AJ Bell Money & Markets

Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson explain why US shares are doing so well, including a rally in chip-related stocks and how Netflix has managed to enjoy a new growth spurt. Tom Sieber and Steven Frazer from Shares magazine are on the show to talk about why investors have given a big thumbs down to Tesla’s latest results. Dan explores the concept of drip pricing and how hidden fees could soon be a thing of the past. Danni chats about new figures which show a rise in mortgage and loan defaults, and how more retailers are seeing a pick-up in demand for buy now, pay later. The team also debate the prospect of big changes to the frequency of letter deliveries in the UK. Finally, Laura Suter talks to AJ Bell’s investments director Ryan Hughes about market trends and what’s been happening with AJ Bell funds.

On this week’s podcast Danni and Laura cover the all important inflation figure, which showed the headline number had moved in the wrong direction. That surprise shift had a knock-on effect on markets, so we look at the winners and losers there. The ongoing issues in the Red Sea are having an impact on companies, including Shell, but also are a risk to inflation, so we delve into the potential effects on prices. In the markets segment we also cover what the latest jobs figures mean for the health of the economy, and for recruitment firm Page Group, and we look at the impact of the new boss at BP. As interest rates are still expected to be cut this year, it’s no surprise that savings rates are falling. We’ve got some news about the Premium Bond prize fund falling – which might signal the end of great rates for savers. And as more people are dragged into the next income tax bracket, Laura has got some helpful advice on how to navigate that. Our interview this week is Mike Seidenberg, lead portfolio manager of the Allianz Technology Trust, about the technology space and his outlook for the year ahead.

On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson dig through a bumper crop of Christmas trading updates from UK retailers including Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s and they discuss the ongoing expansion of Greggs. After the discovery of loose bolts following a mid-flight blowout which saw a door pop off an Alaskan Airlines plane mid-flight, shares in Boeing and some of its suppliers have understandably been impacted as the FAA grounds the planes for further investigation. Danni considers the implications. Dan examines Terry Smith’s latest shareholder letter for the popular Fundsmith Equity Fund, and he also talks through ways benefit from higher interest rates in your Stocks and Shares ISA without having to switch out to a cash account. Plus, it may have started with a fake tweet, but the SEC has given the go-ahead to Bitcoin ETFs with some huge names like BlackRock and Fidelity about to jump in after what’s being called a watershed moment for cryptocurrency. Our special guest this week is Iain Cunningham from asset manager Ninety One who explains why China might still be of interest to investors wanting Asia exposure, despite slowing economic growth and tighter corporate regulation.

Two months ago, we asked if any listeners had managed to retire early and gain financial independence, in line with the so-called FIRE movement. Plenty of you have hit the goal, judging by the responses we’ve received. Charlene Young shares some of your stories while Dan Coatsworth talks to podcast listener Phill about how he managed to give up work early and live the life he always dreamed of. Dan asks Chris Elliott from Evenlode Global Equity if artificial intelligence is a game-changer for business or overhyped. Chris also talks about Microsoft, Diageo, Nestle and where he is finding opportunities in 2024. The FTSE 100 turned 40 this week so Dan looks at its performance since launch versus the US stock market and ponders the future for the UK blue-chip index. Laura Suter has some good news for anyone looking to buy a house or remortgage, while the team also talk about diverging fortunes with retailers JD Sports and Next.

In our final episode of the year, Danni and Laura look at the impact of that Red Sea turmoil on the oil market and Amazon’s deal with Games Workshop to bring Warhammer to the big screen. We’ll also look at the latest inflation data – and what it might mean for your money in 2024. And the impact that that Bank of England decision last week to hold rates had on the mortgage and housing markets. We’ve also got the first of a new monthly segment from the team at Shares, who will be discussing chip company Nvidia and UK engineering firm Rolls-Royce. And Tom Selby is back with his pensions corner, looking at all those lucky people who have got Christmas bonuses at this time of year, and the big question of whether you should put any of that money into your pension. And we’ve got the latest update in that long, long Woodford saga, and we dive into some research that shows what investors are planning to do next year, what they’re worried about and where they see investment opportunities.

Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss the market reaction to the US Fed’s blueprint for interest rate cuts plus a slew of economic data about the state of the UK economy which could be sliding into recession. You can hear about vaccine maker Pfizer which has warned of trouble ahead as it struggles with life after covid, plus there might be two blockbuster IPOs heading London’s way in the form of fashion giant Shein and high street retailer Boots. Dan talks to Will Riley from Guinness Sustainable Energy Fund on the challenge of making money from clean energy stocks. Anthony Cross from Liontrust is also on the show to explain why he’s optimistic about the UK stock market. Finally, don’t miss AJ Bell’s head of investment analysis Laith Khalaf on his latest report into how active fund managers have performed versus passive funds.

There is a widely held view that US shares are expensive, yet this isn’t true for everything. Dan Coatsworth talks to Rosanna Burcheri from Fidelity American Special Situations fund about how she is still finding plenty of opportunities in companies priced below what she believes is their true value. She talks about FedEx, Alphabet and more. Find out why bitcoin and gold have been moving higher and what Dan makes of GameStop’s latest results. From January 2024, parents in the UK can start applying for 15 hours of free childcare per week. Laura Suter dives into the details and finds it’s not as clear cut as you might think. Laura explores the rise in foreign ownership of UK shares and why it puts even more pressure on the Government to make the market more appealing to domestic investors. Steve Wreford from Lazard is also on the show to talk about thematic investing and why he believes a shift in the market environment has major implications on portfolio positioning.

On this week’s podcast we’ll be covering markets news, from Rolls Royce and the impact Black Friday had on stocks to inflation in Europe. We’ve got not one but two fund manager interviews: the first is on the challenging but rewarding small caps market with Tellworth small cap fund manager Paul Marriage. And the second covers the recently-volatile bond market, with Ariel Bezalel from Jupiter Strategic Bond Fund. We’ve also got an update on the energy price cap, as prices will rise again from January, and a warning about potential rate cuts from one of the nation’s favourite providers: NS&I. And we have all the details on the regulator cracking down on so-called greenwashing of funds – where funds purport to have sustainable credentials but fall short of actually having them.

This week’s podcast turns the Autumn Statement into plain English, looking at the key announcements and the ones buried in documents published by the Government. The team talk about how UK economic growth expectations have been downgraded and how it could take longer to hit the Government’s 2% inflation target than previously thought. Dan Coatsworth explores changes to National Insurance tax and how it could put up to £750 extra in someone’s pocket a year. Danni Hewson weighs up the good and bad news for businesses in the Autumn Statement including the impact of a higher National Living Wage. Charlene Young discusses good news for those in retirement and how people might be able to keep the same pension pot when they move job. She also explores efforts to make ISAs more accessible. The Government has indicated it will hold a ‘Tell Sid’-style campaign to sell its near-40% stake in NatWest – find out how this might work and the history of ‘Tell Sid’. You can also hear about the market reaction to Nvidia’s latest results and the strange goings-on with ChatGPT.

The big news this week is the latest inflation figures which have positive implications for consumers and businesses. The data has already triggered a rally in global stock markets as Dan Coatsworth discusses in this week’s episode. Tom Selby explores the pros and cons of the FIRE movement – financial independence, retire early. He explains the key things to consider if you want to stop working in your 50s or earlier. Laura Suter talks about the growing number of people who are behind with their mortgage repayments and how the HMRC is reportedly bracing itself for a deluge of calls as more people find themselves in a higher tax bracket. Kumar Pandit from the Somerset EM Dividend Growth Fund is on the show to talk about investing in India, while Dan also looks at the cosmetics industry following The Body Shop’s takeover, and why shares in property companies have started to move higher.