AJ Bell Money & Markets

On this week’s episode of the AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss what’s powering markets, including the FTSE 100, to record highs [3:00]. They consider what US action in Venezuela might mean for markets, and particularly US oil companies like Chevron and the global oil price [7:15].  They discuss at which sectors that did particularly well in 2025 like gold, silver [15:00] , defence stocks like Rheinmetall and BAE Systems [17:00] and Nvidia’s AI domination as it unveils self-driving tech. [19:30] Whilst London’s blue chip broke records the IPO pipeline in the UK was patchy, Dan considers what did well [23:30]  and Danni explains why it could be the year of the “Mega IPO” with three massive US tech companies reportedly gearing up for a stock market listing, but can Open AI, Anthropic and Space X all successfully get IPOs over the line in 2026?  [27:45] Next has set the bar high for UK retailers  but as Claire’s Accessories collapses into administration there are fears about the health of the high street. [32:00] Plus, credit card spending surges, Alyx Wood from Kernow Asset Management digs into the spending power of over 50s [41:30] and thousands of people file their tax return whilst digesting the Christmas turkey. [51:20]

We’re kicking off the New Year with the latest bonus episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets all about investment trusts. To kick things off, Hannah Williford speaks to QuotedData’s James Carthew about a merger proposal gone wrong. [02:28]  Dan dives into the tech world with Mike Seidenberg from Allianz Technology Trust to scope out what 2026 might hold and how the industry is evolving in China. [17:40] AJ Bell’s Martin Gamble and Tom Sieber pick apart the Aurora UK Alpha Investment Trust and its Warren Buffett-inspired strategy, which has a particular stock picking process. [37:21] Finally, Hannah speaks with Shavar Halberstadt from Winterflood Research about the private equity sector. It’s gained a lot of attention this year, but is it relevant for the average investor? [50:10]

On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, discover problems on the high street for one well-known retailer [01:33], and why the UK cinema industry is hoping for a last-minute flurry of bookings in 2025 [03:15]. Dan Coatsworth considers what the latest UK economic data is telling us [05:11], and Tom Sieber chats about UK property market trends, planning reforms and what could be in store for real estate in 2026 [08:48]. The pod team explore how financial markets behaved in 2025 [14:31]. Dan chats with AJ Bell’s managing director for the investments divisions, Ryan Hughes, about what he thought of the year [17:10]. Dan and Tom run through the winners and losers on the UK and US stock markets over the past 12 months. They chat about Fresnillo, Lloyds, Applovin, WPP, Auto Trader and more. While markets have generally done well in 2025, the podcast always has its eye on the future and there’s quite a few people approaching 2026 with a sense of dread. With that in mind, the podcast spoke to Charlotte Yonge from the Trojan Fund and Personal Assets Trust about how she runs an investment strategy with protection at the heart of it [45:34]. Finally, Dan talks to AJ Bell chief executive Michael Summersgill about what’s needed to get more people saving and investing for the future [56:08].

In this week’s AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Charlene Young and Laura Suter are joined by AJ Bell’s markets expert Martin Gamble to unpack the biggest stories affecting investors. First, they look at Nvidia’s latest moves on chip sales to China [01:22] and the escalating bidding war for Warner Brothers [03:10]. Martin also highlights the top stories in this month’s Shares magazine [05:43].  Switching to personal finance, Charlene and Laura explain the changes to cash ISAs announced in the Budget [07:28], and Laura dives into new AJ Bell data revealing the nation’s “secret spending” habits [15:17].  Finally, we bring you the next batch of Investival interviews: Dan Coatsworth talks to Russ Mould about the good, the bad and the ugly of 2025 markets and what he expects for 2026 [19:28], and Alex Wright from Fidelity Special Values on the UK market’s strong performance, the banking sector, and a surprising investment in a sofa seller [25:22]. 

On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss the ongoing fallout from last week’s Budget including the resignation of the head of the OBR. [2:00] They discuss the OECD’s judgement of the impact tax and spending will have on the UK economy over the next few years. The pair also chat about a new warning about AI and how a bubble bursting could have a significant impact on global growth. [10:55] The Bank of England has proposed the biggest rule change for UK banks since the financial crash. [17:15] A zero-tariff deal has been struck between the UK and US on pharmaceuticals but what’s in the small print and what might it mean for companies like GSK and AstraZeneca? [19:30] Luxury goods maker Prada has bagged itself a Black Friday bargain, picking up Versace at a fraction of what its previous owner paid for it. [25:00] Plus, the latest on Netflix bid speculation for Warner Bros Discovery [26:45] and not one but two guest interviews: John Lamb from Capital Group with interesting thoughts on where interest rates might go in Europe [31:53] and friend of the pod, Ben Rogoff from Polar Capital Technology Trust on Google’s AI breakthrough. [36:30]