AJ Bell Money & Markets

The safety of pensions, top tips for mortgages and the big stories on the stock market

With all the headlines that have made people worried about their pension we’ve drafted in AJ Bell’s head of retirement policy Tom Selby to talk through it and explain exactly what it means for you.

Laura Suter talks to broker David Hollingworth from L&C on what’s happening in the housing market and what you should do if you are in the process of moving or re-mortgaging.

Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss the economic volatility surrounding the Bank of England’s bond buying programme. 

Markets have had plenty to keep them scrambling this year and as we head into earnings season, Danni caught up with Duncan MacInnes at Ruffer, Olivia Geldenhuys at Schroders and Andrew Surrey at Vanguard to ask what they make of 2022 so far.

Dan and Danni also pick over the good the bad and the downright ugly from this week’s market movements including why the FTSE 100 has finally succumbed to the malaise that’s been present in most other indices already this year, and why shares in renewable energy-related companies and investment trusts including SSE have been falling.

The pair look at some big market moves which have ruffled the semiconductor companies globally and Danni finds a few bright spots with positive updates from Pepsi, Hollywood Bowl and packaging group DS Smith.

Learning from the 1970s, and why stocks, the pound and mortgage and savings rates are going up

Dan Coatsworth talks to Alec Cutler, manager of the Orbis Global Balanced Fund, about the similarities between the 1970s and today (inflation, high energy prices, difficult markets), and what investors might need to do next.

Hear from Dan and Laura Suter about why share prices and the pound suddenly perked up, what to expect if you’re getting a new mortgage, and where to find the top savings rates on cash accounts.

Discover why shares in Tesla took a pounding, and why Drax is losing ESG fans fast after a damning TV programme about where it sources material to make wood pellets.

Hear about the challenges facing Tesco, Greggs and Tortilla Mexican Grill, and Dan talks to stock trader Michael Taylor about why shares in Naked Wines have fallen 90% in 12 months.

Finally, Laura has some wise words on how to avoid pension scams.

How the falling pound, rising gilt yields and higher interest rates affect consumers and businesses

Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson explore the impact of more weakness in the pound, rising government bond yields and further hikes in interest rates on consumers and businesses in the months ahead.

They explore the fierce market reaction to the UK Government’s mini-Budget, why the Bank of England has stepped in to stop gilt yields getting worse, and why the IMF is not best pleased at Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s policy decisions.

Dan explores the large number of chief executives who have quit FTSE 100 companies this year. And this week’s guest is Joe Bauernfreund who runs the AVI Japan Opportunity Trust. He talks about investing in Japan and how he takes an activist approach as a fund manager.

Profit warnings flash red and markets brace for further rate hikes

On this week’s Money and Markets podcast Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss the barrage of bad news that’s been troubling markets even before US and UK central banks hiked rates. Profit warnings have been coming in thick and fast including Hilton Foods, The Hut Group, DFS and the biggie – bellwether stock FedEx, so what can investors expect as we head into another earnings season? They explore the good news for UK businesses that’s come in the form of the government’s six-month energy price cap out today plus they ask if travel stocks have finally turned a corner after an upbeat update from TUI.

With one of the most pressing issues being discussed in boardrooms today being how to save money, Dan catches up with Jonathan Maxwell, the manager of the SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust. He runs an investment trust that puts money into projects that not only save companies a few quid, but also help the environment.

With leaks about the new chancellors “mini-budget” coming in thick and fast, Danni looks at the boost house builders like Persimmon and Redrow have been getting from speculation that there could be intervention on stamp duty. And as one of the city’s most controversial characters backing away from the board of Frasers Group, Danni and Dan discuss the career and legacy of Sports Direct Founder Mike Ashley.

Inflation, savings tax trap, Fundsmith fund closure and the great un-retirement

This week we look at the latest inflation update and how markets reacted to that surprise dip, and preview next week’s big economic announcements. We also cover the news that renowned investor Terry Smith is closing the emerging markets fund he launched eight years ago.

Tom Selby is on to talk about the great ‘un-retirement’ of over-65s returning to work after the exodus during covid. And Dan Coatsworth talks to Morgane Delledonne from Global X on ways to invest in cybersecurity, as more companies look to protect themselves from hacking.

Elsewhere, with savers finally getting a better return on their money, Laura Suter has some news for people who want to save in a green way. But she also shares a warning: that the extra interest savers are earning might come with an unexpected tax hit.

Scottish Mortgage fund manager grilled, investors react to new UK Prime Minister, and FTSE 100 stocks with best dividend yields

The podcast returns from the summer break with special guest Lawrence Burns, deputy manager of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust. He reveals to Danni Hewson the lessons learned from previous experiences in China, why Moderna has become a big portfolio holding, and his views on the current state of the market.

Dan Coatsworth runs through the market reaction to Liz Truss becoming UK Prime Minister and why retail stocks enjoyed a big bounce on the day. He also explains why one investment bank says H&M could be a big loser in a recession and why JD Sports could be a winner.

Best buy cash savings accounts are now offering interest rates comparable to the yield on the FTSE 100 stock index, meaning investors might start to look more closely at shares offering above-average yields. Steve Frazer chats about the top yielding stocks on the UK market, why some of their income streams are unsustainable, while Dan runs through the golden rules to follow with dividends.

Danni has a great story about how it might be cheaper to go on a cruise than stay at home. She also has some good news for anyone who lives in a more remote location that lacks banking facilities.

BP, buybacks, banking results, bumper borrowing and big recession worries

This week we’re delving into those BP results that have caused so much debate. Plus Russ Mould joins us to look at share buybacks and dividends across the FTSE 100, as the oil giant announced another round of buybacks and a hike to its dividend. 

Also this week, Laith Khalaf studies the figures from UK banks in the face of the cost of living crisis, following a wave of second-quarter results in the sector. Which leads us neatly onto some startling new data Laura Suter has about how households are coping financially with the cost of living crisis. We also look at the risk of recession in the US, after data showed the economy has shrunk again. 

Elsewhere, we’re talking about a big change the regulator has made to the way financial services work in the UK, with our pensions and regulation guru Tom Selby on to discuss what that means for investors.

And just a note that after this episode, the podcast will be on summer break until September. So we’ll see you in a month!

Earnings season winners and losers, bond market struggles, and how man stacks up against machine when picking investments

On this week’s Money and Markets podcast, Laura Suter and Danni Hewson discuss earnings season as it kicks into high gear. They sift through winners including McDonalds, Coca Cola and Unilever, and losers including Walmart – whose profit warning sent a shock through the US and UK retail sector. They also look at upcoming rate rises, which are forming an important backdrop to inflation-wary company outlooks.

Also this week, Ryan Hughes from AJ Bell’s investment team takes a look at why bond markets haven’t been performing well. Bonds aren’t necessarily the sexiest corner of investing – but with predictions of a potential recession mounting, and markets becoming more volatile, people might be seeking more safe-haven assets. 

Elsewhere, Laith Khalaf, our head of investment analysis, digs into an age-old question. During tricky market times is it better to invest with a human fund manager who makes stock picks for you, or a tracker that rides the market’s ups and downs?

Finally, Dan Coatsworth meets up with Jeremy Rogers from the Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust, set up two years ago with the goal of helping society and making money for investors. He asks where the trust is deploying its money, and what investors might expect from it in the future.

It’s all about inflation as UK CPI hits another 40-year high

On this week’s Money and Markets, Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson brave the heat not only of the UK weather, but UK inflation too. With CPI coming in over expectation at 9.4%, they sum up how markets are reacting, and discuss where interest rates could sit by the end of the year. With rising costs causing issues for companies, they also dig into a new report showing a 66% increase in profit warnings from UK listed companies in the first half of 2022 – including Direct Line and Made.com.

Earnings season is in full swing, and inflation’s colouring everything from the big GSK spin-off Haleon to another dip in subscriber numbers for Netflix – though with its fall smaller than expected, investors were pleasantly surprised.

Also, employee pay is the only game in town – with warnings that a summer of discontent is on the cards, as more unions ballot on strike action. Plus, commercial property is meant to be one of the ultimate inflation-protected investments – meaning lots of investors might be thinking about diving into the market at the moment. Laura caught up with Roger Clarke, from property stock exchange IPSX, to see how the market has rebounded post pandemic and whether that inflation-protection is going to hold true in the coming year.

Best deals on cash, how Ruffer protected investors’ money and cracks in the inflation story

Potential returns on cash savings accounts are now much more interesting, so don’t miss this episode of the Money & Markets podcast to find out the best deals around.

Dan Coatsworth talks to Duncan MacInnes about how Ruffer Investment Company not only bucked the negative market trend in the first half of 2022 but also generated positive returns for investors.

MacInnes explains why he believes the bear market isn’t over yet and how gold is an ‘unreliable girlfriend’. 

Discover why falling commodity prices could mark the turning point in the inflation story, and how shares in the big mining companies have lost all the gains made earlier this year.

Rising energy costs are changing the way we spend money, and Laura Suter looks at the latest spending habits and what might come next.