Investors' Chronicle

This week’s episode looks at two companies making a series of deals and partnerships in a bid to buck the troubling trends in their respective sectors.

We begin with consumer staples company McBride, whose shares have been buoyant in recent weeks as the cleaning products manufacturer, known for brands such as Oven Pride, expands its horizons. Mark Robinson is in the studio to discuss the details.

Hugh Moorhead then joins the conversation to look at the dealmaking plans at Supermarket Income Reit, seen by investors as a rare bright spot in the property sector at the moment.

The show wraps up with an existential question that has been hitting headlines over the past week: Is AI going to destroy the world? Mark is back to give his view on whether the hype and hysteria have got out of hand.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:52 McBride
12:24 Supermarket Income Reit
20:26 Has the AI hysteria got out of hand?

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Investors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities.

Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Figuring out which funds to buy is overwhelming for even the most experienced investors – but as a beginner, it’s important to understand your options so you can make the right decisions. Funds editor Val Cipriani is in the studio with personal finance editor Holly McKechnie to break down the process.

First, the duo explains what a fund is, the three main types, and why they are a good option to kick-start your investment journey. Val then dives into the difference between stocks and bonds, while also helping you to understand risk tolerance and how to figure out what kind of investor you are or want to be.

Before rounding off, Val gets into the nitty-gritty of portfolio-building best practices. From keeping it manageable to controlling your costs, Val and Holly have you covered.

If you want to get started, you can check out our Top 50 funds here.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:45 Why a fund is a good option for beginner investors
04:32 The different types of funds
13:30 How to build a portfolio and decide your asset allocation
17:36 Understanding active funds

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If you have any questions you’d like the duo to answer, email val.cipriani@ft.com or holly.mckechnie@ft.com

Investors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities.

Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even as uncertainty reins in the markets, 2026 has been another bumper year for returns. But, as ever, that does hide plenty of dispersion below the surface; with that in mind, this week’s show looks at two stocks at opposite ends of the scale.

One is up over 800 per cent in the year to date – that’s semiconductor manufacturer IQE, which reported interim results on Monday. Michael Fahy is in the studio to dive into the details and ask whether its run can continue.

At the other end of the spectrum is Mortgage Advice Bureau, which fell 20 per cent on Wednesday after lowering full-year guidance. Julian Hofmann asks whether there’s any light at the end of the tunnel after it departed from Aim, and will also run the rule over the thus-far better-performing Property Franchise Group.

In between, we turn to our Top 50 Funds of 2026. Val Cipriani and her expert panel have compiled our annual rundown of 50 active funds we think may be suitable for a range of investors. Val talks through our picks.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01.14 IQE
14:19 Top 50 Funds
26:17 Mortgage Advice Bureau

Listen to more podcasts from Investors’ Chronicle on Apple, Spotify and YouTube

Investors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities.

Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s show begins with a look at Meta after the social media giant had to fork out $18bn following accusations that its products are deliberately addictive for younger people. Valeria Martinez is in the studio to discuss whether big tech and other sectors are now the new ‘sin stocks’ and whether the companies which are so irresistible to consumers are toxic for investors.

We then discuss our annual Top 50 ETFs best-buy list, released earlier this summer. Val Cipriani talks us through how it was compiled, some of the changes, and what investors should consider when buying tracker funds.

Finally, we look at building materials supplier Grafton, which released half-year results on Thursday morning. Mark Robinson weighs up whether its UK struggles are being offset by better business in the rest of Europe and its home market of Ireland, and what this means for the investment case.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:09 Top 50 ETFs
12:34 A new age of 'Sin stocks'
27:10 Grafton's results

Listen to more podcasts from Investors’ Chronicle on Apple, Spotify and YouTube

Investors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities.

Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First, we cast our ears to British industrial stocks and ask whether they are being picked off too cheaply. Michael Fahy dives into why manufacturers are significantly more undervalued than their US counterparts and discusses the sector’s acquisitions in recent years.

We then turn to what is arguably our most important savings pot: the pension. You may have saved diligently and kept a close eye on your investments, but unexpected problems can still arise. From a later-life divorce or a stock market slump, plenty can throw retirement into jeopardy. But fret not, Holly McKechnie is in the studio to talk through the most common threats – and how to avoid them.

Finally, we look at Nvidia and its keenly anticipated earnings update. To investors’ joy, it delivered on all fronts and revenue at the world’s largest company more than doubled, smashing Wall Street’s expectations. Arthur Sants explains the latest figures and its new circular financing strategy, which is raising a lot of eyebrows (more on that here).

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
03:32 Are UK industrials being picked off too cheaply?
19:95 Common risks to your pension – and how to avoid them
20:36 Nvidia's promising figures and new financing strategy

Listen to more podcasts from Investors’ Chronicle on Apple, Spotify and YouTube

Investors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities.

Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.