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...
29 July 2025
Daily market update: Greggs, Barclays, AstraZeneca, WH Smith, Card Factory“The FTSE 100 enjoyed another good start, lifted by positive market reaction to AstraZeneca’s numbers and Games Workshop delivering yet another strong set of results,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“It’s a busy week for corporate earnings in the UK and US, and investors have plenty of news to digest. The latest set of UK results...
28 July 2025
Daily market update: European markets rally, AstraZeneca, GSK, STV“The much-awaited trade agreement between the US and the EU has finally been struck, sending a wave of relief across financial markets,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“As widely expected, the agreed tariffs aren’t as high as previously feared, which means investors are taking the trade agreement as a massive win.
“In reality...
25 July 2025
Tariff optimism helps drive US indices to new highs but Tesla is in reverseWall Street continued its upward momentum this week as a US trade deal with Japan created optimism there would be an agreement with the EU ahead of the 1 August deadline set by the White House.
The S&P 500 index hit another closing high, its tenth in 19 trading days, led once again by technology stocks, such as Alphabet. Nasdaq also broke records.
...
25 July 2025
Daily market update: NatWest, Puma, Rightmove, Marshalls“The FTSE 100 lost some ground as investors took stock after another breathless week for the markets,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“There was positive economic news from the UK as retail sales bounced back in June helped by warm weather – although beyond the headline there were several signs that consumer confidence remains fragile...
25 July 2025
Russ Mould: Largest dividend players reporting next weekThis week’s video previews a wave of earning reports from major UK dividend payers including HSBC, Shell, and British American Tobacco.
24 July 2025
Why the UK stock market has done so well this yearIt’s been a wonderful time to invest in UK shares. The FTSE 100 recently went through the 9,000 level for the first time and has made a new record high on multiple occasions this year.
The 7.2% return between January and June was the best first-half run since 2021, when it went up 8.9%.
Year-to-date, investors would have made a 14.2% total return...
24 July 2025
Daily market update: Alphabet, Tesla, Reckitt, Lloyds, ITV“European shares marched higher on Thursday as the positive sentiment generated by the trade deal agreed between the US and Japan continued to permeate the markets,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The continued momentum came despite a mixed start to the big tech earnings season across the Atlantic as Alphabet and Tesla posted their...
23 July 2025
Daily market update: FTSE 100, Wetherspoon, Fresnillo“News of a trade agreement between the US and Japan is fostering optimism among investors that further deals might be reached before punishing tariffs come into force,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The news helped drive the FTSE 100 to a new record high and saw gains in other markets across mainland Europe – with focus likely to...
22 July 2025
Daily market update: Admiral, AstraZeneca, Centrica“Higher than expected government borrowing pushed up UK gilt yields and pulled down the UK stock market,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“10-year gilt yields briefly nudged up to 4.645%, which is the market’s way of saying it isn’t impressed with the state of public finances. Soaring debt interest payments haven’t helped and the...
21 July 2025
Daily market update: Japanese equities, BP, Ryanair, water utilities“Markets were muted at the start of the new trading week as investors awaited updates on US trade negotiations,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“There is now less than a fortnight before the 1 August deadline for the new tariff regime to kick in, and we still don’t have framework deals between the US and many regions including the...
18 July 2025
US indices hit new records, Netflix slips despite earnings beatThe US market continues to endure a rollercoaster ride but the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices still reached record levels on 17 July.
Earlier in the week, speculation President Donald Trump might be about to fire Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell created real nervousness among investors but this eased through the course of the week.
The second...
18 July 2025
Why Netflix shares have fallen on better-than-expected resultsAs the James Bond title goes, ‘The World Is Not Enough’ for Netflix as far as investors are concerned. They want more, more and more.
Better than expected quarterly results and upgraded full-year revenue and cash flow guidance weren’t enough to keep investors happy.
Shares in Netflix fell in pre-market trading following the results even though the...
18 July 2025
Daily market update: FTSE, GSK, BP, Reckitt, Burberry“The FTSE 100 is the ultimate tease, once again flirting above the 9,000 level before taking a step back,” says Dan Coatsworth, Investment Analyst at AJ Bell.
“What really matters is that the UK stock market is strutting its stuff and continuing to press ahead. It joined the rest of Europe by basking in the sun and trading higher than the previous...
17 July 2025
Daily market update: Ocado, EasyJet, Frasers, DFS, TSMC“Having seen a rapid retreat from the briefly attained 9,000 mark earlier this week, the FTSE 100 made steady progress on Thursday to put this milestone level back within reach,” says AJ Bell Investment Analyst Dan Coatsworth.
“Financial stocks were among the gainers, while specialist distributor Diploma led the way as it lifted its full-year...
16 July 2025
Daily market update: FTSE 100, ASML, McBride“The spectre of inflation has returned to haunt markets after a period when investors’ attention has largely been centred elsewhere,” says AJ Bell Investment Analyst Dan Coatsworth.
“A higher-than-expected inflation reading in the US yesterday is one of the first data points to suggest tariffs are beginning to have some impact on prices. While this...
15 July 2025
Daily market update: housebuilders, Rio Tinto, Thames Water, B&MDan Coatsworth, Investment Analyst at AJ Bell, says:
“It’s party time as the FTSE 100 has smashed through the 9,000 level. This is another big tick in what’s proving to be a momentous year for the UK stock market. It took eight years for the FTSE 100 to go from 7,000 to 8,000, yet only two years to break through 9,000. That suggests the market is...
14 July 2025
How dividends can boost your returnsDividends might be classed as income, but if you reinvest them, they can make a valuable contribution to your overall investment growth over the long term. This article looks at the impact of dividend reinvestment and what you might need to watch out for.
The main potential benefit is that you can harness the power of compounding returns. Put...
14 July 2025
Daily market update: FTSE 100, DCC, Filtronic“The week begins with tariffs once again dominating the agenda for financial markets as US president Donald Trump suggests imports from Mexico and the European Union will be hit by levies of 30% from the beginning of August,” says AJ Bell investment analyst Dan Coatsworth.
“That has put indices in mainland Europe under significant pressure...
11 July 2025
Daily market update: UK economy, BP, Warehouse REIT“The UK economy being stuck in the mud and the threat of high tariffs on Canada won’t be a shock to markets, but they are hard to ignore,” says Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell.
“After a strong start to the week, investors ran out of energy on Friday. European indices were in the red and futures prices imply Wall Street will follow the...
10 July 2025
Daily market update: WPP, Vistry, Jupiter, TSMC, Dr Martens“The FTSE 100 has hit a new intraday high of 8,955 as the UK stock market continues to flex its muscles and show strength. Investors lapped up shares in the mining, oil and pharmaceutical sectors, showing a risk-on mood,” says Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell.
“European markets in general continue to shrug off Donald Trump’s daily...
9 July 2025
FTSE 100 dividend growth grinds to a halt, but buyback bonanza continuesWhile dividend growth has slowed in the FTSE 100, the index has far outpaced the US’s S&P 500 in 2025, and the pound continues to outdo the dollar.
The FTSE 100 has provided a 9.6% total return so far this year, compared to just 2.1% from the S&P 500, as the US has started to lag on the global stage.
Whether this trend continues or not remains to...
9 July 2025
Daily market update: WPP, Jet2, drug companies, copper miners, housebuilders“There was a solid showing across European equity markets despite Trump’s tariff onslaught ramping up a gear,” says Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell.
“Copper prices soared on the prospect of 50% tariffs on copper imports into the US. The metal price had already been moving higher as buyers second-guessed tariff threats and stockpiled...
8 July 2025
The link between economic growth and stock market performanceIf a country’s economic growth slows down or speeds up, many assume that its stock market will mirror that performance. There is a close relationship between the two, yet it is not as simple as saying the rate of GDP will be the precise amount you will make from a fund tracking a particular country’s stock market.
Investor expectations drive...
8 July 2025
Daily market update: Rio Tinto, Shein, Samsung, Greencore“The TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) trade is back on the table as the Trump administration’s latest announcements on tariffs offered some relief to financial markets,” says AJ Bell investment analyst Dan Coatsworth.
“While new levies were announced for 14 trading partners, news of a pause until 1 August to allow for further negotiations was...