Deep Dive #6: Are active fund managers a dying breed?
The battle between active and passive managers has been going in earnest for over a decade now, and the passive machines are winning. In this Deep Dive, Laith Khalaf and Dan Coatsworth explore the active and passive fund landscape, and ask if there is a way back for active fund managers.
Dan and Laith discuss why passive funds have become so popular and share some stats on fund flows and figures from AJ Bell’s Manager versus Machine report, which pits active and passive funds against each other. [01:01]
Laith catches up with Craig Baker who chairs the investment committee for Alliance Witan, one of the biggest investment trusts in the UK, to find out why they have chosen a distinctive active investment strategy and how it’s been performing. [22:28]
Paul Angel, Head of Investment Research at AJ Bell joins Dan and Laith to talk about how to pick active and passive funds. [34:05]
Paul, Dan and Laith discuss whether the rise of passive funds is bad for the stockmarket and consider the future of active management. [48:17]
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59:45
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59:45
No change to pension tax free cash, the FTSE 100 nears 10,000 and can Tesco’s old boss turn around Diageo?
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast, Laura Suter delivers some good news on pension tax free cash after it’s reported that the Chancellor won’t alter allowances at the Budget. [2:10] But with a merry-go-round of speculation every year impacting savers’ decisions, AJ Bell is calling for the government to take seriously its calls for a pension tax lock.
As the FTSE 100 breaks more records and edges closer to the psychologically important 10,000 mark, Danni Hewson digs into what’s behind this latest run of good form. Spoiler: it’s not all good news. [4:40]
An anticipated end to the US government shutdown has helped offset renewed nerves about an AI bubble after Softbank sold its entire stake of Nvidia. [9:32] And former Tesco boss Dave Lewis will be hoping every little can help him turn around the fortunes of drinks maker Diageo. [13:30]Â
Tom Sieber joins the team to talk about changes to AJ Bell’s Shares magazine [16:30] With talk about potential changes to the cash ISA limit to try and get more of us to move away from cash savings and into investing, Laura’s been crunching the numbers to find out exactly how investing in cash or stocks and shares compares over time [21:30].
Plus HMRC has been clamping down on benefits fraud – but they’ve not always been getting things right. [28:30] And our guest interview this week is a catch up with Ayush Abhijeet, Investment Director at Ashoka India Equity, who explains why returns have been a bit lacklustre over the past year and why that creates an opportunity for investors. [30:30]
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43:57
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43:57
Tax hikes, M&S fights back, and why the robots are coming
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss the Chancellor’s unusual pre-Budget speech. They assess how markets reacted to hints, but not confirmation, that taxes could rise. [1:50] The pair also discuss which taxes could go up and what that might mean for your pocket. [9:35]
How much sparkle did Marks & Spencer lose from this year’ cyberattack? Find out as Danni and Dan unpick its latest results [12:45].
Dan considers why high street retailer Primark might finally be spun out from its parent company. [17:45] He also explains why companies split and talks through some key examples of the past 20 years. [21:25]
Danni considers Kimberly Clark’s bid for under-fire Tylenol maker Kenvue, the consumer goods company spun out from Johnson & Johnson just a few years ago. [25:06]
Plus, Michael Burry, the trader who inspired the film The Big Short is betting on an AI bubble [29:10]. We also take a different look at big tech – not AI but robotics – with Dan chatting to Simon Edelsten, manager of the Goshawk Global fund, about factory automation and why it’s hot news again. [32:55]
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48:02
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48:02
Investment Trust Show: can big dividends make up for weak share price performance? The challenges facing renewable energy and infrastructure trusts.
We’re back with November’s episode of the investment trust show, an AJ Bell Money & Markets bonus episode. This month, Dan Coatsworth and Hannah Williford dive into a dilemma facing the Manchester & London Investment Trust. [01:14]
They chat about the pros and cons of portfolio concentration, and whether it is working for names such as Finsbury Growth & Income and Pershing Square Holdings. [04:39]
Renewable energy and infrastructure trusts typically have generous dividends, but their share price performance has been patchy. Hannah talks to QuotedData’s James Carthew about the challenges and whether there’s a brighter future. [16:48]
Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust is among the companies trying to bounce back, and Tom Seiber speaks with the trust’s manager David Bird on why it has pivoted to a new strategy. [28:41]
Finally, Hannah speaks with CVC Income and Growth manager Pieter Staelens about an income strategy that’s been a bit more successful in recent years, and why it’s worked. [43:28]
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54:33
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54:33
The latest from the US market as big names like Microsoft and Alphabet post earnings. Plus, US interest rates cut, Elon Musk’s pay package and the Royal Mint on gold
In this week’s episode, Tom Sieber and Danni Hewson digest the latest market developments from both sides of the Atlantic, with AJ Bell shares and markets writer Martin Gamble also on hand to cover the US earnings season, the newest member of the $4 trillion club and the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut rates [01:04]. Â
Tom discusses the record highs for the FTSE 100 and there's chat about results from Next and UK banks and the little-known company which is among the top risers on the UK’s flagship index this year. Plus, a look at shop price inflation and the Renters’ Rights Bill. [09:33]
Elon Musk’s pay package and how the job cuts at Amazon connect to the AI story are also on the agenda this week. [24:11]Â
Danni Hewson speaks to Stuart O’Reilly at the Royal Mint on gold prices, whether it might be too late to get exposure, what’s driven the precious metal higher in 2025 and the different investment options. [32:57]Â
Ireland