AJ Bell Money & Markets

Investment Trust show: AI stock picking, Fundsmith’s small cap strategy, and an alternative spin on the defence sector

Dan Coatsworth and Laith Khalaf bring you a bonus edition of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, all about investment trusts.

The pair answer your questions about trusts and talk to a range of experts about fascinating things happening on the market.

Dan chats to Muzo Kayacan and David Barron from BlackRock American Income about the investment trust’s shift to using AI to help find opportunities on the market.

Martin Gamble talks to Mark Boggett from Seraphim Space about why this investment trust is an alternative way to play the defence sector. Martin also debates Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Holdings with Shares magazine’s Tom Sieber.

Finally, we’ve got Simon Barnard on the show to talk about Smithson, the small cap little sister to Fundsmith Equity Fund. Simon talks about narrowing the focus of the trust and why he doesn’t believe having half the portfolio in the US is a currently a problem.

Trumps pause on EU tariffs, UK growth back in the spotlight and how to prep for a meaningful retirement

This week on the AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast, Charlene Young and Tom Sieber unpack Trump’s latest tariff U-turn [02:10] and UK growth forecasts from the IMF that also came with a warning for the Chancellor about her fiscal rules [04:25]. The energy price cap is falling and the Prime Minister says he wants more people to get the winter fuel payment. But as Charlene explores, there is little detail about how and when, and the options on the table might not be a silver bullet [07:05]?

Tom reviews Tesla's struggles in Europe [11:28], and why the market reacted negatively to Games Workshop’s rising profits [14:10].

Dan Coatsworth interviews Ian Lance from Temple Bar Investment Trust on UK stocks and BP takeover talk[18:07], and Tom Sieber sits down with Ian Conway of Shares magazine to discuss the whispers that London Stock Exchange is considering an overseas listing [32.33]. In our second interview, Charlene talks to financial planner, podcaster and author Pete Matthew as he shares insights on retirement planning from his new book [45.01].

Counting the cost of Marks & Spencer’s cyber-attack, and AstraZeneca versus GSK

On this week’s AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Dan Coatsworth and Tom Sieber explore some big names on the UK and US stock market following a spate of corporate updates over the past week. They chat about Guinness maker Diageo, sausage roll giant Greggs, and a trio of American firms which have given us a fascinating insight into the state of the US consumer. [6:05]

Marks & Spencer has laid out the potential hit to profits from its recent cyber-attack and it’s a hefty sum. Dan has all the details and he talks to fund manager Ian Lance from Temple Bar Investment Trust to get a shareholder’s perspective on the incident. [14:30]

Hear about the new threat to Next and Dunelm as a US home furnishings giant prepares to make its UK debut. [21:15]

Dan chats about an important development in the buy now, pay later industry [25:20] and why there is some relief for certain victims of scams. [29:20]

Tom has a fascinating insight into the UK property market as more Americans look to move to the UK. [32:05]. Tom also talks about big moves in the cash savings market. [34:50]

Finally, don’t miss the second part of our interview with Edinburgh Investment Trust’s Emily Barnard who explains how AstraZeneca differs from GSK, key achievements from both companies, and where they might go next. [37:30]

Trade deals, rate cuts and filling Warren Buffett’s shoes

On this week’s episode of the AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast Danni Hewson and Charlene Young take stock of which trade deals have been struck in the wake of Donald Trump’s tariff policies and assess how markets and some of those big US stocks like Nvidia have performed.[2:09]  

A week after the Bank of England cut its base rates they consider where interest rates are likely to go next and whether the cut has been passed on in the form of mortgage and savings rates. [11:58] 

Latest data shows the UK labour market is showing further signs of strain but the weather’s given consumer spending a boost with positive updates from Wickes, Marston’s, On the Beach and Next. [18:27]

Marks and Spencer has updated markets on the cyber-attack which is still preventing online deliveries from the high street stalwart but can it keep customers on side? [26:08] 

Dan Coatsworth talks to Emily Barnard from Edinburgh Investment Trust about tariffs on the pharmaceutical sector and where AstraZeneca and GSK stand with weight-loss drugs [29:53] 

And Tom Sieber from Shares Magazine has been talking to fund managers about the surprise retirement of investing legend Warren Buffett. [45:40]

How tariffs are impacting companies and why activist investors aren’t necessarily villains

Danni Hewson and Dan Coatsworth go deep into the world of tariffs on this week’s episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast. They’ll discuss the latest movements, the latest industries in the firing line, and what companies are now saying about the impact of tariffs on earnings and their outlook. [4:20]

While it might feel as if the business world is trying to catch its breath amid the tariff chaos, mergers and acquisitions are still being announced and Dan talks through some of the big ones that involve sliced bread, trainers and takeaways. [20:26]

Warren Buffett’s decision to step down as the boss of Berkshire Hathaway was headline news around the world and the team explain exactly why that’s a significant move. [29:40]

There’s some worrying news about many people not having enough money in retirement to enjoy even the most basic pleasures [34:49]. Danni also discusses why the bank of mum and dad are becoming even more important in the quest to get on the housing ladder. [39:50]

Finally, the podcast features an activist investor who has been involved in several campaigns involving the likes of logistics provider DX Group, polling specialist YouGov and luxury goods retailer Watches of Switzerland. Liad Meidar from Gatemore Capital puts forward his argument as to why activists aren’t the villain some members of the public make them to be. [44:40]

Investment Trust Show: how trusts fared in the market sell-off and recovery, opportunities in Asia, and the boring side of tech

Get the latest on takeovers, wind-downs and manager changes in the world of investment trusts on this month’s special edition of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast. [1:25].

Dan Coatsworth chats about which trusts were in demand from AJ Bell customers during the past month’s mark turmoil. [9:15] Martin Gamble reveals which investment trusts were in and out of favour on a broader basis during this period. [13:09]

Dan talks to Ryan Lightfoot-Aminoff from Kepler Partners. about opportunities in Asia amid chatter that investors are looking for ways to dial down exposure to the US. [27:50]

Finally, Tom Sieber talks to Jim Strang from HgCapital Trust about the impact on tariffs on the tech companies and why Hg is focused on the more boring side of tech. [44:30]

Market rebounds, first 100 days of Trump’s second term and State Pension underpayment scandal.

This week’s episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast starts with some positive news for investors who managed to hold their nerve through the Liberation Day sell-off [01:32]. But Dan Coatsworth also has a stream of gloomy corporate updates from big firms cutting earnings guidance, seeing sales hit by tariffs, or just feeling the pinch as American consumers tighten their purse strings [05:39]. 

Russ Mould joins us to analyse the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term, with a focus on how markets have performed in that time compared to previous presidents [10:25]. 

Charlene Young looks at the £800 million state pension benefit scandal and explains who’s affected, and what you can do if you think you or someone you know might be owed money [19:59]. House prices dipped in April, after the changes to stamp duty went live and cost of living pressure rose [17:40] 

You might have run into bother trying to shop with Marks and Spencer recently. Dan covers the cyber incident that has taken the spark out of the retailer [27:28]. And to round things off, the Shares Magazine team bring us the latest update from streaming giant, Spotify [34:29].

Tesla, Netflix, Premium Bonds, gold prices and tariff turmoil continues

In this week’s AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast, Charlene Young and Laura Suter break down the latest headlines affecting your finances and investments. 

We cover Tesla and Netflix earnings (05:11), how political uncertainty in the US is driving gold prices higher (03:22), and what NS&I’s latest savings rates mean for savers (14:29). Charlene reveals the real odds of winning with Premium Bonds after an FOI request (12:21), and Tom Sieber from Shares magazine joins to explore whether fund managers with hands-on industry experience hold a performance edge (09:39). 

Dan Coatsworth speaks with Peter Fitzgerald from Aviva Investors about how rising tariffs are shifting investment strategies (19:16), and pensions expert Rachel Vahey explains how tax-free cash works when taking money from your pension (31:37). 

Tariff turmoil, Tesco warns of price wars and an update on AJ Bell funds

On this week’s episode of the AJ Bell Money and Markets Danni Hewson and Tom Sieber from Shares magazine dig into what has been another ridiculously busy week for markets. 

They track what’s been going over the past 7 days as what’s been dubbed by some as “Storm Donald” [1:50] has continued to buffet global stock markets. They discuss the 90-day pause for some countries, carve outs for things like smart phones which have boosted Apple.[6:00] But there’s huge uncertainty still and promises of further moves on semi-conductors and pharmaceuticals and the magnificent Nvidia has seen shares dive again after it said it would take a huge hit from controls on chip exports to China. [7:55]

With the UK potentially at the front of a queue for a trade deal with the US how are things looking when it comes to jobs and inflation, the pair chat through the latest numbers and assess what it might mean for interest rates and how the mortgage market is responding. [15:00]

We’ve also got a deep dive into the UK’s biggest supermarket Tesco from Steve and Ian from the Shares mag team [23:08], plus an update on AJ Bell funds from AJ Bell’s head of investment solutions James Flintoft [38:55] and Martin Gamble from Shares gives us the low down on two of the best fund managers you’ve probably never heard of - Nick Sleep and Qais (Zac) Zakaria from The Nomad Partnership. [47:40]

Deep Dive #3: How to make the most of the pension freedoms

It’s ten years since George Osborne introduced his landmark private pension reforms, known as the ‘pension freedoms’. In this AJ Bell Money and Markets Deep Dive, we explore whether the pension freedoms have been a success and how you can make the most of them with your pension.

 

(05:26) Tom Selby and Rachel Vahey from AJ Bell will be joining Laith Khalaf to discuss what the pension freedoms were, and how people have been using them over the last decade. We’ll also be running through the tax treatment of pension withdrawals and the chancellor’s plans to levy inheritance tax on pensions.

 

(23:55) One of the architects of the pension freedoms, Sir Steve Webb, the Pension Minister in the coalition government of 2010 to 2015, talks to Laith about why the reforms took place and whether they’ve been a success.

 

(45:20) The team talk through the differences between drawdown and annuity and ask what a sustainable income is. We also discuss investment strategies in retirement, and ask whether annuities might be due a comeback. Finally we run through the resources that can help you decide how to take your retirement income.