15 August 2025
Stocks make new highs as rate cut hopes outweigh macro headwindsUS stocks climbed to new highs this week with the small cap Russell 2000 index leading the gains on expectations for a rate cut at the September meeting of Federal Reserve policymakers.
Futures markets priced in more than a 90% chance of a quarter of a percentage point cut to official rates after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg...
15 August 2025
Daily market update: FTSE 100, Intel, Associated British Foods“It is not often that the market’s attention is centred on Alaska but the US state will be firmly in focus on Friday as President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin meet to discuss the Ukraine conflict,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Any outcomes will not come until after UK markets have concluded trading for the day but...
14 August 2025
Russ Mould: Target and Wal-Mart latest quarterly resultsAJ Bell Investment Director, Russ Mould highlights the companies due to report in the coming week and discusses what to expect from Target and Walmart.
14 August 2025
Daily market update: Admiral, Aviva, Antofagasta, Centrica“The FTSE 100 dipped from yesterday’s record close on Thursday morning after gains on Wall Street and mixed trading in Asia overnight,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Increased hopes for interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve helped US indices to advance on Wednesday, though some of that momentum had evaporated by the time Asian...
13 August 2025
Daily market update: tariffs, global stocks, Persimmon“Animal spirits are definitely in charge of the market right now, as investors embrace the potential for the Fed to cut interest rates in the wake of what was seen as a soft inflation reading in the US,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The US central bank still remains in cautious mode, waiting to observe if tariffs stoke a pick...
12 August 2025
Daily market update: Spirax, Entain, Bellway“Markets reacted with relief to news of an extension on the US-China trade deadline which was set to expire today,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“However, this relief was measured given the market had largely anticipated such an outcome. Asian stocks were higher overnight and the FTSE 100 got a boost from a mining sector whose...
11 August 2025
Russ Mould: The stock market & Chancellors of the ExchequerAJ Bell Investment Director, Russ Mould discusses Rachel Reeves' first year as Chancellor of the Exchequer; he takes a look at previous Chancellors, how the stock market fared during their tenure and what lessons Chancellor Reeves could learn.
11 August 2025
Daily market update: FTSE 100, gold, S4 Capital, Nvidia/AMD, Marshalls“The FTSE 100 made a decent start to the trading week as some recent laggards attracted attention from bargain hunters,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The market seems very relaxed ahead of tomorrow’s deadline on US-China trade talks, reflecting the assumption an extension is in the offing and a deal will eventually be reached...
8 August 2025
Tech, tariffs and gold shenanigans dominate another up week for US marketsIt was another strong week for US stock indices as technology shares continue to lift the mood in New York and markets looked past the latest news on tariffs.
Yet tariffs remain a real issue for investors, with reciprocal levies against a host of major trading partners taking effect from 7 August, keeping markets on edge over their potential impact...
8 August 2025
Daily market update: precious metals, Flutter, Pinterest, Expedia“The FTSE 100 was just about keeping its head above water to stay above the 9,100 mark on Friday morning,” says AJ Bell Head of Financial Analysis Danni Hewson.
“Overall it has been a mixed week for the index with the split vote and hawkish tone adopted by the Bank of England yesterday lifting sterling and hitting the relative value of the Footsie...
7 August 2025
Russ Mould : A look at Persimmon, Pagegroup & Derwent London ahead of forthcoming resultsAJ Bell Investment Director, Russ Mould talks us through what analysts are expecting from Persimmon, Pagegroup & Derwent London when they report in the coming weeks.
7 August 2025
FTSE hits a new high: how to invest in the UK stock marketThis summer, the UK has been enjoying its time in the sun. Not just through good weather but also for the stock market, which reached an end of day high on 24 July and an intraday high on the 31st. Some investors may be considering how to get a piece of the pie.
Adding to the appeal of the home market is a weakened US dollar, creating currency risk...
7 August 2025
Daily market update: FTSE 100, WPP, IHG, Airbnb, Serco, Deliveroo“The FTSE 100 is struggling to make meaningful progress this week, running to stand still as investors weigh the latest economic, geopolitical and corporate developments,” says AJ Bell Head of Financial Analysis Danni Hewson.
“Not helping today was several heavyweight names trading without the rights to their dividend. This held the index back...
6 August 2025
Daily market update: Glencore, Legal & General, Novo Nordisk, Snapchat“After running out of steam and slipping into the red in the latter part of yesterday’s trading session, the FTSE 100 made another modest move higher on Wednesday,” says AJ Bell Head of Financial Analysis Danni Hewson.
“Concern around tariffs continues to swirl as Indian stocks slipped thanks to Trump administration threats to impose higher levies...
5 August 2025
Berkshire Hathaway stops building cash but share price slide continuesIn the three months since Warren Buffett announced his retirement plans, Berkshire Hathaway’s share price has continued to slide, perhaps suggesting that investors are yet to convince themselves the company can continue as an investment powerhouse without Buffett at the helm.
The decline in Berkshire’s share price since Buffett’s announcement on 3...
5 August 2025
Daily market update: Smith & Nephew, Fresnillo, BP, Diageo, Palantir“The FTSE 100 has its recent record highs in its sights again as global markets shake off the latest tariff turmoil,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Strong corporate results are helping as they show businesses can still thrive despite the turbulent backdrop.
“ Smith & Nephew seems as if it’s been on the waiting list for a recovery...
4 August 2025
Daily market update: Supreme Court motor finance ruling, Clarkson, BP“The FTSE 100 managed a cautious recovery on Monday morning after the tariff-related sell-off at the end of last week,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“Concern about the ongoing ructions in global trade was compounded by the Trump administration’s decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics off the back of weak jobs...
1 August 2025
Amazon spoils tech party | Wall Street WeekUS stock markets took a break from record breaking highs in a week which saw four of the Mag-7 report earnings, worth roughly $11 trillion of market capitalisation, a Federal Reserve interest rate decision, more inflation data and non-farm payrolls.
Big earnings beats from Microsoft and Meta Platforms on Wednesday (29 July) were well received while...
1 August 2025
What we learned from Meta, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple’s latest resultsBig US technology companies are back in the news after the latest set of earnings reports. Four of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ have just updated the market and all of them have smashed expectations with their quarterly numbers. However, not everyone enjoyed a positive share price reaction.
Meta was the standout name in terms of smashing market...
1 August 2025
Daily market update: tariffs, AstraZeneca, GSK, IAG“Equity markets were flashing red as Trump’s tariff regime hits another milestone,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Investors have been caught off guard, having previously hoped Trump would kick the new tariff levels down the road pending further negotiations with foreign trade partners. Instead, we’ve got new rates galore and...
31 July 2025
Russ Mould: A look at Diageo, BP & WPP ahead of their forthcoming resultsAJ Bell Investment Director, Russ Mould talks us through what analysts are expecting from Diageo, BP and WPP when they report in the coming weeks.
31 July 2025
Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest have made investors rich, but were the latest results any good?The UK banking sector has been a fantastic place to make money in 2025. Investors would have enjoyed an average 38% total return including dividends year-to-date across Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest.
All four have just reported their latest quarterly results and on the whole, they are doing well and investors are reaping the rewards.
NatWest’s...
31 July 2025
Daily market update: Shell, Unilever, Next, Rolls-Royce“Stellar results from Microsoft and Meta have fired up investors, quickly shifting the focus from US interest rates potentially staying higher for longer, to an environment where big tech is ruling the roost again,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The probability of a US rate cut in September has fallen since the Fed’s rate...
30 July 2025
Daily market update: HSBC, Taylor Wimpey, BAE Systems“Investors got out of the wrong side of the bed, judging by the negative reaction to the latest round of corporate earnings,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“While certain stocks fell for good reason such as HSBC and Taylor Wimpey amid negative news, there were plenty of other big stocks like BAE Systems and GSK who couldn’t get a...
29 July 2025
The cheapest stocks in the FTSE 100 as the index hits another record highAmid growing interest in UK stocks, particularly the FTSE 100 after it hit another record high, investors will be hunting high and low for opportunities.
Value-style investors like to sift through the rubbish bin to spot companies with the potential to bounce back. Quite often a stock looks cheap because the company faces near-term headwinds or...
