AJ Bell Money & Markets

Bank results, rate rise expectations and Netflix Korean cult hit

On this week’s edition of the Money & Markets podcast, Danni Hewson and Tom Sieber asses the winners and losers of earnings season to date and consider whether UK banks will perform as well as their cousins in the US. 

AJ Bell’s Head of Investment Analysis, Laith Khalaf looks at the latest inflation figures which might have bought the Bank of England some breathing space despite odds of an interest rate rise next month now being actively priced in by investors. 

The team look ahead to next week’s budget with much of the detail already in the public domain, what else might the Chancellor have up his sleeve? 

Laura Suter chats to Robin Powell who is a big fan of passive investing and has just written a book called Invest Your Way to Financial Freedom: A Simple Guide to Everything You Need to Know, which aims to get more young people into investing.

Plus, how a Korean cult TV programme called “Squid Game” helped put Netflix back on track when it comes to subscriber numbers.

How much food and bills could go up in 2022, the real cost of retirement and THG’s share price collapse

Laura Suter puts some numbers on how rising costs are affecting everyday life. She also gives some tips on how to put some controls on a contactless debit card to avoid reckless spending.

Tom Selby chats about a new study that considers the amount of money someone might need in retirement. He’s also back with another round of ‘pensions corner’, answering a listener’s question.

Dan Coatsworth discusses the big sell-off in THG and ASOS shares and why the recovery in Chinese equities has hit a new bump in the road.

He also talks to Charles Glasse from Waverton Asset Management about investment opportunities in European infrastructure and retail companies.

Finally, if you’ve ever wondered about the value of old statues in people’s gardens, you’ll definitely want to hear what Jenny Owen has to say on this week’s podcast.

October’s onslaught of cuts, rising gas prices and one London landlord’s recovery from the pandemic

This week we discuss all the changes that October is bringing, as the Government winds up much of its financial support for the pandemic, from furlough to the stamp duty holiday.

We also look at the impact rising gas prices are having on businesses, as well as the latest supply chain problems companies are encountering.

Danni Hewson chats to the head of a London property empire, Brian Bickell of Shaftesbury, about emerging from lockdown and the impact it’s had on his business. We also look at why you need to raid your piggy banks for old notes and an intriguing offer of free food and money for students. Finally, we discuss the impact the social media outage of 2021 had on us, and on markets.

Queues at the pumps, the winners and losers of the UK’s ongoing energy crisis and taking stock of ethical investing

On this week’s podcast Dan Coatsworth takes a look at what’s behind the UK’s petrol shortages and the rising cost of energy which has already brought a number of small suppliers to their knees. Inflation concerns have been causing jitters on markets, and some investors seem to be considering their portfolios after a sell off of some fast-growth companies and a surge in bond yields.

Danni Hewson has been digging through the latest update from retail ‘class swot’ Next, which has raised its profits guidance for a fourth time this year. But despite being at the forefront of the move to ‘hybrid’ retail, Next isn’t immune to current supply issues, warning that prices are rising and that it’s worried about finding enough labour to keep its slick delivery operation working smoothly.

AJ Bell’s Head of Investment Analysis Laith Khalaf has been assessing the growing part ethics is playing in investor decision-making ahead of ‘Good Money Week’, which aims to raise awareness of ethical finance. He’s got the lowdown on how those funds have performed and exactly how much ‘greenwashing’ goes on when companies lay out their ESG credentials.

Plus, the new number aimed at preventing fraud, and as the latest Bond film makes its long-awaited debut, we look at how cinemas are recovering, while Dan’s got some crazy stats from 007’s world.

Why problems with China’s Evergrande matter to investors worldwide, dealing with higher energy costs, big news from Netflix and a new bank account paying 5% interest

Dan Coatsworth explains in simple terms why troubles at Evergrande – one of China’s biggest property developers – matter to investors in the UK and around the world.

Laura Suter looks at the reasons behind the big spike in energy prices and what to do if your energy provider goes bust.

Richard Penny from Crux Asset Management gives his views of what might happen with stock markets in 2022.

Netflix has bought the rights to Roald Dahl books and Dan explains why this is a very important move by the streaming TV provider. Dan also reveals why shares in British Airways’ owner have shot up by 25% in just five days.

Laura looks at the launch of Chase’s first retail bank account in the UK and why it is different to other accounts on the market.

And Jenny Owen is on the show to talk prime real estate – she’s spotted an island for sale for £50,000.

Inflation spikes, pandemic personal finances divide and the world’s most expensive beach hut

It’s a record-breaking week on the podcast, as Laura Suter and Danni Hewson talk about this week’s largest ever jump in inflation and look at how markets reacted to the news that prices are rising. We also look at all the companies suffering supply chain issues, why the travel sector has been hit again and what this week’s record-breaking jobs news means for us all.

On this week is Tom Selby in Pensions Corner, talking about the perils of cashing in your pensions in one go, while Dan Coatsworth has an interview with small cap specialist Richard Penny about the stocks piquing his interest. We also look at how the pandemic has exacerbated the wealth gap in the UK, and finally,

Jenny Owen is back with a record breaking price for a beach hut in Money Madness.

The costly care conundrum, new term new workplace rules and why the Bank of England’s turned to the Beano for help

On this week’s edition of the Money and Markets podcast Tom Selby looks at the small print of government plans to hike national insurance to pay for care costs.  He takes a look at how much we’ll all be paying, if the cash raised will be enough to do the job and whether a cap on costs will mean people won’t need to sell their homes to pay for what they need in later life.  He also looks into a rise in dividend tax and why making sure you’re using appropriate tax wrappers is crucial.

Dan Coatsworth looks into US market wobbles after disappointing jobs figures and assess why bad news was actually seen as good news by some investors.  He also takes a look at the latest updates from two household names both of which have put supply issues front and centre. Dunelm and Halfords seem to be experiencing diverging fortunes when it comes to dealing with stock and adults hoping Santa might leave a bike under the tree this Christmas might be disappointed.

As the new school term gets underway many workers are making their first trip back to the office for months, but with more and more companies saying they’re planning to adopt a hybrid practice Danni Hewson chats with leadership supremo Jo Owen about his new book “Smart Work: The Ultimate Handbook for Remote and Hybrid Teams” and asks what he thinks are the positives and pitfalls companies should be considering and where investors might find opportunities as businesses adapt. 

Plus, there's a lot of work being done outside of the classroom to help more children understand money and financial literacy. To that end the Bank of England has teamed up with children's comic favourite Beano and Laura Suter chats to Andrew Hebden, head of outreach and education for the bank, about how the project came about.

Outlook for stocks, changes to contactless cards, and the rise of thematic funds

AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould explains why US stocks are riding high after an important meeting of central bankers, and what could move markets going forward.

Dan Coatsworth examines UK stocks that have done well this summer and discusses the latest news on WH Smith and Blue Prism.

Laura Suter chats about the dangers of freely tapping your debit card in pubs and shops, and she debates why Britain faces a £371 billion savings shortfall.

There is also a section on thematic funds including the launch of a new product that provides exposure to companies helping to make people’s lives healthier.

Bitcoin bandwagon, billion-pound bids and bumper pensioner payrises

On this week’s episode Laith Khalaf looks at rumours of a £7bn bid for another supermarket and what’s behind the sell-off in mining stocks, as well as giving an update on the latest supply chain issues hitting companies.

We will also be talking about how PayPal has jumped on the cryptocurrency bandwagon and Laura Suter will be looking at whether the stamp duty holiday really was the reason behind soaring house prices so far this year. We’ve got Georgia Stewart at Tumelo talking about how investors can assess what’s in their fund portfolios from an ESG point of view and how to hold fund managers to account.

Plus, Tom Selby is on to talk about the bumper 9% payrise pensioners could be getting next year – and how young people feel about that prospect, while Jenny Owen reveals how one item lying around in your car glove box could land you a £1,600 windfall.

Defence sector sees M&A action, rising prices impact retailers and warnings about “Smishing” fraud

This week’s podcast looks into bids for two defence giants which are attracting government attention.  Private equity owned Cobham targets Ultra Electronics and US based Transdigm’s been told to put up or shut up when it comes to its interest in Meggit. Tom Sieber’s in the hotseat to talk about the FTSE 250 as many of the firms being targeted for takeover are mid-caps which may make financing deals easier for firms doing the buying. 

With retail the main focus for US markets this week as a whole host of big retailers report their latest earnings, Danni Hewson has been picking through some of the winners and losers.  She’s also been chatting to Catherine Shuttleworth, CEO of Savvy Marketing about the state of retail in the UK and how shipping snarl ups and rising costs could impact the sector in the run up to Christmas.

Plus, fraudsters focus on “smishing” – text message scams aimed at getting you to share your financial details.  We chat about what to look out for and how to avoid getting stung.  Plus Jenny Owen’s got wedding fever and explains how old cake is pulling in big money.