Martin Gamble is Shares and Markets writer at AJ Bell. He was previously the Education Editor of Shares Magazine. He has been with the business since 2019.
Martin graduated from the University of Kent in 1984 with an accounting degree.
He has extensive financial markets experience gained through managing UK and European equity portfolios for institutions including Hermes Investment Management, Manulife Financial and Royal Bank of Canada.
While at Manulife Financial the funds Martin managed were consistently in the top quartile which was recognised with a ‘Stars of Excellence’ award.
Martin subsequently headed up the fund management business for Royal Bank of Canada in London.
Outside of work, Martin likes long distance hiking and playing Backgammon.
12 May 2026
Why reduced buybacks and surging IPOs could test US marketsUS markets could be losing a tailwind this year as companies slow their share buybacks in favour of capital expenditure.
Share buybacks reduce the number of shares in issue and mathematically provide a boost to earnings per share.
Let’s say you own an equal share in a business with three friends and one of them wants out. After agreeing on a price...
8 May 2026
Martin Gamble on US Markets: Disney dazzles, McDonalds' cost hitUS markets continued to make new highs this week despite the fragile Middle East ceasefire driven by technology stocks and positive earnings upgrades.
With the earnings season in full swing the data shows that roughly four fifths of companies have beaten profit estimates and the average positive surprise has been 11%.
The S&P 500 is on track for...
6 May 2026
The FTSE, DAX and CAC are more concentrated than the S&P 500Equity indices are often seen as a good way to achieve a broad spread of exposures to companies operating in different industries and thereby reduce stock risk, but it is important to be aware of concentration risk.
While much has been written recently about how the S&P 500 is dominated by its largest constituents, it is probably less well...
1 May 2026
Martin Gamble on US markets: Google-owner Alphabet soars, Meta punishedUS markets were surprisingly steady this week despite a barrage of macroeconomic news and big technology earnings.
The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged as expected but four of its twelve policy members dissented, revealing the biggest lack of consensus at the Fed in 34 years.
In Jerome Powell’s last meeting as chair, he told reporters...
29 April 2026
Why are shares in defence companies under pressure?European defence stocks suffered their worst drop in five years in March while the iShares US Aerospace & Defence ETF saw nearly $1 billion of outflows in the week ending 24 April.
Many defence companies now sit below where they stood before the war in Iran began at the end of February 2026.
While this may seem counterintuitive, there are reasons...
24 April 2026
Martin Gamble on US Markets: Tesla spend spooks investorsUS markets took a well-earned breather this week after President Trump announced an indefinite ceasefire to hostilities in the Middle East.
It is likely to be the quiet before the storm ahead of a next week’s deluge of data including a interest rate decision from the Federal Reserve and earnings from the mega-cap technology firms, including Apple...
22 April 2026
Big tech in focus as crunch quarterly numbers awaitedTowards the end of April, we will get quarterly earnings from Microsoft, Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms and Amazon, representing a combined $14 trillion of market value, or just over a quarter of the S&P 500 index.
The technology narrative has shifted from excitement around the potential of AI to a ‘show me the money’ story, to quote Wells Fargo...
21 April 2026
How the bumper US rally compares with previous two-week surgesMarkets scaled new all-time highs recently following a ceasefire in the Middle East and hopes that a lasting resolution in imminent.
The S&P 500 has now gained roughly 12% in just two weeks, one of the steepest rises ever seen over that timeframe. (For clarity this encompasses the trading days within a two-week period rather than 14 trading days)...
20 April 2026
Mounting geopolitical tensions have changed the game for BAE SystemsRising geopolitical tensions and expanding UK and European defence budgets following the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have created a substantial tailwind for BAE Systems, with the shares delivering nearly 400% in total shareholder returns over the last five years data.
The shares have comfortably outperformed the FTSE 100 and the global defence...
20 April 2026
Hunting for stocks with less valuation riskAs Fundsmith founder Terry Smith is fond of reminding investors, in the long run earnings drive share prices rather than the other way around.
Investing in stocks successfully is often about subtly shifting the odds in your favour. This can mean owning stocks which have lower valuation risk, or in other words aren’t being overvalued by the market...
