26 June 2026
Where investors won and lost in the first half of 2026Companies on the receiving end of the AI spending boom were the winning investments in the first half of 2026. Meanwhile Bitcoin was a shocker, gold lost its shine, and IT services and consulting shares were among the names eaten alive by AI displacement fears.
There was an IPO boom in the US, with a drone software company proving to be a...
26 June 2026
Daily market update: FTSE 100 lower, Apple, OpenAI, HeathrowThe FTSE 100 took its cue from wider market weakness to trade lower on Friday morning, although it avoided the scale of losses seen for many of its global counterparts.
If memory chip play Micron helped manufacture some momentum for the market after its bumper results on Wednesday, Apple axed it overnight as it put up prices on a broad range of...
26 June 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: Micron surges, FedEx faltersMarkets saw a setback this week led by a sharp sell-off in global chip stocks with the Korean Kospi index dropping more than 7% and the Philadelphia semiconductor index, known as the SOX index, falling more than 6% before recovering slightly.
The sell-off created a big divergence in the performance of major US indices with the technology-led Nasdaq...
25 June 2026
Daily market update: Micron, EasyJet, Halfords, Moonpig, H&MFears about a pullback in AI-related stocks have been banished after Micron Technology’s results implied all is well in tech land.
The company has reported a surge in profit and said supply tightness in the memory chip market will continue beyond next year.
That put a rocket under Micron’s shares which jumped 16% in pre-market trading and took...
24 June 2026
Bought your first global ETF? Here’s how to build from thereGetting started is always the hardest step. That first run, the first time trying to get your car into gear, riding a bike, the list goes on, and investing is no different.
Usually, most people choose a global equity tracker fund to start with, and for good reason. “It’s a great place to start,” AJ Bell’s Head of Investment Research Paul Angell...
24 June 2026
Daily market update: Markets calm, Segro, Prologis, BerkeleyWhile a red day on Wall Street on Tuesday put investors on edge, it didn’t trigger contagion across global markets.
The Nasdaq fell 2.2% and the Vix measure of volatility jumped 13%, prompting investors to worry if we’re on the cusp of a new market meltdown. Fortunately, Asian and European markets showed resilience on Wednesday and helped to settle...
24 June 2026
Three key lessons the birthday lottery tells us about investing for childrenThe lottery of birth has a massive impact on Junior ISA (JISA) and Child Trust Fund growth over the years. If you were one of the first children to receive money from the government in February 2005, and your parents topped it up to £1,000, by the time you reached the age of 18 it would have grown into an impressive nest egg of £5,172.**
However...
23 June 2026
Emerging markets: opportunities, risks and how to investThe list of reasons people in invest in emerging markets includes their faster growing economies underpinned by large working-age populations, rising middle classes and increasing productivity.
This means countries like India, Indonesia and Vietnam may grow faster than developed nations for decade to come. Economic growth and stock market returns...
23 June 2026
Investing in foreign shares or fund? The tax on dividends explainedUK residents are taxed on their income and gains, and this will include dividends from international shares. While your AJ Bell ISA and SIPP wrappers shelter your investments from UK income and capital gains tax, there may still be other tax considerations related to foreign investments, even if they’re held in these wrappers.
This article will...
23 June 2026
Daily market update: Royal Mail, Bunzl, Telecom Plus, Heineken, Gear4MusicThe FTSE 100 was lower on Tuesday after yesterday’s tech sell-off in the US.
The selling in SpaceX, as its trajectory starts to reverse following a blockbuster market debut, has had a knock-on effect on some of the UK vehicles with stakes in the business. The mining sector in London was also lower amid concern about the global economy.
The market...
23 June 2026
Starmer gone: five things for investors to watch in the coming monthsDon’t be fooled into a false sense of security from the muted bond market reaction to Keir Starmer’s resignation. There is still a risk that bond markets find something to worry about as we transition to a new prime minister.
It could just be a momentary stillness before things escalate. Here are five key areas to watch.
1. Leadership battle?Uncer...
22 June 2026
How the UK’s stock and bond markets react to mid-term prime ministersKeir Starmer's resignation as leader of the Labour Party and UK prime minister is the latest in a series of events which could see the country welcome its eighth unelected, mid-term prime minister since the launch of the FTSE All-Share in 1962.
After winning the Makerfield by-election Andy Burnham is currently the frontrunner to take on the Number...
22 June 2026
Daily market update: Keir Starmer, Babcock, Ocado, EasyJetTalks to end the war between the US and Iran are underway. Markets could see heightened volatility during the process as this won’t be a simple handshake to get it done.
To compound this situation, investors are on the edge of their seats regarding a seismic change in UK politics. Gilt yields moved up slightly on news Keir Starmer will step down as...
21 June 2026
How to use price to sales to find cheap UK companiesIf you’re trying to separate undervalued from overvalued companies, comparing market value (the company’s worth) to revenue (the amount of money a business earns before deducting expenses) can be a useful starting point. It is referred to as the price to sales or PS ratio for short.
The PS ratio is straightforward to calculate; for example...
19 June 2026
Daily market update: FTSE 100 steady, SpaceX, EntainThe FTSE 100 was steady on Friday after gains on Wall Street yesterday, as investors largely shrugged off the latest political news in the UK.
Oil prices ticked higher and Asian stocks dipped as negotiations between Washington and Tehran were apparently put on hold while Israel continued to pursue strikes against Lebanon. These developments are a...
19 June 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: memory chip stocks surgeIn a week dominated by two major events – the first Federal Reserve meeting under chair Kevin Warsh and the US-Iran peace deal – US markets made positive progress.
It wasn’t without its ups and downs though, largely thanks to the Fed – of which more later.
Memory chip stocks, which had seen their surge interrupted of late, were significantly higher...
18 June 2026
Daily market update: Tesco, FirstGroup, Drax, WhitbreadPolitics and economics are front and centre for markets in the UK and beyond.
The US and Iran have signed an initial deal to end the war, causing oil prices to fall further. Oil has now fallen by 30% in just over four weeks, wiping out much of the increases seen since the start of the war in late February.
Brent crude now trades at $77.79 per...
18 June 2026
Is this IPO worth your money? Here's how to find outIPO investing can be tempting but how do you know if a new stock is worth your money?
This video breaks down a practical IPO investing checklist to help you assess opportunities more carefully.
With IPO activity picking up again in the US and potentially the UK, investors may start to see more companies coming to market. But not all IPOs are...
17 June 2026
US-Iran peace deal: which sectors have recovered and which are stuck in a rut?A US-Iran peace agreement and prospects for a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz saw Brent Crude oil prices fall to around $80 per barrel on 16 June, well below the near $120 peak and back within 10% of pre-war levels.
The agreement has implications for central bank interest rate policy due to the inflationary impact of higher energy prices putting...
17 June 2026
Daily market update: oil price falls, BMW, PZ Cussons, AO WorldThe surprise UK inflation reading was positive news for interest rate-sensitive stocks including banks and housebuilders.
Inflation holding steady was the last thing anyone expected in the face of higher oil prices caused by the Iran war. Central banks typically raise interest rates to fight inflation, and the latest reading suggests the Bank of...
16 June 2026
How AJ Bell DIY investors grabbed their slice of SpaceXSpaceX made its public market debut last week and AJ Bell DIY customers took up the opportunity with more vigor than any other IPO in the past.
The public relished the opportunity to buy into SpaceX’s stock market offer, judging by demand on AJ Bell’s DIY platform.
We saw more than five times the number of applications to buy shares than any IPO...
16 June 2026
Daily market update: Thames Water, IWG, DebenhamsThe FTSE 100 held firm as investors absorbed the latest news from the Middle East.
Brent crude oil prices were steady at $82 per barrel, with a full retreat closer to pre-war levels unlikely to come until a concrete deal is in place and there is clear evidence shipping is flowing through the Strait of Hormuz. The reaction in government bond yields...
16 June 2026
Bill Ackman: The IPOs that could make or break marketsAJ Bell's Head of Markets, Dan Coatsworth, speaks to Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square, about the big forces shaping global markets right now. Ackman explains why IPOs from SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI could be critical for market momentum – and whether they'll fuel further gains or risk investor fatigue.
He also discusses whether Alphabet's huge...
15 June 2026
Daily market update: Markets jump and oil falls on Iran peace deal, BootsMarkets have finally got the news they’ve longed for since the beginning of March as the end of the Iran war is more clearly in sight.
The framework deal is a major step forward to ending the conflict, although it is still not officially signed and remains light on detail. Markets seem cautiously optimistic there won’t be any setbacks to getting...
12 June 2026
SpaceX IPO: Space stocks and funds soar in popularityInvestors keen to join the race to space didn't sit on their hands waiting for the SpaceX IPO, which happened on 12 June. They had already strapped in for the journey by snapping up other space stocks and funds in recent months.
Space-related investments feature heavily in the most popular purchases on the AJ Bell DIY investor platform over the...
