AJ Bell Money & Markets

Positive news on inflation, a surge in profit warnings, and does Frasers hold the key to Shein’s UK growth plan?

On this episode of the Money & Markets podcast Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson mull over the factors behind a surprise fall in UK headline inflation in spite of rising fuel costs.

Dan digs into the surge in profit warnings from UK companies including B&Q owner Kingfisher, fashion retailer Quiz and online alcohol seller Naked Wines.

Reports suggest Frasers is about to strike a strategic deal with Chinese retail giant Shein – Dan talks about the speculated move and what it could mean for the retail sector.

The podcast chats about Walt Disney following speculation it is about to make big changes including the potential sale of some media assets and news that it will invest $60 billion in its theme parks.

Neil Shah, Director of Research at Edison, joins the show to talk to Danni about the lack of IPOs on the London market and what he thinks investors should expect as 2023 draws to a close.

Plus, why rents are rising at a record pace and the changes to auto-enrolment that allow 18-year-olds to access workplace pensions.

Why the oil price has shot up, consumer rights as Wilko collapses, and what a surge in shoplifting tells us about consumer finances

The price of oil has gone up by more than 25% in two months, creating a new inflationary headwind for consumers and businesses. Dan Coatsworth talks to AJ Bell’s Russ Mould about why the black stuff is suddenly more expensive, what it means for the cost of petrol and why it could have a big impact on central bank interest rate decisions.

Laura Suter explains where customers stand if they need to return faulty goods or spend gift vouchers at collapsed retailer Wilko.

Dan explores the rise of shoplifting, what it tells us about the state of consumer finances, how it is hurting corporate profits margins and why social media is making the problem even worse.

Laura discusses a new report that explores financial inequality, with women having less in savings, investments and pensions then men.

You can also hear about Tesla’s big opportunity with a supercomputer called Dojo which has triggered another big rise in its share price, as well as ARM’s return to the stock market and why Restaurant Group is paying someone to take the Frankie & Benny’s casual dining chain off its hands.

Wilko’s collapse, M&S back in the FTSE 100, Barratt Homes blames Trussonomics for slump in demand and UK listing rule changes

We’re back from our summer break! And there is lots of markets news to cover – Danni Hewson has got an update on what happened over the summer and also the latest on Wilko’s collapse, M&S heading back into the FTSE 100 and the surprising company that has become Europe’s most valuable.

We’ve also got news out from Barratt Homes that’s hot off the press and gives an insight into the housing market – and Laura Suter will be giving an update on the mortgage market. We’ll be discussing the date for the Autumn Statement – and giving a lowdown on what that means and why it matters.

Finally, our interview is with James Wootton, partner at Linklaters, about the planned changes to listing rules in the UK and what it means for investors.

NatWest boss quits, Greek wildfires, parents raiding kids’ savings and emerging market recovery

This week Danni Hewson and Laura Suter will be diving into all the detail on the news that NatWest’s boss Alison Rose has quit amid the Nigel Farage furore. They’ll also be looking at the big tech companies announcing results, including Microsoft and Alphabet, as well as the first of the big UK banks to report – Lloyds. We’ll be covering the financial impact of those wildfires in Greece, both on holidaymakers and on investors.

Laura has got some interesting figures showing that parents are raiding their kids’ piggy banks as budgets get depleted amid rising prices, and Danni is chatting to Chris Tennant from Fidelity Emerging Markets about where he sees opportunities for growth in Latin America.

Cooling inflation boosts UK stocks plus US banks enjoy a rate hike bonanza

On this week’s AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson dig through the latest UK inflation data which has delivered a shot of optimism to investors.

They mull over how the Bank of England might react to cooling prices, look at which stocks on the market have been benefiting from the change in sentiment and ask if the optimism is really warranted.

Higher interest rates have delivered something of a bonanza for many big US banks with Wells Fargo and Bank of America amongst those racking up big profits. Dan delves into the figures.

With actors joining writers on the picket lines in Hollywood for the first time in sixty years the pair assess which stocks could be impacted, with Paramount, Disney and Warner Bros Discovery already experiencing share price declines.

AJ Bell’s head of retirement policy Tom Selby is back to talk about government plans for small pension pots. Plus, Dan talks to Joe Bauernfreund from AVI Global Trust about what he makes of this year’s market movements and where he sees opportunities now.

Why Jeremy Hunt’s pension plan has flaws, how teenagers manage money and the attractions of investing in Vietnam

Tom Selby considers Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s strategy to boost the average pension pot by £1,000 a year and why the plan has flaws.

Laura Suter talks about some remarkable figures on the amount of money in savings accounts that pay no interest and how there has been yet another error made on state pension payments.

Dan Coatsworth chats with Dominic Scriven from investment trust Vietnam Enterprise Investments Limited about investing in Vietnam. Dan also explains the importance of the latest Bank of England stress test on UK banks.

The podcast also features two 15-year-olds talking about how teenagers manage money and how schools can improve personal finance education.

Govt crackdown on greedflation, US-China tensions, bumper tax on savings and Tesla’s record deliveries

This week Laura Suter is shedding light on all the government moves aimed at easing the cost of living pressure on our finances, from petrol prices to supermarket bills and savings rates. Danni Hewson brings you the latest markets news, including Tesla’s record delivery, US-China tensions and JD Sports emerging in new markets.

Our interview this week is with Nick Greenwood from Migo Opportunities Trust about takeover potential in the renewable energy and infrastructure space, and we’ll also be looking at the latest figures on how much tax we’re all being charged on our savings, as the Government’s tax take rockets.

New boss leads a turnaround at Rolls-Royce and Ocado in focus after Amazon bid rumours

In the second in a series of bonus podcasts from the Shares magazine team to accompany AJ Bell’s Money & Markets podcast, Tom Sieber, Steve Frazer and Ian Conway take a close look at two stocks enjoying vastly contrasting fortunes of late.

The pod discuss the efforts of recently appointed Tufan Erginbilgic to turn around aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce and whether he can back up some big talk with action, after a strong run for the shares at the start of 2023 petered out.

Items up for discussion include the impact of the pandemic and subsequent recovery in air travel and how important cash flow will be to judging Erginbilgic’s success or failure.

Ian talks through some research he has done on online groceries firm Ocado’s volatility, something much in evidence amid recent speculation over a bid from Amazon. Doubt is cast on these links as the company’s troubles are dissected.

Frasers’ game of Monopoly, car insurance pains and problems with Boots’ owner

Dan Coatsworth chats about retailer Frasers which seems to be playing a long running game of high street Monopoly. He also explains why car insurance premiums are going up.

Danni Hewson discusses why tensions in Russia haven’t really moved markets and she explores Boohoo’s spat with Revolution Beauty.

Dan chats to fund manager Ben Ritchie about Dunedin Income Trust’s 150th anniversary and how the investment trust has evolved over the years.

Also on this week’s show: shares in cruise companies are in the spotlight after a bookings bonanza while Walgreens looks to offload hundreds of Boots stores.

Inflation is still enemy number one for many companies and despite an excellent performance from some household names, markets are looking distinctly lopsided with a chunk of FTSE 350 stocks disappointing investors since the start of the year.

Danni explains how supermarket bosses held their own during a grilling from MPs over rising prices. She also looks at the problems with Thames Water and whether regulation in the sector will be tightened.

Navigating the mortgage maze, higher interest rates hurting companies and why takeovers have fired up the biotech space

This week’s podcast explores the market reaction to UK interest rates going up once again.

Laura Suter talks to David Hollingworth from mortgage broker L&C about whether someone should fix their mortgage or stay on a variable rate.

Dan Coatsworth explores the companies which are starting to feel the pain from higher interest rates including housebuilder Berkeley, builders’ merchant Travis Perkins and car seller Motorpoint.

Tom Sieber considers the takeover rumours surrounding Ocado and why some companies in the retail and leisure sectors have shrugged off the negative backdrop to report decent trading.

Finally, Dan talks to Rod Wong from investment trust RTW Venture about investing in the biotech space.