AJ Bell Money & Markets

Investment Trust show #7: The big charges debate, F&C on the summer market slump, and why investors are paying a premium for 3i Group

Lots of investors are increasingly turning to cheap tracker funds which means the pressure is on investment trusts to not only outperform the market and prove their worth, but also make their charges more competitive. Dan Coatsworth talks to Annabel Brodie-Smith from the Association of Investment Companies about this topic and to find out which trusts have the highest and lowest costs for investors.

Paul Niven, manager of retail investor favourite F&C Investment Trust, is on this week’s podcast to discuss the summer’s market sell-off and whether it has prompted big changes in his portfolio.

Laith Khalaf talks to James Carthew from QuotedData about the big merger between Alliance Trust and Witan which is expected to complete in the next few months.

3i Group continues to be one of the few investment trusts to trade at a chunky premium to the value of its underlying assets, so we asked Tom Sieber and Steve Frazer from Shares magazine to explain why investors are happy to pay up to own the shares.

Tom also chats about BlackRock World Mining’s latest results and why there is some bad news for anyone thinking metal producers are a great source of dividends.

Magnificent Seven disappointment rattles markets, sub-4% mortgages return and a new direction for Reckitt

On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Danni Hewson and Charlene Young dig into the market meltdown that followed disappointing results from ‘Magnificent Seven’ club members Tesla and Alphabet.

They discuss the negative impact of electric vehicle production on Ford and Nissan and why GM is delaying its plans to build a green Buick.

Ryanair profits tumble as it cuts back on fare hikes, but EasyJet is ramping up for a record summer. Get the podcast team’s take on the airline sector.

Tom Sieber and Ian Conway from Shares magazine discuss moves by consumer goods giant Reckitt to sell off large parts of its business.

Dan Coatsworth chats to Sunil Krishnan from Aviva Investors about ‘reflation’ and how it impacts certain investments. We also get an update on AJ Bell funds from James Flintoft, Head of Investment Solutions at AJ Bell.

Also in the last episode before the summer break, Danni and Charlene discuss the return of the sub-4% mortgage and why more people have been using cash to budget.

Investing in gold, tech sector sell-off, and a fund manager’s take on housebuilders, EasyJet and ITV

With gold have just hit a new record high, don’t miss this week’s episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast where Dan Coatsworth talks to Rob Crayfourd from the Golden Prospect Precious Metals Fund. The pair discuss gold’s ascent and why there might be a big turning point for the gold mining sector on the horizon.

We’ve seen some big movements on the US and UK stock market over the past week linked to geopolitical issues, inflation and jobs data. Dan analyses the market reaction and what it means for investors.

This week’s episode features a great interview with James Lowen at JOHCM UK Equity Income about housebuilders, EasyJet and ITV.

Charlene Young chats about some of the key money-related bits in the King’s Speech and why AJ Bell is calling for major changes to ISAs to help simplify saving and investing.

Finally, if you’ve ever wondered about the value of luxury handbags and whether they’ve delivered a better return than stocks and shares, Charlene has fascinating insight into this market.

Barclays spending data, housebuilder updates, US Q2 results preview, and why PageGroup’s profits warning matters

In this episode of the AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast, Laura Suter and Tom Sieber dive into the latest consumer spending trends from Barclays, revealing how economic pressures are shaping our financial habits, and they discover how saving money can improve your sleep and mental health.

They also deliver the latest updates on housebuilders Vistry and Barratt Developments amid planning challenges and rising costs, preview the upcoming US second quarter reporting season, highlighting key companies to watch, and discuss the wider implications of a profit warning from recruiter PageGroup.

Plus, don't miss our interviews with fund managers discussing the UK property market and alternative income sources for investors.

UK stocks soar on election landslide, Fed comments excite markets again, Nike’s big stumble

On this week’s episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast Dan Coatsworth and Laura Suter assess the market reaction to a Labour landslide. 

Charlene Young and Danni Hewson discuss how the Fed comments and new economic data has driven a new rally in US and Asian markets amid hopes of interest rate cuts.

They look back on the big investing themes of the year including AI and UK takeovers, while also updating on the latest news from Tesla whose sales fell less than expected and how Sainsbury’s is being weighed down by Argos.

Tom Sieber and Ian Conway from Shares magazine put sportswear giant Nike under the spotlight. 

The podcast team also debate energy prices, why May saw record ISA inflows and how house prices are still rising even as mortgage approvals slow.

Investment Trust show #6: Tech sector, activist investors and the outlook for property

This month’s bonus podcast on investment trusts dives into the world of technology. Steve Frazer chats with Mike Seidenberg from Allianz Technology Trust about the latest trends in the space, the hype around AI including Nvidia, and what’s on the fund manager’s mind at the moment. 

Dan Coatsworth talks to Joe Bauernfreund from AVI Global about the world of activist investors and why he has taken stakes in Reckitt and Entain.

Tom Sieber chats with Urban Logistics’ Justin Upton about the property sector and why this trust walked away from a potential merger with a rival.

We’ve also got Martin Gamble and Ian Conway debating the merits of Bankers Investment Trust.

 

A-Z of pensions, Nvidia and big tech’s rollercoaster week, Shein IPO and investing in Asia

This week’s AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast goes big on pensions. Charlene Young, Tom Selby and Laith Khalaf discuss some of the key issues you need to understand, whatever age you are.

Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss what’s been a volatile week for tech stocks with AI chipmaker Nvidia losing billions of dollars off its market value, and Microsoft and Apple potentially facing huge fines from EU regulators.

As Shein edges closer to a London listing, the podcast team debate why investors are nervous and whether the IPO will actually happen. Danni also explores Frasers’ efforts to add another revenue stream via the buy now, pay later market.

We’ve also got Abbas Barkhordar from Schroders on the show to talk about investing in Asia.

Inflation hits target, Nvidia’s market surge, political promises unveiled, and making UK markets more attractive

In the latest AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast, Dan and Laura begin with the UK inflation rate reaching the Bank of England's 2% target, exploring its implications for interest rates. They also discuss Nvidia's remarkable rise to become the world’s most valuable company, and shifts in market shares among supermarkets. Laura brings some analysis of the political party manifestos for the upcoming election, including Labour's plan to introduce new banking hubs. The duo also look at the recent changes to Barclays’ Blue Rewards scheme, which have upset many customers.

Dan speaks to Neil Shah from Edison, who shares insights on improving the UK stock market, and he interviews Dean Orrico, manager of the Middlefield Canadian Investment Trust, to discuss the impact of rate cuts in Canada and parallels with the UK market.

What the election manifestos mean for your money, Apple Intelligence and Raspberry Pi’s IPO pop

On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Danni Hewson and Tom Selby dig through the general election manifestos and assess what the measures might mean for your money.

From further cuts to National Insurance and the pension “Quad-lock” proposed by the Conservatives to Labour’s decision not to bring back the lifetime allowance and the Lib Dem’s proposal to reform capital gains tax, the podcast has all the important details.

Danni looks at a plethora of economic data including jobs and GDP figures and how they might impact interest rate decisions.

The team discuss Apple’s AI gambit and why it has upset Elon Musk. There is also chat about Raspberry Pi’s well-received London IPO.

Finally, Dan Coatsworth talks to Will Orr from the Gym Group about how the nation is spending more money on health and fitness and the role his company plays.

Deferring the state pension, retail sector recovery and the art of investing in smaller companies

Have you ever thought about delaying the point at which you start collecting the state pension? If so, don’t miss this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast as Rachel Vahey chats about the pros and cons of going down this route.

Danni Hewson and Dan Coatsworth discuss a plethora of good news from the retail sector including updates from Zara-owner Inditex and discounter B&M. They also explore why WH Smith has revived the Toys R Us brand in its UK stores.

The nation continues to pile into Cash ISAs, as Dan discusses on this week’s podcast. He also explores why the oil price suddenly dropped.

Tune into a fascinating interview with Rockwood Strategic fund manager Richard Staveley who talks about investing in small cap stocks and why he is supportive of a new UK ISA.

Finally, Ross Driver explains why Foresight Solar shareholders are voting on whether to keep the investment trust going or wind it up.