The AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast team start this week’s episode with some good news as UK inflation took a surprise dip in December to 2.5%. Does this mean the chances of a February rate cut have jumped? Rachel Reeves has fought back in a Commons speech to defend her growth plans and although UK housebuilders have had a boost, other big companies continue to issue their own warnings. [01:02]

Danni Hewson and Charlene Young discuss how the UK isn’t the only country facing increased borrowing costs after recent bond yield hikes, and they also chat about what higher gilt yields mean for personal finances. [08:37]

Updates from BP, JD Sports and PageGroup painted a gloomy outlook but good news from Permission gave UK housebuilders a boost, even before a second bounce arrived following the inflation news. Charlene stays with housing, with a new IFS report on how more young people are residing in the Hotel of Mum and Dad. [23:10]

Donald Trump will be back in the White House next week, so Danni spoke to Yoojeong Oh, manager of the Abrdn Asian Income Fund, to find out how tariffs might impact Asian markets and where opportunities for income generation lie [27:56]. A TikTok ban in the US is also due next week, but is there any hope for a reprieve? [41:53]

Charlene finishes up with a timely reminder of the looming self-assessment deadline. [46:52]

On this week’s AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, we dive into a story about seven investment trusts under attack from an activist investor. The big retail companies have started to report on Christmas trading and not everyone is smiling about the outlook. You can also hear about the changing cost of keeping the lights on at home and why the Lifetime ISA is under review.

There’s been a sell-off in UK government bonds and the pound, causing jitters on the market at the start of the new year. Dan Coatsworth explains what’s going on. [00:02:06]

Hedge fund Saba Capital has got its sights on the UK investment trust sector and wants to get behind the driving seat of seven names including Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust and Herald Investment Trust. Dan takes a closer look and chats about why it’s so important for investors to vote on the proposals and what could happen next. [00:05:14]

Sue Inglis, an independent non-executive director from Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust, is on the podcast to share her experiences of being on the receiving end of an activist investor attack, and her thoughts on Saba’s proposals. [00:11:25]

Gas and electricity bills went up again on 1 January, when the latest energy price cap took effect. Charlene Young considers the impact to UK households and what they can do about it. [00:19:08]

Following a miserable final quarter for UK retail, we’ve now got a host of shopkeepers updating on trading and giving guidance for the year ahead. Tom Sieber looks at what Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Greggs and Next are saying, and what to expect from retailers in 2025. [00:23:09]

Charlene considers the reasons why the Government has announced a review of the Lifetime ISA and what might happen next. [00:35:29]

Finally, Danni Hewson chats to Dominic Weller, fund manager of the Octopus UK Future Generations Fund, about whether investing for change can also come with chunky returns now that interest rates are slowly on their way down. [00:40:17]

On the last AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast of 2024, Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss what markets are now thinking about the trajectory for interest rate cuts in 2025 after the Federal Reserve’s latest comments. [03:47]

In the UK, inflation has been creeping back up and there are warnings of a potential recession as private sector hiring falls at its fastest rate in four years following the Budget. With rates expected to be higher for longer that’s good news for savers. [11:52] 

Dan looks back at the winners and losers of 2024 on the market including some names that might come as a surprise. [14:00]

There might be big changes ahead in the automotive sector after reports that car giants Honda and Nissan could be considering a merger. Danni considers why this might happen. [20:19]

The long running saga of whether Royal Mail owner International Distributions Services would be taken over by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is now close to the end point, as Dan explains. [24:16]

UK households are reeling after the water watchdog gave the go-ahead for bill rises which will average out at an extra £31 a year. [26:06]

Jean Roche from the Schroder UK Midcap Fund joins us on the episode of the podcast. She talks through the potential opportunity for those FTSE 250 companies in the new year and why the investment trust’s policy is to ditch mid-caps if they succeed in climbing into the FTSE 100. [33:39]

This week’s episode of the Money & Markets podcast explores the cost of putting food and drink on the table at Christmas, how supermarkets are coping in the festive season, and why higher cocoa prices could lead to a marriage of two chocolate giants. We talk to experts about big UK stocks and how Donald Trump’s return to the White House could impact green policies. You can also hear about changes to the FTSE 100, why the car finance scandal could be bigger than previous expected, and what’s going on with UK rental charges.

Kicking things off, Danni Hewson has some interesting figures on the supermarket sector which is gearing up for one of its busiest times of the year. [1:38]

Dan Coatsworth discusses how the cost of a Christmas dinner has gone up a lot this year. [4:35] The pair also chat about why a cup of coffee is going up yet again and why a hike in the price of cocoa might lead to a big US takeover deal. There is speculation that Cadbury’s owner Mondelez might have another go at buying Hershey’s. [8:08]

The FTSE 100 index has going through a bit of a change with a few new members including Games Workshop, another set to leave over the next 12 to 18 months (Ashtead) and a new name which is big enough to join but won’t be given an admission ticket (Canal+). [13:23]

The car finance scandal keeps getting bigger and the regulator has now said it could be on the scale of PPI which cost banks £50 billion. Dan has all the details. [17:50]

Anna Farmbrough and Ben Needham from NinetyOne UK Equity Income fund join us on this week’s podcast to talk about Wetherspoons, Diageo and more. [22:06]

Frustrated with the cost of renting in the UK? Danni has some potential good news. [35:50]

We also hear from Impax Environmental Markets’ co-manager Fotis Chatzimichalakis about the potential change to green policies under Donald Trump. [39:04]

On this week’s AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast: the US-focused fund manager with a market-beating performance over the past 12 months and where he sees markets going next Stateside. The team talk ChatGPT and why car insurance should get cheaper next year. You can also hear about the challenges facing automotive companies, an expert on UK shares and big changes to Premium Bonds.

Takeovers continue to come thick and fast on the UK market and Dan Coatsworth is here to talk about the latest deals being made. Tom Sieber also updates on the challenges in the automotive sector and why Elon Musk is being denied $56 billion. [10:52]

Cormac Weldon from the Artemis US Select Fund talks to Dan about what Donald Trump could do next, and where he sees the US market heading in 2025. His fund has returned 38% in the 12 months to 2 December 2024 versus 33% from the S&P 500 index, in sterling terms. [14:07]

Drivers could be in line for a £50 car insurance saving next year, predict experts. That’s down to an important change in how personal injury compensation payments are calculated. Tom explains all. [26:27]

Dan has been celebrating ChatGPT’s second anniversary by digging into the impact it’s had on companies. [29:03]

Amid news that NS&I is cutting the effective rate on Premium Bonds from January, Tom asks if the savings products are still worth it. [34:56]

We also hear from Polar Capital UK Value Opportunities Fund manager Georgina Hamilton on the outlook for UK shares in 2025. [37:21]

On this month’s bonus podcast focusing on investment trusts, the AJ Bell Money & Markets team dig into star performers, US trusts and global small caps.

Dan Coatsworth talks to Julian Bishop, co-manager of Brunner Investment Trust which is celebrating one of its best years in a long time. Julian explains how the trust has done well, his thoughts on the Magnificent Seven, why he’s sold out of weight-loss drug provider Novo-Nordisk, and what could happen in 2025. [01:16]

Steve Frazer and Tom Sieber take a deep dive into Manchester & London, one of this year’s best performing trusts. While returns have been strong in 2024, the trust has attracted its fair share of critics over the years, so Steve and Tom take a balanced look at the company. [22:34]

Following the US election, Martin Gamble and Ian Conway talk about the differences between the range of US-focused investment trusts that trade on the UK stock market and what they’re trying to achieve. [35:22]

We’ve also got a chat with Columbia Threadneedle fund manager Nish Patel about The Global Smaller Companies Trust. [47:16]