AJ Bell Money & Markets

In this week’s episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Charlene Young and Danni Hewson unpack the latest developments in the Middle East and what they mean for markets, oil prices and your everyday finances. They also dive into fresh UK inflation figures and what they could mean for interest rates in the second half of 2026.

Danni takes a closer look at the blockbuster SpaceX IPO and why investors are piling in, Charlene runs through some eye-catching ‘trillionaire maths’ and reflects on 10 years since the Brexit vote. There’s a warning for motorists over the cost of spreading car insurance payments and Danni sits down with JP Morgan to find out what’s happening on the ground in Korea and other emerging markets. Plus, we bring you a teaser of a special series of video chats with Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square.

 

[00:08] Intro

[01:26] Middle East impact on markets and oil

[06:30] UK inflation update and interest rate expectations

[16:42] Pizza Hut sale

[22:04] SpaceX IPO review

[36:07] Bill Ackman

[37:57] Brexit vote – 10 years on

[42:34] Which? warning on car insurance

[45:28] Interview – Emily Whiting, investment specialist at JP Morgan

In this week's episode, Tom Sieber and Charlene Young digest the latest market developments from both sides of the Atlantic, with the company behind ChatGPT unveiling IPO plans, GSK unveiling its biggest deal in a decade and a UK market stalwart getting snapped up. Plus, as the World Cup gets underway, Tom discusses the winners off the pitch.

Charlene talks us through changes to inheritance rules which could affect cohabiting couples and the things people should think about when passing on wealth to family and dependents. Tom reveals what readers of the latest free monthly Shares magazine can expect including the next phase of the AI story and how Netflix is looking to grow after missing out on acquiring Warner Bros.

Finally, Charlene discusses plans to broaden access to mortgages in the UK and what they might mean for the property market and Tom and Charlene discuss some interesting new stats on pocket money.

00:00 Introduction

01:24 Markets: ChatGPT IPO, GSK's biggest deal in a decade & a UK takeover

16:19 Inheritance rules: cohabiting couples & passing on wealth

22:30 Shares magazine: AI's next phase & Netflix's growth plans

26:17 UK mortgage access & pocket money stats

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].