Investors' Chronicle

We begin with Alex Newman, who covers the recent results from an early-stage solid state battery technology company Ilika (IKA). It focuses on batteries for the ‘internet of things’, metech and EVs, and shares have run up recently. Alex reveals what there is for investors to get excited about and what to be wary of.

We move on to last week’s annual Top 50 ETFs special report. Dave Baxter has refreshed the IC’s best-buy list to provide readers and listeners with new ways to build the best portfolio while keeping an eye on costs. Listen to find out what made the list, what’s been dropped and the challenges facing investors.

Last up, results from Trifast (TRI), a fastener supplier, which is trying to bounce back from a difficult period. Christopher Akers unpacks what held the company back in recent years, how tariffs are impacting the business and the ways it’s looking to become “more dynamic”. 

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

Timestamps

1:20 Ilika

17:09 Top 50 ETFs

27:33 Trifast

Find out more about these topics: 

IC Top 50 ETFs

Trifast returns to profit as margins expand

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.

In recent memory, the story of Waspi women has brought into sharp focus the issues surrounding women and their pensions. With many women spending some time out of full-time employment for a variety of reasons, but most notably due to childcare, pensions contributions are often neglected but vitally important to financial security in later life. In this episode of Women and Wealth, the video podcast series from Investors' Chronicle, we look at the topic.

Personal finance editor, Val Cipriani and digital production journalist, Madelaine Apthorpe discuss the topic that feels far away but should be in any young woman's thoughts as they enter the workforce. The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association estimates that in order to retire on a moderate standard, not even a comfortable one, you need £31k a year if you are single and almost £22k each as a couple. This assumes you have already paid off your mortgage by the time you retire and it’s after tax. Scarily, AJ Bell calculated that that is the equivalent of a pension pot worth £490,000 for a single person, or a combined £515,000 for a couple.

That's why in this episode, Val and Madi look at ways to maximise your pension pot. They discuss how your employer can help with pension contributions and what you should be doing to boost your retirement income now. Val also answers our reader's question on how you can invest your pension and make sure it's managed correctly. Val explains time horizons, decoding your pension statements and ways to benchmark performance.

Women and Wealth is a six part podcast series from Investors' Chronicle. You can listen and watch the episodes, alongside our other podcasts, on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

You can also find out more about pension planning with Investors' Chronicle pensions masterclass series.

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.

Jet2 (JET2) may be on some listeners' minds thanks to a recent TikTok soundbite that has gone viral, but how are its figures faring? Michael Fahy joins Dan Jones to discuss the travel company’s latest results, the demand outlook and how it fares against competitors.

Next is Optima Health (OPT). After spinning out from Marlowe (MRL) last year, the occupational health company has pursued a buy-and-build strategy, which seems to be working in its favour. Julian Hofmann explains everything investors need to know.

Last up, Alex Newman joins to unveil a handful of new IC stock screens focused on the best businesses from around the world. He explains the background for the decision and a teaser about which screens may work best in the current environment. If you have any thoughts or suggestions on the new screens, email [email protected]

Timestamps

1:18 Jet2 

12:28 Optima Health 

22:04 New stock screens

Read more on these topics:

Jet2’s robust trading and earnings beat fail to lift sentiment

Optima Health acquires to grow

A new way to find global investment ideas

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.

In this episode of Women and Wealth, the video podcast series from Investors' Chronicle, Madelaine Apthorpe and Val Cipriani look at how motherhood and childcare affects a woman's personal finances. Listen or watch to find out what you can do to reduce the impact on your money, and smart things to do to get yourself in the best possible shape, before or after you have had children.

Val, Investors' Chronicle's personal finance editor, looks into the fluctuations in the gender pay gap by age to expose how motherhood and childcare is one of the biggest hurdles in the personal finance of a woman and what you need to think about as you embark on this period of your life.

Speaking with Alice Guy, independent pension and money expert and chartered accountant, Val also looks at practical tips for mothers and what help is on offer for childcare and how your partner can help support your financial future during this period.

Answering our reader's question, Alice and Val also look at what mothers can do today to make sure that their pensions don't take a hit and what your partner and your employer can do to make sure your future isn't financially impacted.

Women and Wealth is a six part podcast series from Investors' Chronicle. You can listen and watch the episodes, alongside our other podcasts, 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.

We begin with well-loved pastry seller Greggs (GRG), which suffered a downturn in sales per its latest trading update. Julian Hofmann explains the reasons for this, from heatwaves to competition from supermarkets, and what investors should make of it.

It’s then on to our Big Read on undervalued UK tech stars. Many of our home-grown companies have a lot to offer, but investors favour the US big names instead. Valeria Martinez and Mark Robinson look at the causes behind this, the “mindset gap”, and overlooked intellectual property.

Lastly, Julian Hofmann rejoins to unpack Watches of Switzerland (WOSG), which has taken a hit to margins thanks to tariffs. The retailer’s sales growth is ticking up, but the market still seems spooked. Mark and Julian discuss what issues are keeping investors cautious.

Timestamps 

2:46 Greggs

9:25 Undervalued UK tech

15:54 Watches of Switzerland

Read more on these topics: 

Star British tech stocks hiding in plain sight

Watches of Switzerland boosted by luxury jewellery but margin outlook disappoints

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.

Single women have it tough, at least from a financial perspective. From a personal perspective you may well be having a better time than being in a relationship, and especially in an unhappy and unsatisfying one, but sadly society is built for couples. In this episode of video podcast series, Women and Wealth, Val Cipriani and Madelaine Apthorpe take a look at the financial hit of staying single and how to protect yourself from it.

Val, Investors' Chronicle's personal finance editor, explains to Madi, digital production journalist, how figures from Hargreaves Lansdown shows how much it costs to live, with a single person in the UK on average spending about 22 per cent more than someone in a couple on their rent or mortgage, council tax and fuel, while spending 28 per cent more on food. More depressing still, single people are taxed more than those in a couple, proportionally.

But this podcast aims to provide you with practical help in making your money work harder. Val and Madi explore help such as single-occupancy discount on council tax and on water rates and how to make sure your savings account pays a decent rate.

Responding to a reader's question, Madi and Val also look at how you can save and afford a home as a single person with practical advice.

Women and Wealth is a six part podcast series from Investors' Chronicle. You can listen and watch the episodes, alongside our other podcasts, 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.

We begin the show with this week’s big companies news, that Shell (SHEL) was reported to be in early-stage talks to buy BP (BP.). Shell has denied the report, from the Wall Street Journal, but speculation continues. Dan Jones is joined by news editor Alex Hamer to get to the bottom of it.

Next, we discuss how behavioural finance can make you a better investor. Val Cipriani has delved into the field for her latest article, and shares some practical tips that can drastically improve your returns.

Lastly we turn to beleaguered asset manager Liontrust (LIO), which has been struggling with outflows for some time – Mark Robinson and Julian Hofmann join the show to share their assessment of its latest full-year results.

Timestamps

1:22 Shell/BP

16:04 How to be a better investor

27:50 Liontrust

Read more on these topics:

Shell denies BP merger talks

How to be a more effective investor

Liontrust waves goodbye to £5bn in managed assets

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.

Women and Wealth takes a look at the gender pay gap, how to ask for that pay rise and how to make the most of your work benefits. In this episode of the video podcast series from Investors' Chronicle, personal finance editor Val Cipriani discusses with digital production journalist, Madi Apthorpe, how the gender pay gap should be viewed, what can be done about it as well as offering a hope that work and society are moving in the right direction - albeit too slowly.

According to date from the ONS from April 2024, among those employed full time, women earn 7 per cent less than men. Across all employees, women earn 13.1 per cent less than men. But things are improving. In 1999, 25 years before the most recent release, the gender pay gap was 16.4 per cent across full time employees, and 26.9 per cent across all employees. However, there's still some way to go and in this episode, Val and Madi take a look at a reader's question to explain how women can make their pay check work harder for them.

Also in this episode, The Financial Times' Working It editor, Isabel Berwick, joins Madi to talk about one of the most uncomfortable work conversations, asking for a pay increase. Isabel shares her tips for taking the emotion out of the conversation with your boss and what to remember when you're asking for that pay rise.

Women and Wealth is a six part podcast series from Investors' Chronicle. You can listen and watch the episodes, alongside our other podcasts, 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.

The show starts unpacking the latest results from equipment hire company Ashtead (AHT). Mark Robinson analyses the outlook for US construction spending, the company’s sensitivity to tariffs and its valuation. It’s then on to Ashtead’s smaller rival Speedy Hire (SDY), which is closing some of its depots due to rising staff costs. Listen to find out everything investors need to know. 

Next up is one of the IC's Ideas of the Year, which are putting in a strong performance again in 2025. Pensions consultancy XPS Pensions (XPS) reported full-year figures earlier this week – Julian Hofmann asks if its booming business can continue.

Lastly, our Big Read on the medical technology sector. Mark Robinson covers the issues facing the industry, the options for investors and a potential tariff winner.

Timestamps 

1:50 Ashtead

9:20 Speedy Hire

18:29 XPS Pensions

27:36 Medtech

Read more on these topics:

Ashtead stymied by falling used equipment sales

Speedy Hire attempts to boost efficiencies as HMRC loads costs

The cutting-edge medtech stocks worth owning

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.

Relationships are an important aspect in anyone's life; a matter of the heart but also one for your bank account. In the second episode of Women and Wealth, a video podcast series from Investors' Chronicle, personal finance editor Val Cipriani and digital production journalist Madelaine Apthorpe look at what women should be thinking about as they find true love.

Val looks at how women can protect their personal finance in entering a relationship and the important things to take into account as you move through the relationship stages of moving in with your beloved, getting married and having children. Madi discusses with Val how you should split the bills, whilst asking about rental contracts and what support is offered with the likes of Lisas and other savings accounts.

Val also answers our reader's question about what financial considerations should be made as she weighs up getting married. Madi and Val look at whether married couple tax benefits offsets the ridiculous price of wedding flowers and how women can protect their personal finances as they enter into deeper financial ties with their partner.

Women and Wealth is a six part podcast series from Investors’ Chronicle. You can listen and watch the episodes, alongside our other podcasts, on Apple, Spotify and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to Investors' Chronicle to get all your investing news and advice.

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.