in what is already an alarming slump. This is likely to put...
14 June 2024
FTSE squeezes ahead, Tesco gains share but CEO pay in focus ahead of AGM, Bellway moves on rival and Raspberry Pi jumps again as unconditional dealing gets underway“The FTSE 100 bucked the negative trend seen across the rest of Europe by squeezing in a small rise to 8,169 in early trading on Friday. Coming to the rescue were AstraZeneca, HSBC and Unilever which led the market higher,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Despite dampened expectations for the number of US rate cuts this year...
13 June 2024
Nasdaq up, FTSE down: topsy-turvy day for markets with Tesla and Broadcom flying and housebuilders crying“A topsy-turvy set of events led to divergent fortunes on the US and UK markets. The Nasdaq pushed ahead, helped by strong showings from Tesla and Broadcom. At the same time, the FTSE 100 shuddered as investors voiced disappointment at the Fed’s commentary around interest rates last night,” says Dan Coatsworth, Investment Analyst at AJ Bell.
“The...
13 June 2024
FTSE 100 flat after Fed meeting, BT up as Slim takes stake, Tesla faces crunch vote on Musk’s pay, Crest Nicholson sees housing market momentum stall and Wise hit by weak outlook“The FTSE 100 made a sluggish start to trading on Thursday despite gains in the US overnight as the Federal Reserve sat on its hands,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Fed chair Jerome Powell didn’t give a huge amount away, although it felt telling that he was fairly cautious about the cooler than expected inflation figures from...
12 June 2024
Markets fired up by cooler inflation while Apple reclaims crown as world’s most valuable listed company“Lighter than expected US inflation figures have fired up the market and got investors rubbing their hands, predicting the rate cut gravy train will start its journey soon,” says Dan Coatsworth, Investment Analyst at AJ Bell.
“Equities bounced on the news, but we’ve been here plenty of times before. While inflation is slowing, it remains well...
12 June 2024
FTSE 100 higher ahead of Fed meeting, GameStop raises more than $2 billion, Rentokil surges as Peltz vehicle takes stake, new Legal & General strategy fails to inspire and SPP faces rail station catering competition push“The FTSE 100 was on the march ahead of the latest Federal Reserve meeting with financial stocks bouncing back from their losses earlier in the week on news of a snap French election,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The Fed is almost certain to keep rates on hold at today’s meeting so the focus will be on any commentary that...
11 June 2024
FTSE 100 moves higher, Raspberry Pi soars on UK IPO and Conservatives’ housing pledge boosts housebuilders, DIY retailers and estate agents“Positive market reaction to GSK saying it would appeal a recent court decision around its Zantac product helped to lift the FTSE 100,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The index nudged 0.2% ahead thanks to strength in GSK, AstraZeneca and Unilever. Similar gains were recorded in other parts of Europe and mirrored the performance...
10 June 2024
FTSE 100 lower amid political turmoil, speculation Ashtead could switch stock listing to US, Nikkei higher on economic surprise and shareholder joins push to oust THG chair“Political turmoil in Europe saw the FTSE 100 start the week on the back foot with only a handful of names on the index trading in positive territory,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“An unexpectedly strong showing for far-right parties in European elections in France prompted President Emmanuel Macron to call a snap parliamentary...
7 June 2024
FTSE 100 dips ahead of US jobs data, Bellway positive amid signs of life in housing market and C&C boss exits after accounting failures“After a week of steady recovery from Monday’s sell-off, the FTSE 100 returned to the back foot on Friday, dragged lower by retail and banking stocks,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Wall Street paused for breath last night ahead of non-farm payrolls data later and, more significantly, a meeting of the Federal Reserve next week. The...
6 June 2024
ECB cuts rates, Taylor Swift tour set to fire up UK earnings and Nvidia share rally halted by antitrust chatter“The big rate cut news is finally here. The ECB has slashed the cost of borrowing for the first time in nearly five years, firing the starting gun on looser monetary policy and putting pressure on the Bank of England and Federal Reserve to do the same in the UK and US respectively,” says Dan Coatsworth, Investment Analyst at AJ Bell.
“Markets were...
6 June 2024
Potential stock market winners and losers if Labour wins the general electionThere have been plenty of hints as to what might appear in Labour’s general election manifesto. The formal document may still be a few days away but you don’t need to wait to find out how various industries might be affected if Keir Starmer secures the keys to Number 10 on 4 July.
Here is a look at some of the key sectors which could be winners or...
6 June 2024
Markets up ahead of potential ECB rate cut, Nvidia joins the $3 trillion club, Lululemon trips up and Fevertree on track as it gains market share“ Nvidia’s valuation topping $3 trillion, a storming run for the Nasdaq index in the US last night, and the prospect of interest rate cuts in Europe today have all combined to put investors in a good mood,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The ECB is expected to follow the likes of Canada, Sweden and Switzerland by cutting rates...
5 June 2024
Canada cuts interest rates, Nvidia hits new record high ahead of stock split and Hewlett Packard rides AI boom“Chop, chop, chop – that’s the sound of another central bank taking the axe to interest rates. The Bank of Canada’s first rate cut in four years is a significant event and puts it in the same pool as Switzerland and Sweden in starting to loosen monetary policy,” says Dan Coatsworth, Investment Analyst at AJ Bell.
“While that creates the type of...
5 June 2024
FTSE 100 higher ahead of ECB meeting, TikTok hit by cyber-attack, B&M, WH Smith and Inditex updates inject positivity into the retail sector and Centrica sees profits in line despite ‘normalised’ energy market“The FTSE 100 moved higher on Wednesday with a broad spread of companies across multiple sectors enjoying solid gains,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“A recent fall in oil prices may not be good news for two big energy firms which bestride the index but for others it means a potential reduction in inflationary pressures and more...
4 June 2024
Election fever fuels uncertainty for global markets, falling oil prices hit energy giants BP and Shell, low job openings figures hint at cracks in US economy“It’s often said that markets don’t like uncertainty and with around half of the world’s population going to the polls this year the only sure bet is that, in the short term, uncertainty is here to stay,” says AJ Bell Head of Financial Analysis Danni Hewson.
“Watching the market reaction to India’s election, which didn’t quite deliver the result...
4 June 2024
FTSE 100 lower on weak US economic data and falling oil prices, British American Tobacco guides for profit decline, Indian stocks reverse gains, Vistry agrees rental homes deal and Chemring facility hit by adverse weather“The FTSE 100 started Tuesday in negative territory amid signs of US economic weakness and mixed trading in Asia,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Also not helping matters was a fall in oil prices, as OPEC’s surprise decision to start rolling back some of its production cuts before the end of the year hit the market. Index...
3 June 2024
GSK legal woes drag on FTSE 100 while Shein float rumours continue to excite investors, confident sector forecast sees EasyJet and IAG soar and Hollywood Bowl ends day in red despite positive update“GSK’s legal woes saw shares in the pharma giant plunge, dragging down an otherwise steady-away FTSE 100 with investors smelling the winds of change,” says Danni Hewson, Head of Financial Analysis at AJ Bell.
“A rate cut from the ECB has been widely touted, even if the number of cuts expected over the course of the year has been pared back...
3 June 2024
FTSE 100 off to strong start ahead of ECB decision this week, Shein reportedly set to file for UK IPO and GSK hit by new Zantac ruling“The FTSE 100 made a strong start to June with resources, energy and financial stocks among those making solid gains,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Asian stocks had also moved higher overnight after Friday’s weaker-than-anticipated US inflation reading which suggested rising prices were not becoming as entrenched as some had feared...
31 May 2024
FTSE 100 ticks higher, Flutter completes US move, Frasers ups stake in Hugo Boss, Nationwide deal for Virgin Money could face competition probe and JD Sports sales slip“The FTSE 100 ticked higher on Friday morning, looking to build on Thursday’s momentum which saw it snap a six-day losing streak,” says AJ Bell Head of Investment Analysis Laith Khalaf.
“After hitting record highs, the UK’s flagship index hit a bit of a wall and investors will be hoping it can now push on to set new all-time highs. Today’s move...
31 May 2024
What next week’s US jobs figures mean for interest rate cuts“The US Federal Reserve has, thus far, foxed consensus estimates with regard to interest rate cuts in 2024. The US central bank may have reduced the run rate of its Quantitative Tightening programme to $40 billion a month from $95 billion, but it has yet to reduce the Federal Funds rate from the 5.5% level reached in July 2023. As a result, markets...