31 July 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: Microsoft shines as Meta and Apple feel the strainUS stock markets had a see-saw week, initially sitting on losses before Microsoft’s results helped boost sentiment and push indices higher.
At one point the Nasdaq 100 index had entered correction territory after dropping more than 10% from the prior peak.
Stocks were dragged lower by rising long-term bond yields with 30-Year treasury yields...
31 July 2026
Meta’s shares drop: how do earnings reports influence price?Facebook owner Meta saw its share price plummet around 9% after it released second quarter results that revealed the high levels of spending on AI were, for the moment, having low levels of payoff.
This has been a repeated pattern among most of the big tech stocks when earnings have been released recently because investor’s focus has shifted from...
30 July 2026
Daily market update: Microsoft, Meta Platforms, MondiThe FTSE 100 is hovering on the cusp of the closing high it reached in late February, just before the war in the Middle East began, and investors will be looking to better-than-expected results from London Stock Exchange, Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems, alongside new share buybacks from Lloyds, Shell and London Stock Exchange (again) to give the index...
30 July 2026
China’s back in the AI game: should investors be paying attention?China got some good news last week, and they needed it. Once a favourite market for investors' portfolios, the Hang Seng Index dropped over 5% in the first six months of 2026, and by over 20% in the last five years to the end of June. But in the past month, investors seem to be singing a different tune.
A June export report showed a 27% increase in...
29 July 2026
Daily market update: Standard Chartered, Reckitt Benckiser, Rio TintoThe FTSE 100 is sneaking above the all-time closing high from 28 February in early trading on Wednesday, helped by its lack of exposure to technology and AI stocks, and a slew of strong corporate results, with index heavyweights Standard Chartered, Reckitt Benckiser and Rio Tinto all delivering either better-than-expected profits, or bumper cash...
28 July 2026
Three reasons selling your investments in a panic can really cost youAn often-repeated mantra of investing is that it's also about time in the market rather than timing the market.
Equity markets have been dealt their latest wobble during a major earnings week as the top AI spenders are reporting just how that investment is paying off for them so far.
Volatility is an expected part of investing. But that doesn't...
28 July 2026
Daily market update: Unilever, Barclays, Samsung ElectronicsIf Monday was all about the soaraway stock market debut of China’s memory chips maker CXMT, Tuesday is getting off to a stickier start thanks to huge falls in the leading Korean and Japanese producers, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Kioxia.
Such were the falls that they dragged Korea’s KOSPI index down by 10% and Japan’s Nikkei lost 4% of its...
27 July 2026
Daily market update: Vodafone, DCC Energy, Pinewood TechnologiesA thumping drop in the price of oil, all the way back to $90 a barrel, is helping get global stock markets off to a good start to the week, as the US and Iran pause hostilities once more amid efforts from Oman to broker a deal over the vexed issue of shipping passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Sentiment has received a further boost from a...
27 July 2026
Confused about bonds? Here are answers to seven common questionsOn the face of it, bonds might seem like straightforward investment products. Once you dig deeper, it is easy to get confused with the language around how they work. Fear not, as we are here to help.
To help you better understand the world of bonds, we have compiled answers to seven frequent questions that investors ask.
Getting your head around...
25 July 2026
What recruitment firms and housebuilders success could mean for the UKRecruitment firms are seen as bellwethers for the health of the economy, so recent share price strength raises the question of whether we are seeing a legitimate signal of growth or just a relief rally after a long period of weakness.
The performance of recruitment firms is often linked to broader economic performance because it moves with the job...
24 July 2026
Daily market update: FTSE 100 steady, Intel, Volkswagen, HSBCTariffs are back on the list of concerns for global stock markets as the White House brings in a new swathe of levies to replace temporary measures which had just expired.
The Trump administration was always likely to look for another route to introduce a new round of tariffs after the ruling in February from the Supreme Court that the previous set...
24 July 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: Alphabet and Tesla sink, Intel shinesUS stocks were firmly on the back foot this week, driven by continued weakness across large technology companies, as worries build on AI spending.
Oil prices moved higher amid rising geopolitical tensions, keeping pressure on US 10-year government bond yields, which moved back above 4.7% for the first time since May.
After the prior week’s mauling...
23 July 2026
Andy Burnham PM: What Sterling and gilt yields revealCan investors judge Andy Burnham's government by watching sterling and UK gilt yields? This video explains why financial markets may provide some of the earliest signals of confidence in the UK's economic direction.
23 July 2026
The sectors and stocks to watch as the new Burnham government gets to workA cabinet reshuffle following a change of leader can have major implications for bond and equity markets. Even though new prime minister Andy Burnham has pledged to stick to fiscal rules, there are signs that he will do things differently.
Markets are forward looking and they will be trying to second guess what path Burnham and new chancellor John...
23 July 2026
‘Mini-tender’ offers: how Aviva is involved and what investors should considerYou may never have heard of them before, but tender offers are in the news at the moment thanks to a brewing situation at UK-listed insurance business Aviva.
If you have some prior knowledge of tender offers it may well be because you hold investment trusts.
A tender offer is when shareholders are given a chance to redeem their shares, often but...
23 July 2026
How Chancellor John Healey can fix personal finance policy problemsJust over a month after quitting as defence secretary in a row over funding, John Healey takes charge of the very department he was at loggerheads with. He will now be forced to view that and many other fiscal problems through a different lens, namely ensuring the nation’s finances remain on a firm footing while trying to find cash to pay for the...
23 July 2026
Daily market update: Tesla, Alphabet, Centrica, EasyJetThe FTSE 100 was steady on Thursday, benefiting from its limited exposure to tech and from its healthy weighting in energy.
This followed an uncertain start to the earnings season for Wall Street’s technology titans and a further increase in oil prices which are creeping closer to $100 per barrel alarm bell territory.
There seems little sign that...
22 July 2026
Daily market update: Henry Boot, Greencore, Bloomsbury, WetherspoonsEuropean markets took a moment to catch their breath ahead of the all-important US tech earnings season.
A pullback in chip stocks following a storming run earlier this year has left investors hungry for an update on AI-related demand and to see if all the big investments into tech infrastructure are paying off. Alphabet reports tonight, with Intel...
22 July 2026
Are savings bonds and Premium Bonds different than bonds you invest in?‘Bond’ is a term that’s used all over the financial world, but confusingly, it can refer to products that are completely different from each other.
In the investment world, bonds are an investment product that work as an I.O.U. Governments or companies issue bonds to investors as a way of borrowing money. They make regular interest payments to the...
21 July 2026
How to gauge the market's take on Andy Burnham in Number 10Andy Burnham is now confirmed as the nation’s seveth prime minister in 10 years, with John Healey as our ninth chancellor of the exchequer in the same time span, and now the electorate and financial markets alike wait to see what policy initiatives may follow.
Sterling and the benchmark 10-Year gilt yield will be barometers that show what markets...
21 July 2026
Daily market update: Mitie, Wickes, Compass, Fuller’s World Cup boostJohn Healey’s surprise appointment as chancellor hasn’t troubled the markets as he is seen as a safe pair of hands.
His extensive parliamentary career including roles in the Treasury are seen as putting him in good stead.
Bond markets reacted favourably, with gilt yields easing back after a jump yesterday afternoon when prime minister Andy Burnham...
20 July 2026
How a gilt ladder could be your next income strategy Gilts are exempt from capital gains tax, creating a potential benefit for investors who buy gilts at a discounted price and hold until maturity Gilt ladders are helpful for planning a specific stream of returns to match specific outgoings Investors can build their own gilt ladder through choosing bonds with different maturity dates This strategy...
20 July 2026
Daily market update: all eyes on Andy Burnham and his new cabinet, RyanairInvestors are keenly awaiting details of who will form Andy Burnham’s cabinet once he becomes UK prime minister today.
Shabana Mahmood is the favourite to become chancellor and so far, bond markets seem to prefer her as the likely candidate rather than Ed Miliband. Gilt yields eased back last week on speculation that Mahmood would get the job...
20 July 2026
Bond vigilantes explained: how markets can push interest rates higherThe term bond vigilante was coined by economist Ed Yardeni in the 1980s in reference to investors who vote with their feet when they judge central banks or governments are being reckless or inflation is being mismanaged.
The idea is simple. When a government runs budget deficits investors think are unsustainable, bond investors sell. Selling drives...
17 July 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: Netflix and IBM disappoint while banks starUS markets took a step back amid escalating military exchanges between the US and Iran near the Strait of Hormuz which sent Brent crude oil prices back above $85 per barrel.
The major indices fell, led by a pullback in technology and semiconductor stocks which prompted a rotation into more defensive areas of the market like consumer staples and...
