AJ Bell Money & Markets

In this week’s episode, Charlene Young is joined by new co-host Sarah Coles alongside Tom Sieber to unpack a busy week across markets, tech and personal finance. With geopolitical tensions continuing to weigh on sentiment, the team looks at whether investors are stuck in a holding pattern or if there are more subtle shifts happening beneath the surface.

There’s also a deep dive into the latest surge in AI excitement, from a major potential Anthropic IPO to huge fundraising moves by Google parent Alphabet, with takeover chatter in sectors like aviation and renewables.

The new Retirement Living Standards are out, showing how inflation is upping the cost of even a modest lifestyle in retirement. Sarah and Charlene also talk about fresh savings and lending data from the Bank of England, and what’s really happening in the UK housing market. The episode concludes with Dan Coatsworth sitting down with Richard Jeffery, executive chair of Reading based firm ActiveOps to find out how AI is central to what they do.

In this episode:

Market update: geopolitics, oil and investor sentiment [01:46]

AI boom: Anthropic IPO and Alphabet’s $80bn raise [04:06]

Company news: EasyJet, Drax and defensive stocks that have disappointed [09:15]

Retirement Living Standards: how much you really need [13:56]

Savings & borrowing: latest Bank of England data [29:29]

Housing market outlook and mortgage trends [31:46]

Interview: Richard Jeffery, executive chair of ActiveOps [38:25]

This month, the Investment Trust Show focuses in on what makes trusts so unique: from gearing to boards. Hannah Williford and Dan Coatsworth discuss the pros and cons before seeing how they measure up against their sister funds through the numbers. Nick Britton from the Association of Investment Companies joins to explain where the differences emerge.
AJ Bell’s Tom Sieber also steps in to interview Utilico Emerging Markets chair Mark Bridgeman to understand what role a board is really playing. Then, two funds investing in private equity, Seraphim Space Investment Trust and ICG, discuss where opportunity lies off the market, and how Seraphim has grown its share price by over 300% in a year.

00:00 Introduction: What makes investment trusts unique

04:30 What does a trust board actually do? (Tom Sieber & Mark Bridgeman)

19:00 Investment trusts vs funds: Who wins? (Nick Britton, AIC)

33:20 Private equity explained: Inside ICG Enterprise Trust (ICG Colm Walsh)

47:45 Space & defence boom: Seraphim Investment Trust (Mark Bogget)

01:06:45 Outro & key takeaways

Less than a year after joining as BP Chairman Albert Manifold has been removed from the company. What does it mean for BP’s turnaround plans is the question that kicks off this episode of the AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast and Danni Hewson and Tom Sieber assess how investors reacted to the news [02:18]. Concerns over Middle East peace talks has seen choppy trade in oil and the price of energy has been in the spotlight as the UK’s new price cap was announced [07:30]. Temperatures might have soared over the late May bank holiday, but B&Q says a late start to spring dented sales and weak consumer spend also took a chunk out of Pets at Home’s full year profits [13:45] plus Ferrari’s first EV has provoked some extreme reaction on social media [23:28]. On the personal finance front, Rachel Vahey is back with another pensions corner, this time chatting about a worrying report from the Pensions Commission which found 15 million people are under saving for retirement [27:15] plus former PM Rishi Sunak’s warned that 4 in 10 Brits lack basic financial literacy with calls for more education to help people make smart financial choices [38:08]. And our guest interview this week is with Andrew Lapping, chief investment officer at Ranmore Fund Management; he’s spoken to Dan about why he’s still a fan of Greggs [44:33].

Cyber shocks, political ripples and pop-powered spending – it’s another packed week on the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast. Charlene Young and Danni Hewson break down the latest inflation and jobs data, before turning to bond market jitters as political drama heats up.

There’s pressure building for businesses too, as Ryanair flags rising fuel costs, and Marks & Spencer and Jaguar Land Rover lay bare the growing financial toll of cyber attacks. We also dive into the forces reshaping what was formerly the UK high street, with more big banking brands on brink of disappearing completely, and unpack what a potential mansion tax could mean for homeowners.

Plus, two insightful interviews: one exploring how supply chains are becoming a major investment theme, and another on the critical mineral antimony as surging demand drives the reopening of an Australian mine. And to finish, we move from hard economics to headline acts, and look at how Harry Styles’ Wembley run could generate over £1bn in spending, proving the experience economy is alive and well.

[00:00] Introduction

[01:46] Inflation & jobs – what the latest data tells us

[09:35] Gilts, politics & the Makerfield by-election ripple effect

[12:10] Ryanair warns on rising oil prices [

15:26] M&S & JLR – counting the cost of cyber attacks

[21:39] Interview: Supply chains with Jamie Mills O’Brien (Aberdeen)

[34:13] Bank brands that are set to disappear – Halifax rumours & TSB confirmed changes

[36:39] Mansion tax consultation – what’s on the table

[40:44] The £1.1bn Harry Styles effect

[45:07] Interview: Antimony & critical minerals with Ron Heeks (Larvotto Resources)

[54:13] Closing thoughts

In this Deep Dive episode, Tom Sieber and Danni Hewson take a closer look at income investing. Experts from AJ Bell and Jupiter Asset Management join the podcast to discuss common dividend mistakes investors make, the power of compounding and dividend reinvestment, getting income from Asia and how to generate cash through property, infrastructure, and bonds.

00:08 – Introduction: Tom Sieber and Danni Hewson introduce the episode and the evolving world of income.
02:10 – Why people invest for income and the power of compounding.
06:50 – Dividend basics: Tom Sieber explains some of the key points every investor should understand.
09:40 – Danni Hewson looks at share buybacks vs dividends and current UK trends.
17:56 – Tom Sieber then frames the debate around dividend yield vs dividend growth and why you might look for the latter over the former.
23:39 – AJ Bell head of markets Dan Coatsworth joins to talk about common dividend investing mistakes.
30:57 – AJ Bell fund and investment trust writer Eve Maddock-Jones delves into the world of income funds and trusts and the advantages of diversification.
34:45 – Tom talks to Jupiter Asian Income fund manager about why he thinks the region can be a fruitful source of income and growth.
48:34 – Tom explains how you can also derive income from the financial markets through property funds, infrastructure, and bonds.
55:33 – Tom talks to Paul Angell about the role of bonds in an income portfolio.
01:11:36– Tom and Danni wrap up with the key takeaways from the episode including what they’ve learned about income investing.