Investors' Chronicle

Valeria Martinez begins the show by unpacking FirstGroup’s (FGP) results. Valeria and Dan explore how the renationalisation of rail franchises is affecting the business, the timeline for other franchise nationalisations and how the company looks compared with its peers.

Next, materials company Oxford Instruments (OXIG), which this week announced it was selling its quantum business for £60mn. Julian Hofmann looks at what it will focus on instead, its exposure to tariffs and more. 

Last up, Alex Newman joins to discuss Blue Whale Growth holding Philip Morris (US:PM). It differs vastly from the fund’s typical tech holdings, and the tobacco company is now considered an ESG stock by some. Listen to find out the latest investment case. 

Timestamps 

1:46 FirstGroup

12:42 Oxford Instruments

21:38 Philip Morris and Blue Whale Growth

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.

Why don’t women invest more than they currently do? In this new podcast series from Investors’ Chronicle, personal finance editor Val Cipriani and digital production journalist Madelaine Apthorpe look into the financial decisions and issues facing women in the UK.

In the first episode, Val and Madi look at the investment gap and why women should invest more. Boring Money research estimates that there are 3.3mn more male than female investors in the UK. In monetary terms, the gender investment gap in the UK is around £678bn, roughly the size of Switzerland’s economy. As of 2022, British men had on average about £93,000 more in total wealth than women, a gap of 35 per cent.

Val and Madi explore why women tend not to invest as much as men, looking at the research that suggests that when women do invest, they’re often better at it. Val explains how to approach your appetite for risk and what women who are considering investing should do as first steps.

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.

Welcome to Women and Wealth, the new six part podcast series from Investors' Chronicle, looking at the world of investing and personal finance issues facing women. Join personal finance editor Val Cipriani and digital production journalist Madelaine Apthorpe as they explain and advise on everything from how to invest to asking for pay rise at work in the video podcast series.

Across the six initial episodes, Val and Madi will discuss the investment gap; as men vastly outweigh women in investing, how to look after your finances in a relationship and moving in with your partner. Looking at the gender pay gap and how women can make sure they're getting fair pay for their work, Madi speaks with The Financial Times' Isabel Berwick about pay and work on tips to getting a better pay check.

Other episodes look at the single women penalty, how to make the most of retirement as a woman and in an episode looking how motherhood can affect your personal finances, Val sits down with Alice Guy, a chartered accountant and mother of four.

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.

In the week the UK launched its strategic defence review, Dan Jones is joined by Christopher Akers to discuss the latest half-year figures from UK defence specialist Chemring (CHG), which have come in ahead of analyst consensus and reveal a record order book of £1.3bn. 

We then move further afield to Latin America, where stock markets have bounced back after a difficult 2024. Holly McKechnie joins the show to talk about the funds making the most of the rally.

Moving back to the UK, companies editor Mark Robinson then joins Dan to discuss another company that has done well in recent days and weeks, Paragon Banking (PAG). What differentiates it from its peers?

Timestamps

1:17 UK Defence Spending

11:30 Latin America

19:11 Paragon Bank

Chemring points to strategic defence review benefits as order book swells

The Latin American funds with the most potential

Paragon Banking beats expectations and upgrades outlook

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 start with FTSE 250 retailer Pets at Home (PETS), whose veterinary arm is now making more than the retail business. Mark Robinson unpacks why this may be, the outlook for the year ahead and the valuation case.

Our cover feature on 25 years of volatility is next. Julian Hofmann shares a quick recap of the more serious issues investors have dealt with over this period, the lessons learnt and more. 

Last up, BT (BT). The business's revenue declined year-on-year, but both Ebitda and normalised free cash flow were on the rise. Dan Jones and Mark Robinson unpack what’s been going on at the company. 

Timestamps

1:25 Pets at Home

14:31 25 years of volatility

23:14 BT

More on these topics 

Pets at Home boosted by higher-margin vet services

Investing lessons from the past 25 years

BT’s rationalisation boosts cash flows

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.

Diploma’s latest results proved that investors’ confidence in the company is justified. Valeria Martinez joins Dan Jones to unpack the case for the specialist manufacturer, and whether its valuation is becoming stretched.  

Alex Newman, author of this week’s Big Read on global tracker funds, discusses the contradictions that exist in the popular products and what investors can do to overcome them.

We wrap up with Alex Hamer on why it might be the end of the road for the cobalt bull run, and China’s role in this shift.

Timestamps

1:28 Diploma

10:49 Global stock market trackers

25:58 Cobalt

Diploma hits all-time high after raising guidance

Global trackers are broken – here’s how investors can fix them

Is it finally time for cobalt to make a comeback?

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 start with Experian’s (EXPN) latest results. Host Dan Jones and Julian Hofmann unpack what went right for the business, how it could fare in the event of a US slowdown, and whether investors should get involved. 

Next up is Imperial Brands (IMB). Chris Akers shares what led to the big share price reaction, how it compares with other competitors in the tobacco industry and what the main attraction is for investors.

Last up, Val Cipriani discusses her personal finance feature on investing to travel the world. Listen to find out everything you need to know, from what to do with your home to what kind of portfolio you should build.

Timestamps

1:28 Experian

13:16 Imperial Brands

22:33 Investing to travel the world

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 period since the last episode of Lee and the IC has been eventful to say the least, and the pair begin by unpacking Donald Trump’s tariffs, the subsequent market sell-off, and how it compares to similar eras in market history. 

The episode follows in typical fashion, and Lord Lee updates listeners on changes he has made to his portfolio in the period following “liberation day”, including Treatt (TET), and reveals why he believes PZ Cussons (PZC ) is a severely underrated stock.

To wrap up, Alex queries Lord Lee on how he may use his M&G dividend, and Lord Lee shares why he has been involved in the stock market for over half a century. 

Timestamps 

1:12 Liberation Day reaction

3:33 Lord Lee’s opinion of the turn the world is taking

5:41 Did Lord Lee expect a climbdown

6:51 April’s selloff compared to others in history 

9:49 Market rebounds to a downturn

11:26 UK and US trade deal 

14:04 Lord Lee’s portfolio during the tariff-induced downturn

17:29 Lord Lee’s view on holding cash

19:09 Treatt

22:12 Christie Group 

25:44 Workspace

29:13 Vianet

31:03 PZ Cussons 

34:12 Dividend season

35:15 Investing for over half a century 

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 Arthur Sants and Dan Jones discussing the Apple antitrust issue, the iPhone manufacturer's role in Alphabet’s share price fall and Google’s place in the search engine world.

Michael Fahy, author of this week’s Big Read on the future of aviation, up next. He explains some of the developments in the industry, the top players, and what companies may be under threat by the arrival of more modern aviation and fuel sources. 

Valeria Martinez then covers Mobico’s school bus fleet sale. The deal has been in the making for a while and aimed to reduce the company’s debt, but the agreement has since led to a significant share price drop. Valeria lays out its current debt situation, why investors are concerned and more. 

Timestamps 

1:17 Apple & Alphabet

20:50 The future of aviation

34:38 Mobico

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.

Dave Baxter returns with another IC Interviews, and he sits down with one of the rising stars of fund management, Jasmine Yeo of Ruffer Investment Company, the FTSE 250 trust that aims to deliver positive returns for investors throughout all market situations. 

Listen to find out how the portfolio is behaving in the wake of Donald Trump’s swathe of tariffs, which diversifiers the Forbes 30 Under 30 fund manager is backing, the macro threats the team are positioning for, and more. 

Timestamps 

1:09 How the portfolio has held up 

5:10 When it would be sensible to add risk

7:09 US exceptionalism  

11:53 Bonds 

15:45 Reliable protectors

17:12 Gold 

20:18 Other diversifiers 

21:40 Main macro threats and opportunities 

24:30 Growth and equity exposurer

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.