Shares & the stock market

  • 4 June 2026

    Daily market update: FTSE 100 steady, banks and retailers higher, Broadcom

    Domestic pressure on Donald Trump to end the war with Iran and a reported ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon have swung the pendulum once again for markets.

    Selling on Wall Street last night and in Asia earlier today gave way to a more positive mood as trading began in Europe on Thursday.

    Having pushed close to $100 per barrel yesterday, Brent...

    3 min read
    vodafone headquarters
  • 3 June 2026

    What is an IPO? How to invest before a stock hits the market

    In this video, we break down everything you need to know about Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), also known as stock market flotations — including how they work, why companies list on the stock market, and how everyday investors can now get access before shares start trading on the stock market.

    Whether you're a beginner investor or looking to add...

  • 3 June 2026

    Daily market update: Markets pull back, Currys, B&M, Novo Nordisk

    Markets continue to ebb and flow in step with Middle East developments.

    The lack of solid progress with peace talks has resulted in Brent Crude oil moving back up in price, trading 1.8% higher at $97.76 per barrel.

    That’s weighed on European markets, although the FTSE 100 fared relatively better than its peers thanks to a large weighting towards...

    6 min read
    Author
    currys store
  • 2 June 2026

    Daily market update: AI buzz, Alphabet, British American Tobacco

    Oil down, markets up – these are welcome movements for investors after three months of uncertainty around the Iran war.

    Brent crude fell 1.1% to $93.90 after Israel halted strikes on Lebanon, raising hopes that a peace deal is still plausible. The further the oil price retreats from the $100 per barrel level, the greater investors’ risk appetite...

    4 min read
    Author
    British American Tobacco logo on building
  • 2 June 2026

    Could ‘invest in what you know’ be key to stock picking?

    In 2025, furry monsters known as Labubu Dolls had a moment. The dolls were the subject of at least six articles in the Financial Times, as well as stories in The Times, on the BBC website, and The Economist. Not to mention, you may well have spotted the creatures themselves dangling from purses and backpacks.

    The accessory wasn’t for everyone, but...

    5 min read
    McDonalds sign
  • 1 June 2026

    Daily market update: EasyJet, ME Group, Drax

    It’s Groundhog Day for the markets as the Iran-US ceasefire is tested, while conflicting noises are made about the prospects for a peace deal.

    Understandably, markets are in a non-committal mood as they wait to see if this is the week when we finally see some form of resolution to the crisis. The FTSE 100 slipped 0.3%, while oil prices ticked...

    5 min read
    people boarding easyjet plane
  • 30 May 2026

    Discover the cheapest and priciest global markets

    Valuations in investing are often relative, with different stocks or entire markets looking cheap or expensive compared with their peers. We’ve carried out some analysis on valuations across international markets to reveal the cheapest and most expensive, based on consensus forecast earnings complied by LSEG.

    For each individual market LSEG...

    5 min read
    Author
    Image representing emerging markets
  • 29 May 2026

    Martin Gamble on US markets: Dell surges, Costco and Salesforce stagnate

    The foreshortened trading week due to the Memorial Day holiday didn’t stop US stock markets grinding out new highs this week led by the technology-led Nasdaq Composite which is up close to 10% over the last month.

    Newly appointed Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh was given a sliver of good news after April’s core PCE (personal consumption...

    5 min read
    Author
    Wall Street
  • 29 May 2026

    Daily market update: FTSE 100 steady, oil prices lower, Ocado

    The FTSE 100 was steady on Friday as global markets continue to try and unpick the latest movements in the Middle East.

    Reports that Tehran and Washington have agreed a framework for a 60-day extension to the ceasefire, which would facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and enable fresh negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme, have...

    2 min read
    Author
    ocado delivery vehicle
  • 29 May 2026

    Micron is the 13th company to hit the $1 trillion mark: what does it mean?

    Silicon chip maker Micron is the 13th company to currently carry a stock market valuation of $1 trillion or more, as earnings and price target upgrades from investment banks fuel momentum in a share price already carried higher by strong demand for its Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) products.

    A strong trading outlook

    The strong trading outlook...

    7 min read
    Author
    Micron Building
  • 28 May 2026

    Would markets care if the Prime Minister changed tomorrow?

    Political uncertainty often dominates the news cycle - but what does it actually mean for investors? In this video, Russ Mould examines how the UK stock market and gilt yields have historically responded to mid-term Prime Minister changes.

    Using data from the FTSE All-Share index and government bond markets, we explore whether leadership changes...

  • 28 May 2026

    Daily market update: Markets lower, SSE, PPHE

    The optimism which has persisted for much of this week about the prospects for a deal between the US and Iran is being severely tested.

    A fresh exchange of strikes between the two countries is testing the fragile ceasefire and forcing a reassessment of the chances of a near-term agreement which can reopen the Strait of Hormuz and dial down the...

    3 min read
    Author
    shell office building
  • 27 May 2026

    Discover the FTSE 100’s biggest earnings growers

    The FTSE 100 has a reputation for being low growth and stodgy, dominated by large mining companies and financials. While partially true, there are also some faster growing ‘gems’ hiding in plain sight.

    This article identifies a selection of companies which have consistently grown earnings at more than a double-digit rate for two decades. These...

    5 min read
    Author
    Stock chart
  • 27 May 2026

    Daily market update: FTSE 100 dips, US-Iran peace hopes, Pets at Home

    The FTSE 100 started Wednesday on the back foot as a weak showing for energy and defensive stocks outweighed a continuing push higher for stocks in line to benefit from any peace deal between the US and Iran.

    This meant the FTSE 100 meaningfully underperformed European and Asian markets which continued to rise on hopes for an end to the conflict in...

    3 min read
    Author
    Dog at vets
  • 27 May 2026

    Martin Gamble on US markets: $75 billion SpaceX IPO plotted

    Major US indices fell for a fourth consecutive week despite attempts by the Trump administration to de-escalate Middle East tensions.

    There were continued signs of market rotation towards smaller companies and economically sensitive names as seen by the Russell 2000 and Dow Jones Industrials indices eking out gains.

    Brent crude oil prices remained...

    5 min read
    Author
    spacex headquarters
  • 26 May 2026

    Daily market update: FTSE 100 plays catch up, Kingfisher, Melrose

    The FTSE 100 was playing catch up to European counterparts on Tuesday after progress on a potential agreement between the US and Iran.

    However, continued doubts about the potential for a deal and an overnight pre-emptive US strike on Iran mean any euphoria is being kept in check. It’s telling that other European indices dipped slightly after the...

    3 min read
    Author
    DIY tools
  • 24 May 2026

    Do you own Microsoft? Discover the opposing views of two managers

    It is not unusual for fund managers to have different views on stocks, but when two high profile managers make opposing bets, it certainly grabs the attention.

    Regulatory filings show TCI (The Children’s Fund) founder Chris Hohn sold virtually all its $8 billion stake in US software giant Microsoft and subsequently increased its stake in Alphabet...

    4 min read
    Author
    Outside the Microsoft headquarters in Washington
  • 23 May 2026

    How the UK’s stock and bond markets welcome mid-term prime ministers

    While British political history suggests voters do not necessarily warm to political parties or governments which change leaders mid-parliament, financial markets tend to take a more detached view of proceedings.

    This is primarily because their focus remains on pounds and pence, in the shape of corporate profits, cash flows and dividends, rather...

    5 min read
    Author
    Image of Downing Street
  • 22 May 2026

    Martin Gamble on US markets: Nvidia fails to inspire despite upgrades

    US markets crept higher despite relative softness in the Nasdaq Composite after a muted response to Nvidia’s earnings, with the smaller companies Russell 2000 index leading the way with a gain of nearly 2%.

    Minutes from April’s FOMC meeting showed most policy makers were concerned by rising inflation from the war in Iran and believed a rate hike...

    5 min read
    Author
    Nvidia's office in Shanghai, China
  • 22 May 2026

    Daily market update: FTSE 100 ticks higher, oil and bond yields

    The market, having been burned before, is not getting too carried away on speculation about a US-Iran peace deal but the reports did lead to a higher open on Friday.

    Brent crude oil prices remain choppy amid claims and counterclaims between Washington and Tehran. Any deal will not restore a pre-war situation overnight, as fully reopening the Strait...

    3 min read
    Author
    oil tanker floating in the ocean
  • 21 May 2026

    Daily market update: Markets pull back, Nvidia, EasyJet, BT Mitchells & Butlers

    Markets pulled back across Europe as the waiting game to end the Iran war rumbled on.

    A lacklustre response to Nvidia’s results goes to show investor euphoria around AI is fading, and other issues are weighing on their minds such as inflation and interest rates.

    Utilities were the only bright spot on the FTSE 100, suggesting investors were in a...

    4 min read
    people boarding easyjet plane
  • 21 May 2026

    Why UK stocks are being targeted for takeovers

    The UK stock market takeover boom is gathering pace in 2026, with companies including Tate & Lyle, Intertek and Legal & General linked to bids or takeover speculation.

    In this video, AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould explains why takeover activity across the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 is accelerating — and what it could mean for UK investors.

    The...

  • 21 May 2026

    The market crash plan investors wish they'd built earlier

    In the past 10 years, global stocks have dropped from peaks by over 10% four times before reaching new highs again. But that doesn't prevent inevitable nerves as we wonder if this time, the drop will be different and leave us out of pocket on the hard-earned cash we’ve invested for a prolonged period.

    Sometimes, this can make people pull their...

    8 min read
    Woman looking at laptop
  • 20 May 2026

    What a SpaceX IPO could mean for the faltering S&P 500

    Elon Musk's SpaceX is reportedly preparing to go public, which would mark a new player in the S&P 500's lauded tech stocks. But could the listing, alongside potential IPOs from Anthropic and OpenAI, signal the beginning of the end for the S&P's AI-fuelled market run? Russ Mould explores what these deals mean for the S&P 500, the Magnificent Seven...

  • 20 May 2026

    Daily market update: FTSE 100 dips, Marks & Spencer, Experian, Severn Trent

    The FTSE 100 dipped on Wednesday as a lasting solution to the Iran crisis remained elusive.

    The latest ultimatum to Tehran from President Trump has done little to quell investor nervousness and oil prices remain above the $110 per barrel mark.

    US stocks fell on Tuesday as investors reacted to rising government bond yields which reflect growing...

    4 min read
    Author
    Marks and Spencer store