14 May 2024
Is London primed for an IPO revival?With the FTSE 100 enjoying a strong run and having hit yet another new record high, and an average 40% gain for the stocks that have listed this year, improved sentiment towards the UK market raises the chances of more companies listing on the London Stock Exchange.
Speculation is rife that Chinese fashion group Shein is on the verge of confirming...
14 May 2024
FTSE 100 steady as UK wages rise, Anglo American announces strategic shake-up after BHP bid, Vodafone sees growth return in Germany, Greggs battles on despite unfavourable weather and Currys raises guidance“After the stellar run which took it to all-time highs the FTSE 100 now seems stuck in a holding pattern – awaiting the next catalyst which could either send it higher or lower,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“In this context, a near-term interest rate cut in the UK might be moving off the agenda after UK wages marched higher in...
13 May 2024
London markets lose momentum, Anglo American spurn BHP's revised proposal, Shein supplier practices under scrutiny as it homes in on London IPO and GameStop roars back to life“London markets seem to have lost a little of their fizz as investors wait to find out if the latest UK jobs numbers are just the right temperature to allow Bank of England ratesetters to feel comfortable changing tack,” says AJ Bell Head of Financial Analysis Danni Hewson.
“Investors have become used to weighing bad news as good, and with the...
13 May 2024
FTSE 100 pauses for breath, activist reduces holding in Scottish Mortgage, Diploma lifts guidance and Gulf Keystone Petroleum launches buyback“The FTSE 100 was probably due a pause after a breathless period which has seen it mark record after record and Monday morning saw the index take a seat,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Asian stocks, bar Japan, made some progress as the Chinese authorities continue to unveil stimulus measures. Japanese shares, having recently set...
10 May 2024
FTSE 100 makes new all-time highs, International Consolidated Airlines benefits from early Easter and Rightmove hit by shift in business mix“The FTSE 100 is again in the ascendancy as the market hit new all-time highs on Friday,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Given its international horizons, this has little to do with the UK’s better-than-expected GDP growth and is largely being driven by strength in the resources space where higher metals prices and the promise of M...
9 May 2024
Favourite funds update - May 2024The AJ Bell Favourite funds list is designed to lighten your research load. There are thousands of funds out there – so we’ve narrowed the field by selecting a high-quality shortlist of funds we believe can deliver their objectives over the long term. To make the list, each fund needs to pass our robust, independent selection process.
What have we...
9 May 2024
Russ Mould: Why shares in BT and Vodafone have struggledThey rank among the worst performing FTSE 100 shares over the past five years
9 May 2024
Markets static ahead of UK rate decision, Airbnb tumbles on Q2 outlook, Arm sold off on soft outlook and ITV hit by writers’ strike delays“It’s common to see markets freeze ahead of an interest rate decision and that’s exactly what’s happened in the UK,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“While the Bank of England isn’t expected to cut or raise rates, investors are waiting nervously for the accompanying commentary and vote split as that could provide clues as to what...
9 May 2024
Key reasons why the FTSE 100 is back in favour with investorsThe FTSE 100 may feel friendless, given the ongoing concerns about firms delisting from the UK to join other exchanges, the lack of new flotations and cries for fresh initiatives to boost interest. But the UK equity market’s premier index is setting new all-time highs all the same, perhaps to adage that, ‘you can have good news and cheap stocks...
8 May 2024
BP sticks to bumper cash return plans“ BP’s first-quarter profits are down year-on-year and lower than expected thanks in the main to lower gas prices and temporary problems at a refinery in Indiana, USA, although shareholders are unlikely to be too concerned given the company’s ability to return $3 billion to them via dividends and buybacks in just three months,” says AJ Bell...
8 May 2024
Another new FTSE 100 record, Direct Line commits to cost cuts, Wetherspoon credits breakdancing pensioners, Boohoo’s debt and losses pile up“The FTSE 100 continues to forge to new all-time highs with sterling weakness providing the index with a bit of a kicker,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“A fall in the domestic currency is typically helpful to the FTSE 100 because it boosts the relative value of its dominant overseas earnings.
“Currency traders are betting against...
7 May 2024
FTSE 100 breaks another record, BP’s first-quarter earnings short of forecasts and Nintendo hints at new hardware launch date“Whoever followed the advice to sell in May and go away will be kicking themselves if they disposed of UK shares from their portfolio. A new set of batteries has been fitted to the FTSE 100 and this bunny keeps on hopping,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The blue-chip index has hit another new record high and the sun is shining...
2 May 2024
Shell beats expectations, Novo Nordisk rides high on weight loss boom and UMG and TikTok resolve spat“The chair of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell gave with one hand and took away with the other from a market perspective,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
“As the Fed kept rates on hold as expected, Powell largely dismissed any idea they might rise from the current levels despite inflation proving more stubborn than hoped. However, he...
1 May 2024
IG Design’s full-year update paints a brighter picture“Investors could have been forgiven for fearing the worst after last December’s profit warning and layoffs at Etsy, where the American firm blamed a weak crafting market, so the relief that is greeting IG Design’s full-year trading update is quite understandable,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
“Shares in the greetings cards...
1 May 2024
Russ Mould: Why the recent oil price rally matters to investorsThe commodity price performance sets the scene for BP’s results on 7 May
1 May 2024
Markets wait for the Fed to lay out path as sticky inflation takes a bite out of Starbucks and Yum! Brands“Sticky. That’s the word that’s become intrinsically linked with inflation, especially over on the other side of the Atlantic,” says Danni Hewson, Head of Financial Analysis at AJ Bell.
“At the start of the year those last few miles seemed so close, but the ground has become increasingly boggy and the finish line as distant as it’s ever been. The...
1 May 2024
FTSE higher ahead of Fed meeting, GSK beats expectations, Amazon not ready to join dividend club, Domino’s disappoints, Next sees strong first quarter but leaves guidance unchanged and Aston Martin losses double“Having broken its run of record closes on Tuesday, the FTSE 100 ticked higher on Wednesday morning despite selling on Wall Street overnight,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“It’s decision day on interest rates in the US and while the Federal Reserve is almost certain to stick with the status quo, there will be considerable interest...
30 April 2024
FTSE 100 pushes higher, Fed meeting in focus, HSBC boss to leave, Prudential’s mixed quarter, Whitbread pivot to hotels, Glencore flexes copper muscles and Card Factory brings back dividends“The spigot has been opened since it attained its new record high and the FTSE 100 continued to flow higher on Tuesday amid a raft of corporate announcements,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The index took its cue from gains on Wall Street with the next key test of the relative optimism displayed by the market coming tomorrow...
29 April 2024
FTSE 100 maintains momentum, Musk’s China trip boosts Tesla and US pizza lovers fuel Domino’s earnings beat“The FTSE 100’s not just had a helping of Ready Brek, it’s also scarfed down a supermarket meal deal and could be heading back for a double fudge brownie,” says Danni Hewson, Head of Financial Analysis at AJ Bell.
“It feels wonderfully right to be crowing about the fact an index that’s still sadly short on tech stocks is finally keeping pace with...
29 April 2024
FTSE 100 continues to rally, speculation about competing bids for Anglo American, shareholder lays into Elementis, another bid for Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Tesco deal lifts Eagle Eye Solutions“The FTSE 100 has clearly had its Ready Brek as the blue-chip index continues to glow and sustain energy that we haven’t seen in the UK market for a long time,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Shifting 0.4% higher to 8,175, it means the FTSE 100’s year-to-date performance (+5.7%) is now better than the Nasdaq 100 in the US (+5.3...
29 April 2024
Dividend forecasts for 2024 flounder even as FTSE 100 offers enticing cash yieldHaving hit new record highs in 2024, the FTSE 100 might have wider appeal to investors, including accumulators of income, given a prospective dividend yield of 3.8% for 2024 (and 4.1% for 2025), especially as those figures exceed the prevailing rate of inflation.
Some investors may feel those dividend yields stack up relatively well compared to the...
26 April 2024
Anglo American rejects BHP bid, Alphabet joins the dividend club, AI helps Microsoft beat forecasts and NatWest’s numbers top expectations“What a fantastic week for the FTSE 100. We’ve had new record highs, yet more takeover action, and everyone is talking about UK stocks in a positive way which hasn’t been seen for ages. There was no stopping the blue-chip index on Friday as NatWest’s results went down well and we saw gains across most of the market. The breadth of sectors moving...
25 April 2024
Revealed: how much Shell, Diageo and British American Tobacco could be worth if they traded on multiples of US peersThe value of British American Tobacco could, in theory, more than double if it switched stock market listing to the US and traded on the same earnings multiple as Philip Morris.
Oil producer Shell moving its listing to the US could see its valuation increase by 28% if investors ascribed it the same rating as ExxonMobil. Furthermore, Johnnie Walker...
25 April 2024
FTSE 100 on a roll as takeovers continue, Sainsbury’s disappoints, Meta spooks investors with AI spending splurge, Barclays’ first quarter results impress and Unilever beats expectations"The FTSE 100 is having the time of its life as takeovers continue to power the market. BHP's move on Anglo American* has got investors excited at who else in the blue-chip UK stock index might be next for a bid," says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
"It also helps that the latest corporate reporting season has generally gone down well...
24 April 2024
Why Apple hopes its next results will revive its flagging share priceWhat to expect from the tech giant when it reports on 2 May 2024.
