5 March 2021
Who wants to be an ISA millionaire?Today’s ISA millionaires have shown a definite preference for investing in individual shares rather than funds, with 83% of their portfolios sitting in stocks, compared with just 14% held in pooled funds.* Those with larger amounts in their ISA may be better placed to take the higher risks associated with investing in individual equities, and have...
5 March 2021
Is Deliveroo turning up just as the IPO market turns down?The bears may now be marching two by two toward Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovations Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), which is down by 20% from its highs, and those who are looking sceptically at global stocks will be also be growling a bit more loudly about initial public offerings (IPOs) and market newcomers.
This makes the timing of the Hill Review...
4 March 2021
Aviva slims down in rapid time, and B&M upgrades guidance but its purple patch could soon end“The FTSE 100 surrendered its gains from Wednesday as the sell-off in the bond market resumed with grim familiarity as inflation fears continue to stalk the markets,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Investors can take some comfort from the fact European markets aren’t as weak as their counterparts in Asia and the US overnight.
“Howe...
4 March 2021
Investors fail to take a shine to Fresnillo“UK-based investors do not seem to the share r/WallStreetBets community’s interest in silver and silver miners, judging by the muted response to Fresnillo’s full-year results,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director.
“Shares in the Mexican member of the FTSE 100 appear unimpressed, even though profits met expectations, the dividend exceeded...
3 March 2021
AJ Bell funds – February 2021 updateThe AJ Bell funds are managed by us, for you. We make the day-to-day decisions to keep your money working hard whatever the market conditions.
As you'll know, the last twelve months have been a turbulent time. To make sure the AJ Bell funds reflect the changed market landscape in 2021, we’ve updated the asset allocation of each fund as well as...
3 March 2021
Market winners from Budget 2021“Investors have reacted in a mixed fashion to the Budget after Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged to extend furlough and support businesses,” comments Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The Chancellor said more than 700,000 people have lost their jobs since the pandemic began, with the economy shrinking by almost 10% last year while...
3 March 2021
Persimmon looks to boost build quality after robust numbers, and PageGroup at mercy of candidate confidence levels“On Budget day the positive performance of the FTSE 100 may help put a little more pep in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s step as he makes the journey from Number 11 Downing Street to the House of Commons,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Pre-Budget leaks have raised hopes for an extension to the significant support provided to the UK...
2 March 2021
Vaccine success prompts bond sell offBond investors have had a pretty rocky start to 2021, and if the global vaccine roll-out prompts a sharp economic recovery, price falls clocked up this year could be just the beginning. This is of course on the back of a tremendous run of performance, stoked by low interest rates, and quantitative easing. Yields have fallen to such record low...
2 March 2021
Taylor Wimpey returns to dividend list and Renishaw puts itself up for sale“US markets bounced back with gusto last night, including a 3% rally in the tech-heavy Nasdaq index. Asia markets had already seen a decent showing on Monday and they did their best to sustain this momentum on Tuesday, but the gains turned to losses towards the end of the session for Hong Kong. The Hang Seng index traded 1.2% lower with banks...
1 March 2021
FTSE 100 dividends paid and restored now exceed value of cuts since the pandemic beganLily James, Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes may be gripping the nation in the Netflix film The Dig, but it is treasure of a different kind that is keeping investors interested in the UK stock market, after a bumper month for dividend payments in February.
Payment declarations came to £14.6 billion, while a further £5.2 billion worth of dividends...
1 March 2021
Global markets bounce back and Halfords’ cycling boom is still in motion“There was a huge sigh of relief after markets avoided a continuation of last week’s selloff. Asian markets led the recovery on Monday with Japan’s Nikkei 225 up 2.4% and China’s SSE up 1.2%. The FTSE 100 advanced 1.3%, though some of the other major European markets didn’t fare as well, including Germany’s DAX which slipped 0.7%,” says Russ Mould...
26 February 2021
British Airways owner's problems laid bare, Rightmove resumes dividends and announces resilient results“The FTSE 100 regained some measure of calm to trade modestly lower after a big drop at the open but investors are clearly still concerned about inflation risks as US government bond yields continue to spike,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“This was reflected in a significant sell-off overnight in the US and Asian markets. US...
25 February 2021
Associated British Foods beats expectations, and Mondi reports amid rumours of blockbuster packaging deal“The FTSE 100 enjoyed a strong start on Thursday buoyed by comments from the chair of the US Federal Reserve which sought to allay market fears about the prospect of rising inflation leading to interest rate hikes,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Crude oil prices remained strong amid optimism over a covid recovery with other...
24 February 2021
Lloyds beats expectations and Reckitt faces post-Covid growth challenge“At one point yesterday, it looked like another terrible day for tech stocks in the US, yet the Nasdaq managed to claw back losses to end the day just 0.5% lower. That helped to avoid a period of panic among investors and most of Europe held firm on Wednesday,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Asia didn’t fare as well. Hong Kong’s...
23 February 2021
‘Value’ continues to outperform ‘growth’ as NASDAQ stumblesThe NASDAQ Composite’s second worst daily decline of the year, and its third one-day slide of more than 2%, may be a further sign that investors’ love affair with technology stocks is just cooling a little as they look for ways to play a post-pandemic upturn.
Gathering concern over inflation, as wage growth accelerates, commodity prices surge and...
23 February 2021
HSBC reveals better than expected dividend, and InterContinental Hotels looks to the future“European and Asia markets managed to escape the hangover that US investors are now nursing after last night’s big tech sell-off on Wall Street,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The Nasdaq fell nearly 2.5% as investors dumped names like Apple and Amazon amid growing concerns about rising inflation expectations, the direction of...
22 February 2021
Reopening roadmap: assessing the impact on UK stocks, and equity markets down at the start of the new week Re-opening Roadmap: Impact On Stocks“It looks like the roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions is set to cause some disappointment in the world of business and that’s reflected in share price behaviour ahead of the Prime Minister’s speech,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The UK-focused FTSE 250 index slipped 1% as investors...
19 February 2021
Barclays’ cash return plans underwhelm with buyback plan in focus“ Barclays is resuming dividend payments and adding to the 1p-a-share payment with a £700 million share buyback, the equivalent of a further 4p a share in cash, but the shareholders seem a little underwhelmed,” says Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director.
“The headline profit figures were better than expected and the balance sheet looks robust...
19 February 2021
FTSE 100 flat after retail sales plunge, Natwest plans Irish exit as dividends return“Unsurprising news that retail sales slumped significantly in January thanks to the latest lockdown left the FTSE 100 struggling for direction on Friday, broadly unmoved at a little above the 6,600 mark,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“A strong pound isn’t helping the index – crimping the relative value of its dominant overseas...
18 February 2021
Barclays tripped up by bad debts, Smith & Nephew continues to face Covid demand hit“Having started on Monday wide awake and made some bumper gains it feels like the FTSE 100 has hit the snooze button for the rest of the week,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The latest day of destiny for investor sentiment feels like it is coming on Monday when Boris Johnson is set to reveal the pace at which coronavirus...
17 February 2021
Inflation starts 2021 without a bangInflation has started 2021 in much the same vein as it finished 2020, low and moving sideways. The fact that restaurants and hotels provided a large upward pressure on CPI, despite largely being shuttered in January, provides ample cause for caution when interpreting broad economic indicators in a world where activity has been so horribly distorted...
17 February 2021
FTSE 100 slips back with inflation in focus, British American Tobacco stubbed out on cloudy outlook“The FTSE 100 started Wednesday modestly on the back foot after UK inflation figures from which it was difficult to take anything tangible,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“With consumption artificially depressed by lockdown there’s not a lot for the data crunchers to work with, though there are some signs that the widely anticipated...
16 February 2021
Can the miners dig the FTSE 100 out of its dividend hole?A 55% hike in BHP’s first-half dividend and the restoration of payments to shareholders at Glencore are putting welcome cash back into the kitty for investors in the UK stock market. The miners’ dividends will help to fill the large hole left by BP and Shell in particular and increases from the diggers underpin consensus forecasts for an increase...
16 February 2021
Commodities boom helps FTSE extend its gains, BHP unveils record first half dividend“The FTSE 100 followed up Monday’s massive gains with a more modest advance as commodities surged amid hopes for a big recovery in demand as vaccines help unlock global economies,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Investors will be watching Boris Johnson’s scheduled statement on the easing of coronavirus restrictions closely when it...
15 February 2021
FTSE on the march as UK vaccine target hit“After finally getting some impetus on a Friday afternoon, at a time when most of us were winding down for the week, the FTSE 100 has started Monday morning without a hint of a hangover from the weekend,” AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Government attempts to manage expectations on Covid better are helpful to the market which is now...