AJ Bell Money & Markets

Fund manager picks and the year in review

On this year’s last episode of the money and markets podcast Dan Coatsworth, Danni Hewson, Laura Suter and Laith Khalaf share their thoughts about the year’s pivotal moments from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to “Trussonomics” and why mega caps like Amazon and Apple have lost you money this year. 

They also discuss the latest inflation figures on both sides of the Atlantic, assess how markets have reacted plus how a winter of strike action in the UK is affecting companies like Moonpig and discuss the latest trading updates from Frasers Group, Zara owner Inditex and the world’s biggest holiday company TUI.

With 2023 hurtling towards us we hear from a host of fund managers about their picks for the new year, plus Laith digs into AJ Bell’s latest manager vs machine data and finds that the year’s volatility has actually put the machine in front.  And Laura talks interest rate rises and the scammers out to get you this Christmas.

Your rights for train delays and cancellations, state pension review and CEO secrets

If your train journey has been disrupted by strikes, don’t miss this week’s podcast where Laura Suter will be talking about what rights you have regarding refunds and compensation.

Dan Coatsworth looks at the best and worst performing stock markets around the world in 2022. He also discusses what some of the pub companies have been saying about trading amid the World Cup.

Tom Selby considers what might happen to the state pension and when people will be able to get it in the future.

And the BBC’s Dougal Shaw talks to Danni Hewson about what makes a good company boss.

Bumper fund manager interviews, strikes, British Steel and...it’s coming home?

This week Danni and Laura have got a bumper interviews episode, with lots of great fund managers on to talk about the year that's (almost) passed and the year ahead. Amid signs that inflation could be near its peak, Dan Coatsworth has been asking Lazard fund manager Steve Wreford, about whether investors need to worry about it next year and why high inflation could stay on the agenda for longer than you might think.

In markets this week we look at why protests in China have caused markets to wobble, the latest strike action and the impact on companies, and Elon Musk's latest spat. We look at whether the excitement around England reaching the next stage will translate to business for pubs. And we've got a bit of pensions news, as the regulator has made a big announcement about British Steel Pensioners.

Dan also chats to Alex Wright from Fidelity Special Values investment trust about his outlook for 2023 and why NatWest sits pride of place in his investment portfolio. And he caught up with Kirsty Desson from abrdn’s Global Smaller Companies Fund about how she’s coped with a difficult year for small caps.

Finally, Laura has also been crunching some numbers on the ridiculous situations where you end up paying 99% tax -- or even more -- when you get a payrise.

Nick Train on another challenging year for Finsbury Growth & Income, thoughts on Unilever’s CEO departure and why he remains optimistic

In a special bonus edition of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Dan Coatsworth talks to Nick Train about how his Finsbury Growth & Income Trust has fared in 2022.

Nick discusses performance, companies with pricing power, his thoughts on Alan Jope planning to step down as Unilever chief executive, and why Relx remains a big holding for his portfolio. 

The fund manager also talks about opportunities with Burberry, how much growth you might expect from his portfolio holdings, and whether he’s made new positions following this year’s market sell-off or simply topped up existing holdings.

Outlook for tech stocks, we grill the boss of NS&I, and reasons to be positive on bonds

It’s our 200^th episode of the Money and Markets podcast. To celebrate we have three special guests talking about things that really matter to savers and investors.

Laura Suter chats to NS&I chief executive Ian Ackerley about premium bonds and savings rates.

Dan Coatsworth talks to Polar Capital Technology Trust manager Ben Rogoff about the change in fortunes for tech stocks. Dan asks Ben whether it is time for the Faangs to be relegated and a new group of tech stocks to lead the pack. They also talk about opportunities in the sector following widespread share price declines.

Artemis fund manager Rebecca Young explains why investors with a 60/40 equity/bond portfolio shouldn’t panic about the bond component failing to provide support this year.

Laith Khalaf looks at the latest activities among equities, currencies and government bonds, while Dan explains why the potential sale of Manchester United football club matters to investors, and why Disney has brought back its old chief executive.

How the Autumn Statement affects you and your money, and does Black Friday matter anymore?

Laith Khalaf and Tom Selby debate the forthcoming changes to taxes and allowances following the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. They explain what the changes mean, and which ones are the most significant.

Dan Coatsworth and Laura Suter discuss the relevance of Black Friday, whether retailers will enjoy a  bumper sales period, and what to think about if you’re trying to cut back on your spending but want to take advantage of discounts in the shops.

Dan explains why stock markets have perked up in recent weeks, and he also talks to Fay Ren from the Cerno Pacific Fund about why companies with rich intellectual property can be attractive investments.

Inflation takes a bite out of retail, Bill Ackman and tech layoffs

Laura and Danni have two interviews this week. The first is with bond fund manager veteran John Pattullo, from Janus Henderson Investors, who will be talking us through how he has navigated the recent market turmoil. And in the second interview Dan Coatsworth catches up with billionaire investor Bill Ackman from Pershing Square Holdings to talk about whether he’s worried about a recession and why he sold out of Netflix and Domino’s Pizza so quickly. 

Also this week we’ll be looking at the nation’s financial resilience in the current cost of living crisis, as new data reveals 1 in 4 people have less than £100 in savings, as well as talking about that tricky task that everyone puts off: writing a will. And in the market update we’ll cover layoffs at Meta and Twitter, Primark’s decision not to raise prices and the cracks showing in the UK housing market.

Windfall taxes and rate rises

On this week’s Money and Markets podcast, Danni Hewson and AJ Bell’s head of Investment Analysis Laith Khalaf mull over those all important interest rate decisions in the US and UK plus renewed calls for additional windfall taxes on Energy companies after BP and Shell announce more bumper profits. They also discuss those government energy payments which should have found their way into your hands and explain what you should do if you’ve not received yours. The deal’s finally done Elon Musk is the head tweet – but what does it mean for the social media platform and what does it mean for Tesla shareholders?

With more lockdowns affecting companies like Apple, Disney and Nio in China I’ve caught up with Catherine Yeung investment director at Fidelity about whether there’s anything to speculation that the zero covid policy might be relaxed and what investors should be thinking about when it comes to Chinese companies right now.  And what’s up with retail – with pandemic darling Made.com shuffling towards administration and Morrisons planning to ditch over a hundred of the McColl’s stores it only bought in the spring it’s looking like being a very difficult Christmas for the sector.

Rishi’s market bounce, Made.com collapse, bumper US earnings and bond fund explainer

This week Tom Sieber is going to be looking at whether markets were buoyed by the news of yet another Prime Minister opening their moving boxes at Number 10, and Laura Suter will delve into what the new PM might mean for your money.

We have the usual market update, including the potential collapse of online furniture retailer Made.com and the latest antics of Mike Ashley. On top of that, we’ve got Ian Conway from Shares magazine giving an update on a bumper US earnings season, with 45% of the S&P 500 reporting this week.

Ryan Hughes from the AJ Bell investment team joins us to answer a listener question on the current bond market turmoil. And finally, we have some alarming news for those people who like to hoard their stamps.

What the mini-Budget U-turns mean for your money, markets and pensions

This week we’ve gathered a team of experts to comb through all of the Government’s U-turns and work out what they mean for your money. Laura Suter looks at the income tax reversal and the Energy Price Guarantee, while Laith Khalaf has the details on dividend tax changes that never materialised.

Tom Sieber gives us the market reaction to the news, including whether those crucial Gilt yields stabilised, while Tom Selby details the impact on the pensions landscape and that all-important triple lock. The team also debate what is coming down the pipeline from the current Government and the remaining thorny issues the new Chancellor has to wrangle.