16 April 2026
What next for oil and gas companies after the big energy price shock?At the end of 2025 oil and gas companies were staring down the barrel of declining energy prices and resulting pressure on profits and returns to shareholders.
Despite the fragile ceasefire deal recently brokered by Pakistan, the conflict in Iran has shifted the calculus significantly since the end of February and helped global energy firms to...
16 April 2026
Driving the conversation on money and the marketsWho do you talk to about investing?
Some people may be fortunate enough to have a friend or family member with some knowledge of the markets to help set them on the right path, However, for many of us, including our My Portfolio contributor Aaron, investing can be a lonely furrow to plough at times.
That’s where we come in. Not only through are...
16 April 2026
Move over FTSE 100: the UK’s dividend throne has a new rulerThe UK stock market has just hit a striking milestone – and income investors should take note. Mid-cap stocks are now paying more generous dividends than the blue chip giants, marking the longest stretch since 2001 where the FTSE 250 offers a bigger yield than the FTSE 100.
On average over the past 25 years, the FTSE 100 has yielded 3.6% and the...
16 April 2026
Vodafone is finally dialling up growth after years in the doldrumsAfter more than a decade in the doldrums Vodafone shares have shown a remarkable recovery, delivering more than 70% in total shareholder returns in just the last 12 months, making them one of the top 10 performing shares in the FTSE 100 index.
What has driven the strong performance?The UK’s biggest telecommunications group has cleaned up its once...
16 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...
16 April 2026
I live overseas: how can I access my UK pension?Ask the experts. Rachel Vahey is here to answer questions on pensions. If you’d like a question considered for a future edition send it in now .
Or alternatively leave a rating for the article and include your question in the comment box.
I have a stakeholder defined contributions pension with a big provider built up when I was employed in the...
16 April 2026
I’ve got some spare cash: should I overpay my mortgage or invest?Ask the experts. Laura Suter is here to answer your personal finance questions. If you’d like a question considered for a future edition send it in now .
Or alternatively leave a rating for the article and include your question in the comment box.
I’ve read a lot in the news about interest rates being on the up again, which means mortgage rates...
16 April 2026
What do events in the Middle East mean for the commodities market as a whole?Ask the experts. Russ Mould is on hand to answer your queries about the financial markets. If you'd like a question considered for a future edition, send it in now .
Or alternatively leave a rating for the article and include your question in the comment box.
There’s been plenty of news about rising oil and gas prices recently but I’m interested...
16 April 2026
High‑yield bonds: are they safer or riskier than stocks for someone nearing retirement?Ask the experts. Paul Angell is on hand to answer your questions about investments. If you'd like a question considered for a future edition, send it in now.
Or alternatively leave a rating for the article and include your question in the comment box.
I’m approaching retirement and want to take some of my money out of equities. I was looking at...
16 April 2026
How does your retirement income stack up?Ever wonder how your income compares to other people in retirement, or what you need to be aiming for? The Family Resources Survey data from the Department for Work and Pensions lets us take a deep dive into how much income pensioners get each week and where they get that income from.
As you approach retirement age, the data can still help you work...
16 April 2026
How I invest: The NHS doctor giving their Lifetime ISA a second life after buying a houseSaving for your first home is often the first major financial goal a person sets and for Aaron, getting over his anxiety that investing wasn’t for someone like him was a key part of achieving that dream.
Back in 2016 when Aaron was 26 and studying to become an NHS doctor, he opened a Lifetime ISA with the explicit goal of saving up to buy his...
16 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...
16 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...
16 April 2026
Why US small-caps have seen an uptick in fortunesUS large-caps have been the unparalleled leader in equity market returns and investor inflows to the detriment of its small cap peers. But as the global market order shifts US small caps are showing signs of a revival.
Globally, small caps have struggled over the past five years, with higher interest rates and inflation creating a headwind to this...
16 April 2026
Managing your money in retirementWe spend years thinking about accumulating the pot we need to sustain us in our retirement but sometimes less thought is given to how we plan to manage our money once we retire.
Every month in Shares, AJ Bell’s senior pensions and savings expert Charlene Young covers a range of topics relevant to those approaching or already in retirement. There’s...
20 March 2026
Not panicking, sticking to the plan and thinking about opportunitiesDon’t panic. Stick to your plan. These are words to live by when markets get choppy as they have done since the beginning of March as simmering tensions in the Middle East escalated to armed conflict. There is absolutely no reason to lose faith in investing. It is important to remain optimistic and focus on the long-term potential for your money to...
20 March 2026
Why investment trusts are buying themselves more than everShare buybacks are a commonplace market phenomenon, but it’s a tool that’s used for widely different reasons.
The practice involves a listed firm buying back its own stock so that the total amount of its shares in issue is reduced. The overall aim is to enhance the value of the remaining shares and for standard public trading companies, this is...
19 March 2026
Markets braced for Nike earnings as tariffs weigh on turnaround hopesAhead of its latest earnings Nike is racing to reverse a two-thirds collapse in its market value over the last four-and-a-bit years.
CEO Elliot Hill is pivoting from a struggling direct-to-consumer model back to the brand’s performance roots to outrun mounting tariff pressures and cooling demand in China.
The company is scheduled to release its...
19 March 2026
Should I pay off my student loan or invest instead?Ask the experts. Laura Suter is on hand to answer your personal finance questions. If you’d like a question considered for a future edition, send it in now .
I’ve seen lots of stuff in the news about student loans and how much interest some graduates are paying. I left university in 2020 and am still paying off my loan, am I affected by what’s...
18 March 2026
Are you focusing on the wrong number when picking an income fund?Investors searching for income opportunities often gravitate towards funds with the highest yields. If you had the choice of either 4p or 8p in every pound in dividends, you might choose the bigger reward.
What people often neglect to consider is the importance of looking at total return. This is the money you make from dividends and the increase...
18 March 2026
Last orders for pension top-ups? Boosting contributions before and after retirementMany people in their 50s are in a financial sweet spot. Earnings are often at their peak, mortgages may be shrinking and any children are hopefully proving less expensive. That makes this period a golden opportunity to give your pension a final push, if you know the rules.
Here’s what you need to know about pension contribution limits, carry...
17 March 2026
Does the volatility in gold signal the end of the bull market?Ask the experts. Russ Mould is on hand to answer your queries about the financial markets. If you'd like a question considered for a future edition, send it in now .
I’ve been following the move higher in the gold price and the recent slump – is gold likely to remain under pressure from here?
Ken
Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director, says:Wi...
17 March 2026
Why active versus passive investing isn’t so black and white anymoreEqual weighed exchange-traded funds (ETFs for short) have emerged as one of the more popular investment trends in recent months as investors seek new ways to diversify their exposure to major equity markets.
These products are distinct from a ‘typical’ ETF, because rather than the largest companies by market value having the biggest influence on...
16 March 2026
How do I go about picking an active fund manager?Ask the experts. Paul Angell is on hand to answer your questions about investments. If you'd like a question considered for a future edition, send it in now.
I’m worried about being entirely invested in tracker funds. How should I choose a manager that picks stocks?
Matt
Paul Angell, AJ Bell Head of Investment Research, says:Hi Matt, I...
16 March 2026
How I invest: From trying to cover train fares to being a student of Buffett“Do your reading.” That’s the first step for anyone wanting to take the plunge into the stock market, according to 56-year-old Simone.
For her, what this looked like was six months spent properly getting to grips with the basics before she made her first investment; learning the difference between shares and funds, then passive and actively...
