12 February 2026
Daily market update: Magnum Ice Cream Company, Unilever, Schroders, RELXThe FTSE 100 eked out a new record intraday high at 10,530 as takeover activity gave a boost to the market.
UK growth figures were as limp as a piece of wilted spinach. Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ strategy from day one was to get the public finances in order and then grow the economy, but people are growing tired of waiting for part two to kick into...
12 February 2026
How investing just £25 a month could have netted you £6,300 in 10 yearsWhen people think of investors they may imagine people with private yachts or thousands of pounds in the bank, but investing doesn’t have to mean big sums or expert timing to deliver decent results.
Putting away just £25 a month could grow into a sizeable investment pot over time, and the figures highlight the powerful impact of investing little...
11 February 2026
Daily market update: Barratt Redrow, Heineken, London Stock Exchange GroupThe FTSE 100 ticked higher on Wednesday, supported by gains in bank and resource stocks and chatter that London Stock Exchange Group has been targeted by activist investor Elliott.
A recovery in commodity prices after the recent volatility helped give the miners and energy stocks a lift. Oil was supported by US-Iran nuclear deal uncertainty, while...
10 February 2026
Daily market update: Barclays, Standard Chartered, AstraZeneca, BPThe FTSE 100 slipped on mixed results from some of the big hitters in the index.
Retail sales data from the US for December is likely to be under scrutiny later as the market looks for insights into the health of the US consumer during the festive period.
Wall Street yesterday saw a recovery in the tech sector while the Nikkei continues to bask in...
9 February 2026
Daily market update: Japanese shares, gilts, Ocado, FedEx InPost bidA calm start to the week on financial markets is a major relief given recent tech sector jitters.
All the major European indices moved higher, with the FTSE 100 led by mining stocks.
Ocado nudged higher on reports it will cut up to 1,000 jobs. Investors typically welcome such moves as it removes costs from a business. Ocado has been through a...
7 February 2026
Are the big tech companies running out of legs?Despite another bumper earnings season from the big US technology companies, the share prices of the some of the Magnificent Seven and chip companies have started to lag the broad S&P 500 index.
This suggest investors may be actively moving or ‘rotating’ away from past market leaders into other areas of the market which offer better value with less...
6 February 2026
Russ Mould: Analysts look at forthcoming results of FTSE 100 stalwartsAJ Bell Investment Director, Russ Mould runs through the names of companies scheduled to report updates in the coming week (w/c 9 February), specifically looking at what analysts expect from AstraZeneca, Barclays and British American Tobacco.
6 February 2026
Industries next on the list for disruption by AI and technologyDisruption could turn out to be the buzz word of the year. Anthropic’s new AI tools caused upset to various stocks this week amid fears they could displace many existing services offered by established companies.
Data, advertising and software-related companies were among the names caught up in the market panic. It’s not just about movements this...
6 February 2026
Daily market update: Stellantis, AmazonIt’s been a week from hell for tech stocks as AI spending plans caused upset across global markets and pushed investors to unplug hyperscalers from their portfolios.
Amazon has followed its peers by turning up the dial to max on AI spending, leaving investors with their jaws to the floor. The hyperscalers are so confident that AI will change the...
5 February 2026
The £1 million ISA journey: how to aim for seven figuresBecoming an ISA millionaire needn’t be a fantasy if you are diligent with saving and investing. It can become a reality in just over 21 years for those able to contribute the maximum allowed in an ISA each year and achieve reasonable 7% annual investment returns. Even though you might have to make some sacrifices along the way, the rewards...
5 February 2026
Why the US dollar matters to UK investorsThe value of the US dollar has fallen by around 13% against a basket of major currencies since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025 for his second term as US president, plumbing a four-year low.
While very recently the dollar has reversed a small portion of those losses, that longer-term trend has major implications for...
5 February 2026
Why Anthropic’s AI tool is sparking turmoil for data and software firmsWith investors fretting about whether AI-related stocks are in a bubble, the president of investment manager Blackstone, Jon Grey, believes investors should instead be more concerned by disruption risk to big industries.
“What happens when industries change overnight, like what we saw to the Yellow Pages back in the nineties when the Internet came...
5 February 2026
Daily market update: Shell, Vodafone, BT, Compass, AlphabetThe FTSE 100 dipped on decision day for the Bank of England (BoE) as ripples from the Anthropic-driven sell-off continue to be felt.
Markets are currently pricing in a 96% chance of no change to interest rates when the BoE policymakers sit down today, with the next cut not expected until April.
Barring a huge turn up for the books, attention will...
5 February 2026
How to sell shares and what to watch forIf you invest through a platform, the process of selling shares is relatively simple. You can log into your account, see the quoted price, and click through to sell. But, to ensure the transaction is as efficient as possible, and that you’re making a smart choice, here’s what to keep in mind.
Knowing when to sellRealistically, no one knows the...
4 February 2026
Daily market update: Novo Nordisk, Beazley, Watches of Switzerland, GSKThe dust settled on Wednesday after a dramatic session for tech-related stocks amid new AI disruption.
A lot of the focus since the AI theme emerged has been on the winners and while there has been attention on potential losers from the proliferation of artificial intelligence, this part of the story has mainly stayed in the background.
That...
3 February 2026
Daily market update: gold, Japan rally, SpaceX and xAI, AG BarrThe sharp sell-off in gold over the past few days has encouraged investors to buy on the dip, scooping up the precious metal in their droves and making it sparkle again.
Gold has delivered such strong rewards to investors over the past year that many people will have treated the recent sell-off as a New Year’s sale, a chance to grab more metal at a...
2 February 2026
Daily market update: commodity prices slump, AI competition heats upCommodities markets have experienced a significant shockwave, with metal prices down sharply. This has reversed a winning trade for the plethora of commodity producers on the FTSE 100.
Miners including Fresnillo and Antofagasta, and oil producers BP and Shell, were pulled into the red as investor sentiment towards their sectors wanes and earnings...
30 January 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: Health insurance stocks plunge, data storage names surgeA topsy-turvy week for US markets saw investors digest turbulence in the health insurance space, earnings from a good chunk of the big tech contingent, as well as the latest decision on interest rates.
Health insurance names like UnitedHealth and Humana were sickly after the Trump administration proposed keeping Medicare rates flat next year which...
30 January 2026
What we learned from Tesla, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft’s resultsFour of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ stocks have reported their latest quarterly financial results to a mixed market reaction.
Meta was the winner in share price terms, jumping 10.4% in a single session after impressing investors with revenue growth and business success. Microsoft was the loser, down 10% in a day amid a slowdown in cloud computing...
30 January 2026
Russ Mould: Analysts zero in on GSK, Alphabet and Shell ahead of forthcoming resultsAJ Bell Investment Director, Russ Mould lists the companies scheduled to report in the week commencing 2 February, and takes a closer look at what analysts expect from GSK, Alphabet and Shell.
30 January 2026
Daily market update: AstraZeneca and Tesla, SpaceX and xAI merger reportIt’s a potentially big day for financial markets amid chatter that Donald Trump will announce his pick for the new Federal Reserve chair.
Reports suggest Kevin Warsh is primed to take the role. Investors seem to be taking this as a positive sign in terms of Fed independence – with Warsh perceived as a more orthodox choice versus some of the other...
30 January 2026
Bargain hunter investors win in 2025 but not over long termBargain hunters were the most successful type of investor in 2025, topping AJ Bell’s annual Style League table with a return of 38.7%.
Our analysis assumes that at the beginning of the year, the bargain hunter invests in the worst performing Investment Association (IA) fund sector of the previous 12 months. Latin America took the wooden spoon in...
29 January 2026
Daily market update: Lloyds, EasyJet, Meta, MicrosoftThe FTSE 100 got off to a strong start as gold moved through $5,500 and oil ticked up amid mounting tensions between the US and Iran.
The mining sector did much of the heavy lifting for the index, buoyed by a positive production update from Glencore and the impact of precious metals strength on Fresnillo and Endeavour. BP and Shell were lifted by a...
28 January 2026
Daily market update: ASML, SpaceX, British LandThe FTSE 100 moved higher despite a continuing slide in the dollar, as it took its cue from gains on Wall Street overnight.
A weaker US currency is a headwind for the large contingent in the index which derive their revenue from across the Atlantic – although it continues to provide support to dollar-denominated gold which has moved above the $5...
28 January 2026
Why gold mining shares are falling faster than the gold priceShares in gold miners often outperform a rising gold price. The reverse is also true, as investors have just found out.
Gold has gone into reverse after a strong rally, and gold mining shares have fallen by an even greater amount.
Since the current bull run in gold started in December 2015, the S&P Commodity Producers Gold index, a basket of...
