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.
13 August 2026
Investing for university: why the Bank of Mum and Dad is so importantAs students find out their A-Level results, many parents of younger children will be giving thought to how they will pay for university in the future. It’s even more pertinent this year given growing scrutiny of the student loans system, which has been described as ‘broken’ and ‘unfair’ by government officials.
Certain parents might wonder if they...
13 August 2026
Seven fund ideas for your portfolioBefore you decide which fund to buy, you need to establish two key things: what is your risk appetite and how long is it before you need to access the money.
Those happy to ride out the ups and down of the market, and have time to do so, might be comfortable owning funds that invest in shares. Those with a more cautious mindset and/or a shorter...
13 August 2026
Which UK sectors pay the highest dividends?Income may be a key reason to invest, but not all dividends are equal. Knowing what level of income to expect from different industries is a useful way to enhance your research.
We have studied the top 350 companies by value on the UK stock market to see how dividends vary from sector and by company. Multiple industries stand out as decent dividend...
11 August 2026
Daily market update: Shein IPO, IHG, BellwayOil prices continue to ebb and flow as the narrative around the Iran war takes endless twists and turns.
Brent crude has put on $10 in less than a week, which is a significant move, with the black stuff now trading just below $89 a barrel.
It’s troubling but not enough to cause panic. Instead, it’s knocked the wind out of investors’ sails and left...
27 July 2026
Confused about bonds? Here are answers to seven common questionsOn the face of it, bonds might seem like straightforward investment products. Once you dig deeper, it is easy to get confused with the language around how they work. Fear not, as we are here to help.
To help you better understand the world of bonds, we have compiled answers to seven frequent questions that investors ask.
Getting your head around...
23 July 2026
Are active funds keeping up with their tracker counterparts?It’s no wonder passive funds are grabbing investors’ attention. We’ve had yet another six-month period where a large chunk of professional stock pickers failed to outperform the tracker funds in the same sector.
Only 42% of active funds outperformed their tracker alternatives in the first half of 2026, matching the same reading from a year earlier...
23 July 2026
The sectors and stocks to watch as the new Burnham government gets to workA cabinet reshuffle following a change of leader can have major implications for bond and equity markets. Even though new prime minister Andy Burnham has pledged to stick to fiscal rules, there are signs that he will do things differently.
Markets are forward looking and they will be trying to second guess what path Burnham and new chancellor John...
21 July 2026
Daily market update: Mitie, Wickes, Compass, Fuller’s World Cup boostJohn Healey’s surprise appointment as chancellor hasn’t troubled the markets as he is seen as a safe pair of hands.
His extensive parliamentary career including roles in the Treasury are seen as putting him in good stead.
Bond markets reacted favourably, with gilt yields easing back after a jump yesterday afternoon when prime minister Andy Burnham...
20 July 2026
The costs of frequent tradingWhen you place regular trades, dealing and foreign exchange fees can add up. Learn about costs associated with frequent trading and the discounts available.
16 July 2026
Daily market update: Ocado, Foxtons, TSMC and UK takeoversThe FTSE 100 took its cue from weak trading in Asia and fell back amid a lower open for most other European markets.
Brent crude oil prices remain near one-month highs as tensions continue to mount in the Middle East.
Fragile sentiment is leading to a continued pullback in memory chip stocks after their gravity-defying run as investors fret about...
