19 December 2024
Everything you need to know about the UK stock marketA lot of investors may not understand the difference between the London Stock Exchange, the FTSE 100, the AIM, and other names you’ve heard of. Learn about them here.
About the expert
Dan Coatsworth is AJ Bell's Head of Markets. Dan has been with the company since December 2012 and has more than 18 years' experience in the industry, following the markets and all things investing. He has a degree in Corporate Communications from Southampton Solent University.
Dan is involved in a lot of the content published by AJ Bell, which includes; providing market commentary, starring in our educational videos, writing for Shares Magazine and co-presenting our Money and Markets podcast, as well as hosting and presenting at events for customers – both in person and online.
Dan’s passion lies with educating customers all about investing and staying informed about market events. He previously worked for Teletext on the business and personal finance desks which taught him the importance of telling a story in as few words as possible. He has also appeared as a business commentator on Times Radio and LBC News and written investment-related articles for The Telegraph, Evening Standard, Mail on Sunday and The Week.
A fun fact Dan learned about investing early on was to not get caught up on the hype around certain stocks. He found this out himself when the first share he bought was a company trying to recover copper from a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean… this sounded exciting but sadly didn’t make him any money! Outside of work, Dan enjoys swimming and going to live gigs.
Latest articles from Dan Coatsworth
19 December 2024
Accumulation vs Income fundsFor most funds, you can choose to buy income or accumulation units. The difference is how they handle income (dividends or interest) generated by the fund.
18 December 2024
Four tips for investors in volatile timesMarket volatility can be a tricky time for investors, but there are things that can help to keep you on track with your plan. Learn about investing in volatile markets.
18 December 2024
A guide to Sharesave schemesLearn about company SAYE/Sharesave schemes and what you might need to do once your scheme matures, such as transferring the shares into a tax-free Stocks and shares ISA.
16 December 2024
How increasing your ISA contributions by £25 a year could turbocharge your returnsPutting a little bit more into your ISA each year can provide a major boost to your wealth over time. We’re not talking about giving up all of life’s luxuries to free up money to invest, merely finding a tiny bit more each year
Someone who invests £5,000 as a lump sum and makes no further contributions would have a pot worth £16,931 after 25 years...
16 December 2024
Most popular stocks of 2024 among AJ Bell DIY investorsInvestors continue to show a keen interest in opportunities Stateside, with half of the top 10 most popular stocks among AJ Bell DIY investors being listed in the US.
Nvidia topped the list as investors sought ways to play the AI theme, which has gone from strength to strength. The chip specialist continued to churn out good news and analysts raced...
13 December 2024
UK takeovers surge in 2024 as bidders circle the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250UK takeovers moved up a gear in 2024 as predators targeted bigger companies. The average value of deals was £1.07 billion, nearly three times higher than the £390 million average in 2023. In total, there were £49 billion worth of recommended bids versus £17.2 billion last year.
A bounty of unloved or underappreciated companies were swept off their...
12 December 2024
Revealed: the FTSE 350 stocks with the biggest dividend growth in 2024Ten companies in the FTSE 350 rewarded shareholders with at least 50% higher dividends in 2024, according to analysis by AJ Bell. Five of these companies more than doubled the payout, making it a prosperous year for investors,
Dividends are a key component of successful investing whether taken as an income to support retirement or reinvested to...
10 December 2024
FTSE 100: best and worst performers in a strong year for UK blue chip stocksThe FTSE 100 has enjoyed its best year since 2021 with an 11.4% total return, driven by a mixture of companies delivering good news and takeover activity.
Eighteen FTSE 100 stocks have generated a total return in excess of 30% and approximately half of the index (48 stocks) has produced a double-digit return. Nearly two-thirds (63 stocks) made...
5 December 2024
Bitcoin smashes through $100,000 in latest post-Trump milestone for cryptoWe’ve reached the magic moment as bitcoin goes through $100,000 for the first time.
Forget the Brat Summer. Welcome to the Brat Winter. First, Charli XCX redefined the meaning of the term to characterise an aesthetic and a way of life, now we’ve got a new twist on Brat representing one of this year’s biggest stories in the investment universe –...
