AJ Bell Money & Markets

Markets have rebounded sharply after news of a ceasefire involving Iran – but what does it really mean for investors and household finances?

In this week’s AJ Bell Money & Markets, Dan Coatsworth is joined by Danni Hewson to break down the market reaction, what’s driving sentiment, and the key things investors still need to keep in mind.

We also cover:

Major company news, including an update to car finance compensation claims and disappointing updates from Shell
Eye‑opening statistics from the electric vehicle market
A proposed takeover of Universal Music – and why it’s more important than it first appears
Changes to student loans and what they mean for borrowers
Fresh developments in the housing market
New rules making it easier to cancel subscriptions
The pros and cons of investing at the start versus the end of the tax year
Plus, we continue our series highlighting lesser‑known UK companies making a global impact, with Tom Sieber speaking to Craneware CEO Keith Neilson about healthcare innovation in the US.

00:00 – Intro
01:47 – Markets rebound after Iran ceasefire: what happened and why

16:14 – Shell shares fall: what went wrong?

20:00 – Why the car finance scandal has led to one lender being put up for sale

23:39 – Electric vehicle market: the key stats investors should know

26:09 – Universal Music takeover: why this deal matters

30:15 – Student loans update: what borrowers need to know

33:36 – Why the UK housing market is in a slumber

35:28 – Good news for cancelling subscriptions
38:33 – Investing at the start vs end of the tax year

41:05 – UK success story: we talk to the boss of Craneware

In this special edition of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Dan Coatsworth and Hannah Williford dive into the big movers and big debates across the investment trust world.

They consider why Temple Bar continues to outperform, what’s holding back JPMorgan Global Growth & Income, and the latest activist pressure from Saba targeting Edinburgh Worldwide and Impax.

Hannah speaks to Job Curtis from City of London Investment Trust about how today’s geopolitical tensions echo past market cycles. Dan and Hannah also explore why renewable energy trusts are still on the scrap heap.

We also hear from Eve Maddock‑Jones on the good, bad and ugly of trusts courting retail investors through modern media — with mixed results. Finally, Tom Sieber talks to two managers spotting tentative recovery signs in the smaller companies sector, with insights from Nish Patel (Global Smaller Companies) and George Cooke (Montanaro European Smaller Companies).

 

02:03 –Dan on why Temple Bar is still beating the market
05:20 – JPMorgan Global Growth & Income lags behind

09:20 – Activist investor Saba launches new investment fund and the latest on its efforts to shake up Edinburgh Worldwide & Impax Environmental Markets
15:13– Hannah talks to Job Curtis: Market lessons from past geopolitical shocks
30:51 – Eve Maddock‑Jones on how trusts are (mis)using modern media
48:34 – Small-cap recovery? Tom Sieber speaks to Nish Patel
57:39 – European opportunities with George Cooke

Charlene Young and Danni Hewson look at how UK and global markets have moved over the past month, and as we mark the first anniversary of Donald Trump's Liberation Day tariff announcement.

In company news, Danni will cover Unilever spinning off its food business - home to Hellmann's mayonnaise, Knorr and Marmite – in a merger with spice giant McCormick. A proposed Hovis and Associated British Foods merger hits a snag and it's a landmark birthday as Apple turns 50.

Dan Coatsworth speaks to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst George Ferguson about SpaceX and the prospect of it joining the stock market in the first of our two interviews.

Awful April is upon us – Charlene looks at rises to council tax and other bills and how the government could raise money and scrap the £100,000 childcare tax trap.

We also break down what the FCA's car finance redress scheme means for lenders and investors. We finish with our second interview of the week as we hear from YouTube channel star Ruth David of ScrimpAndSpend on the rise of the finfluencer.

 

[00:09] Intro and topic rundown

[01:09] UK & global market update

[06:13] Liberation Day anniversary

[08:41] Company news - Unilever foods/McCormick deal; Hovis/ABF update

[16:10] SpaceX INTERVIEW - George Ferguson, Bloomberg Intelligence

[32:41] Awful April bill hikes

[35:21] How the government could solve the £100,000 childcare tax trap

[39:11] Car finance update

[45:28] Finfluencer INTERVIEW - Ruth David, ScrimpAndSpend

[01:00:19] Outro

Welcome to the latest episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast with Charlene Young and Tom Sieber.

The Iran conflict continues to drive oil price and market swings; we’ll bring you the latest impact on investors and consumers. Charlene runs through why there is more to the latest UK inflation figures than meets the eye and how high food prices might go.

Tom has the latest from the corporate world – with updated from B&Q owner Kingfisher and Revolut, as well as the rumours that Estee Lauder is to merge with a big name in the beauty and fashion world. The latest CBI survey from UK retailers also features.

To finish on a high, Dan Coatsworth brings us a fascinating chat with Premier Foods’ Chief Financial Officer Duncan Leggett. With 89% of households purchasing at least one of their famous brands in the last 12 months, this is an interview not to miss.

 

[00:16] – What’s on today’s episode
[00:58] – Iran conflict – Tom updates us on oil prices & market volatility
[04:06] – UK government response & potential energy support measures
[06:15] – Charlene looks at the latest UK inflation data – calm before the storm?
[08:28] – Food price warnings and household impact
[11:50] – Tom brings us company updates from Kingfisher & Revolut
[15:58] – Beauty sector merger rumours
[18:53] – CBI UK retail data: how bad is it?
[22:14] – Dan sits down with Premier Foods CFO Duncan Leggett.

Welcome to the latest episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast with Dan Coatsworth and Charlene Young. 

This week we dive into everything from the surprising new additions to the UK inflation basket (yes… hummus and dashcams!) to the impact of rising oil prices on carmakers and travel firms. We also look at fast changing mortgage deals, the rush to use key tax year end allowances, and what could happen next with interest rates in the UK, US and beyond. 

We’re also joined by a fantastic guest: Jonathan Guthrie, longtime Financial Times journalist, former Head of Lex, and now author – who shares brilliant insights on investing narratives, market crashes, and how investors can stay sane when markets wobble. 

If you care about money, investing or markets – this one’s packed with value. 

00:25 – What’s on today’s episode: Market narratives, inflation surprises, oil prices, mortgages, tax year end, and this week’s special guest. 

01:26 – Dan looks at how financial markets have performed over the past week 

03:30 – Changes to interest rate expectations and mortgage pricing – and what it means if you’re in the process of buying a home. 

09:40 – Company highlights of the week. Good news from Diploma, Softcat and Moonpig. 

13:02 – Charlene on this year’s inflation basket update. Why hummus and dashcams are in – and what’s out. 

17:15 – Thinking about holiday plans or a car upgrade? How rising oil is impacting carmakers and the travel industry. 

22:41 – Tax year end: last minute wins. There is still time to use valuable allowances. 

28:13 – Dan talks to award-winning journalist Jonathan Guthrie about investing and market behaviour