17 April 2026
Retail investors set to get more choice in corporate bondsRetail investors could soon have greater choice among corporate bonds. Three bonds from London Stock Exchange Group are now available to the public, and more bonds could follow suit in the coming months by other companies.
Historically, corporate bonds required minimum investment amounts beyond the reach of individuals. That is now changing. While...
17 April 2026
Sainsbury results preview: can grocery stocks hold up?Sainsbury results are in focus as UK grocery stocks face rising cost pressures and competition.
Here’s what investors should watch as Tesco hits record highs and the retail sector faces uncertainty.
With Sainsbury set to report full-year results, this video explores whether the recent strength in UK food retailers can continue. While supermarket...
17 April 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: US stocks hit record highs, Netflix slumpsUS markets continued their march upwards led by renewed enthusiasm for AI stocks and supported by growing optimism over a peaceful solution in the Middle East.
The S&P 500 breached 7,000 points for the first time with new all-time highs also seen in the Nasdaq Composite and Russell 2000 indices.
The S&P 500 has now gained 10% in just over 11...
16 April 2026
What kind of returns can I expect on my investments?This is the million pound question. Unfortunately, it comes with the answer that it’s impossible to know how your money will perform in the future.
Regardless of what you invest in, there’s simply no guarantee you will profit. However, we can look at what has happened in the past and learn some lessons from earlier investors. Just remember that...
16 April 2026
Daily market update: China growth lifts miners, Tesco, EasyJet, DunelmFor the most part, markets are still clinging to hopes of a resolution to the Middle East conflict, with a decent advance in the US and Asia followed up by more modest gains in Europe .
Miners did some heavy lifting for the FTSE 100 after Chinese GDP growth hit its 5% target in the first quarter despite the disruption from the Iran war. This is...
16 April 2026
What you need to know about SpaceX as IPO nearsWe could be about to see the biggest stock market debut in history, at least based on the amount of money raised, as SpaceX prepares for lift-off on the stock market.
The IPO (initial public offering) is rumoured to be happening in the coming months. If it goes ahead, it will be the public’s first chance to directly own a slice of Elon Musk’s...
15 April 2026
UK stocks delivering good news you may have missedIt has been easy to miss UK companies delivering better than expected earnings and upgrading full-year outlooks in the last month of volatile market trading.
Yet despite the turmoil, in some cases, these positive bits of news led to double-digit share price increases and prompted analysts to upgrade their earnings estimates.
This is interesting...
15 April 2026
Tired of the markets? How to take a break without losing outIf you’ve been following the markets this year, you’re likely exhausted. Investing veterans will know that trying to anticipate each market rise and fall is often a lost cause, but it can be hard to let it go when your investments are tied to important life goals, like buying a home or retiring.
Is taking a break okay?It feels unnatural to take a...
15 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets edge higher, ASML, Barratt RedrowMarkets appear to be more optimistic about a Middle East peace deal, with stocks edging higher across Asia and Europe.
Despite the advance in equities, there was still a slight sense of nervousness as there remains considerable uncertainty over a successful outcome from peace negotiations.
Investors seem happy to dip their toe in the water again...
14 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets higher, BP, Intertek, Novo Nordisk, Imperial BrandsEuropean equity markets pushed higher on talk that US and Iranian negotiation teams would continue peace talks later this week.
Brent Crude oil fell to $98 a barrel on renewed hopes of a path towards peace, helping to improve investor sentiment and rev up risk appetite. Miners and airlines were in demand, while oil producers slipped back.
Investors...
13 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets slip, Strait of Hormuz blockade, Vistry, Heathrow, LidlThe failure of initial talks between the US and Iran cannot be counted as a huge eye-opener, but Donald Trump’s threat to launch a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz might not have been on the market’s bingo card.
Investors are trying to gauge whether a fragile ceasefire will hold, and they are waiting to see the next moves from Tehran and...
13 April 2026
What's happening to clean energy as oil soars?The price of energy has rocketed since the beginning of March, as one of the world’s biggest shipping routes for oil and gas, the Strait of Hormuz, has effectively been blocked.
This increase has quickly been seen at places like the fuel pump, as the price of petrol rose by 15% in the UK throughout the month of March. Companies like BP and Shell...
10 April 2026
Daily market update: European markets steady, peace talks, AO joyA strong finish on Wall Street on Thursday and an advance in Asian stocks on Friday set the tone for steady trading in Europe as attention turns to Pakistan-brokered peace talks between the US and Iran.
The ceasefire agreement announced earlier this week has felt fragile at times, although news that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has...
10 April 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: Ceasefire bounce and Netflix previewWall Street enjoyed a healthy bounce following the announcement of a temporary ceasefire in the Middle East. The technology-led Nasdaq Composite and smaller companies-focused Russell 2000 index led the gains.
These interest rate sensitive parts are of the market were buoyed by a fall in 10-year government bond yields.
The odds of interest rate...
9 April 2026
Discover the UK market’s inflation-busting dividend growersDividends play a crucial role in wealth creation. A study by Hartford Funds showed they contribute almost half of shareholder total returns (share price gains plus dividends) over the long run.
Some of the best shareholder returns are generated by companies that can consistently grow dividends ahead of inflation. These tend to be high-quality...
9 April 2026
UK utilities stocks: Russ Mould on defensive sectorsUK utilities stocks are back in focus as investors look for stability in uncertain markets. In this video, we explore why defensive sectors like utilities are outperforming and what it could mean for your portfolio.
With geopolitical tensions influencing inflation and interest rate expectations, utilities are once again being viewed as a potential...
9 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets retreat, ME Group, Asda, UniqloThere is an air of renewed nervousness pervading financial markets after the euphoria which was initially prompted by the US-Iran ceasefire.
This agreement already seems to be fraying at the edges – with continued strikes by Israel on Lebanon a key sticking point. With talks on a lasting deal yet to begin it’s understandable that investors are...
9 April 2026
Sitting on losses? Why cashing out typically isn’t the right moveMarkets have felt like wild ride so far this year. But, when we look at the returns for many of the main markets since the start of 2026 then, by the standards of someone who follows markets for a living, the picture doesn’t look so dramatic.
The MSCI World dropped by 1.7% from the start of the year to the end of March, making for a negative first...
8 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets rally on ceasefire, ShellInvestors’ wish for a ceasefire has been granted, triggering a rally across financial markets and pulling down the oil price.
The positive market reaction is understandable as a two-week ceasefire raises hope for a complete end to the conflict. Markets have been clouded by multiple kinds of uncertainty, from fears of higher inflation and rising...
7 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets steady, oil above $110, Universal Music GroupMarkets were steady with investors largely non-committal as they await the apparent cliff-edge deadline imposed by the Trump administration.
President Trump’s threats widespread strikes on Iran if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by the early hours of tomorrow morning UK time, if taken at face value, create the conditions for a binary set of...
2 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets in retreat, FTSE 100, BP, ShellInvestors didn’t get what they wanted from President Trump’s address to the American people and have reacted accordingly.
Famously, uncertainty is kryptonite for the markets and between the contradictory messages from Trump, disputed claims on both sides, and the lack of clarity on a plan which can provide a resolution to the conflict they are...
2 April 2026
The markets still winning amid the 2026 selloffWhile some market crises seem to be limited to a single country or region, others are happy to rope everyone in. In the past month, it’s become increasingly clear that the war in Iran is a crisis that’s not leaving anyone out. Jumps in energy prices caused by the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have investors scrambling to determine what...
1 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets surge, oil drops, Berkeley, BabcockThe market appears increasingly optimistic that an end to the war in Iran is in the offing as big gains in the US and Asia were matched in Europe on Wednesday morning.
The FTSE 100 is now firmly ensconced above the 10,000 mark and nearly 5% above its lows last week while Brent crude oil prices have dropped below $100 per barrel. European gas prices...
31 March 2026
Daily market update: Trump, Unilever, McCormick, LloydsThe FTSE 100 consolidated Monday’s gains to stand firmly above the 10,000 mark as investors continue to weigh competing narratives over the Iran conflict.
Wall Street saw selling yesterday and Asian shares were weaker on Tuesday but European markets responded positively to suggestions President Trump is mulling an exit from the war.
Reportedly this...
30 March 2026
Daily market update: Markets, oil, M&S, BoohooMarket nervousness around the situation in the Middle East continues to ratchet up as the Iran conflict enters a fifth week.
Comments from President Trump about seizing Iranian oil and the country’s Kharg Island export hub, a build-up of US troops and the involvement of Tehran-backed Houthis in the war all create the impression of a conflict that...
