On The Money

Kyle Caldwell and Sam Benstead discuss the latest fund and investment trust news; including recent research from Morningstar that debunked the widely held view that funds with a large amount of assets underperform small funds. The duo also discuss investment trust gearing, and F&C Investment Trust’s promotion to the FTSE 100. Later in the podcast, Sam interviews Gerrit Smit, fund manager of St...

I'm joined this week by Tim Levene, chief executive of Augmentum Fintech, which previously invested in interactive investor. We talk about the exciting world of start-ups, Augmentum’s current top holdings, what the future has in store for fintech and the value of patience. Enjoyed listening? Please like and subscribe for free to the ii Podcast. Visit www.ii.co.uk/funds and www.ii.co.uk/stock-marke...

Kyle Caldwell and Sam Benstead discuss the latest fund and investment trust news; including Terry Smith’s portfolio activity, investment trust discount opportunities, and change at the top at Allianz Technology Trust. Later in the podcast, Sam interviews Cormac Weldon, fund manager of Artemis US Smaller Companies. Weldon details recent portfolio changes, as well as offering his insight into the re...

I'm joined this week by Ian Lance, co-manager of the Temple Bar investment trust. A lot has happened, to say the least, since we last spoke in March 2021. Ian tells me this time why tech stocks remain under pressure, why he remains confident in the value rally, and why Royal Mail (LSE:RMG) could still deliver. Enjoyed listening? Please like and subscribe for free to the ii Podcast. Visit www.ii.co...

Kyle Caldwell and Sam Benstead run through the funds and investment trusts that investors have been buying to take advantage of stock markets returning to form in July. They also give their take on Scottish Mortgage breaching its unlisted stock limit, and Sam explains why the outlook for bonds is looking up. Later on in the podcast, the fund manager interview is Fiona Yang, co-manager of the Inves...

Richard Shepherd-Cross is my guest on the pod this week. As investment manager of Custodian REIT (or real estate investment trust), Richard explains the benefits of buying smaller, regional properties, how ESG interests have shaped the trust’s approach in recent years, and why he is keeping cool under the pressure of rising interest rates.  Enjoyed listening? Please like and subscribe for free to...

Kyle Caldwell and Sam Benstead run through how funds and investment trusts have fared in the first half of 2022 – including highlighting why funds have held up better than trusts. The duo also name their top tips for deciding whether to hold or fold when a fund manager retires or jumps ship to join a rival firm. Later on in the podcast, Kyle chats to Peter Ewins, fund manager of the recently renam...

Richard is joined by Matthew Tillett, lead portfolio manager for the Brunner investment trust to talk substance over style, bargain-hunting in the post-pandemic ‘wild’, and why digital tech makes Adidas a stock to watch.  Enjoyed listening? Please like and subscribe for free to the ii Podcast.  Visit www.ii.co.uk/funds and www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news for more investing insight and ideas.  Follo...

Sam Benstead and Richard Hunter discuss the biggest news item in the world of fund investing, including the outlook for company earnings as firms report their second-quarter results, and the alarming rise of private company allocations in some investment trusts, including Scottish Mortgage. They also discuss the bond sector, where a sharp sell-off has led to yields that finally offer investors a r...

Jonathan Davis is the author of the Investment Trusts Handbook, the editorially independent annual described as "the definitive guide to the sector". He joins Richard to take a closer look at why he considers trusts to be the "connoisseur’s choice", closed and open-ended investments and whether we are in a bear market.  Enjoyed listening? Please like and subscribe for free to the ii Podcast.  Visi...

Kyle Caldwell and Sam Benstead explain why professional investors are extremely bearish at the moment, and point out that the world’s largest fund manager is not ‘buying the dip’. The duo also name the income funds and trusts proving more popular with investors over the past couple of months, and run through a pledge made by respected investor Nick Train.  Later in the podcast, Sam chats to Barry...

Zehrid Osmani is Richard's guest this week. The manager of the Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust talks making money without exposure to traditional FAANG stocks, plus the growth of the metaverse and the potential opportunities it holds for investors.  Enjoyed listening? Please like and subscribe for free to the ii Podcast.  Visit www.ii.co.uk/funds and www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news for more in...

Kyle Caldwell and Sam Benstead explain why dividend investing has come back into fashion, running through the income fund sector that is in high demand. The duo, however, point out that a trick may be missed, as UK equity income funds, which on average yield 3.8%, continue to be shunned. Sam also names his five top tactics for investors to navigate a bear market.  Later in the podcast, our fund ma...

In the final episode of series two, Gabby meets adventurer and author Alastair Humphreys. A National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Alastair’s many outdoor escapades include cycling round the world, rowing the Atlantic and walking across India, but he has also won acclaim for his pioneering work on the concept of cheaper, simpler, closer-to-home microadventures.  He spends his time encouraging...

This week, Richard meets Ben Rogoff, Director (Technology) at Polar Capital. Ben discusses next-gen stocks and whether the current climate is comparable to the dot-com bubble, and takes a closer look at some of the holdings of the Polar Capital Global Technology Fund.  Enjoyed listening? Please like and subscribe for free to the ii Podcast.  Visit www.ii.co.uk/funds and www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-n...

In the latest episode, Kyle Caldwell and Sam Benstead detail how Terry Smith, Nick Train, and the managers of Scottish Mortgage have been playing the stock market sell-off, naming the shares they have been buying and selling. Sam also runs through his analysis of the big four wealth preservation investment trusts: Ruffer, Capital Gearing, Personal Assets and RIT Capital Partners.  Later, fund mana...

Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia is widely regarded as one of Britain’s most successful bankers but, as she tells Gabby, didn’t always plan a career in finance.  Jayne-Anne helped Sir Richard Branson set up Virgin Money and as CEO steered the company through takeovers, a stock market float and eventual sale. She currently chairs the HMRC Board and, in 2020, launched Snoop, a money management app designed to...

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham is Gabby’s guest on the pod this week. Andy became the Member of Parliament for Leigh in 2001 and served as both Culture Secretary and Health Secretary under Gordon Brown. Previously, he was Chief Secretary to the Treasury during one of the most turbulent times for the world’s financial markets.  In 2017 he left Westminster to successfully run for the new r...

Richard is joined by Stuart Rutherford, head of retail execution services at Liberum, to talk market makers: what they are, why they are important and how they decide a stock's initial price. They also take a closer look at the difference between order-driven and quote-driven prices.  Enjoyed listening? Please like and subscribe for free to the ii Podcast.  Visit www.ii.co.uk/funds and www.ii.co.u...

In the latest episode, as usual Kyle Caldwell and Sam Benstead cast their eyes over a couple of fund and investment trust news stories; including explaining why investors have been dumping funds in the first quarter of 2022, and whether investors should expect more closures for funds that mainly invest in Russia.  Later on in the podcast, is an interview with Lawrence Burns, deputy fund manager of...

Sarah Willingham originally planned a career in finance before making her fortune in food. Growing up in Stoke, the entrepreneur and former Dragon on the BBC's Dragons’ Den started her first paper round at the age of 11, then took her first steps in the restaurant trade aged just 13. From there she went on to work for Pizza Express and Planet Hollywood, and then turned Indian restaurant chain Bomb...

Selina Flavius went from dealing with thousands of pounds of debt to launching her own financial coaching company Black Girl Finance in April 2019, closely followed by a book of the same name, which is the subject of our discussion. Last year, Selina was named the British Bank Awards Online Financial Influencer of the Year. She talks to us about about dealing with thousands in debt, women and inve...

Greg Jackson is the founder and chief executive of Octopus Energy, one of the UK's fastest-growing energy companies. Before building Octopus, which is now valued at more than a billion pounds, Greg enjoyed a hugely successful career in the world of digital start-ups as both an investor and manager. He's also been a member of Greenpeace since the age of 16, and is well known for believing passionat...

This week, Richard meets Joe Bauernfreund, manager of the AVI Global Trust and AVI Japan Opportunity Trust at Asset Value Investors. Joe explains why Japan is, surprisingly, years behind other countries in terms of technological capabilities and how, with markets' attention elsewhere, he sees it as a land of great opportunity.  Enjoyed listening? Please like and subscribe for free to the ii Podcas...

Series 2 kicks off with Gabby Logan speaking to author, political strategist and podcaster Alastair Campbell.  Having started out as a journalist, Alastair is best known for his six-year stint as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s director of communications, previously serving as his press secretary while in Opposition. Despite returning briefly as an adviser to Gordon Brown and Ed Miliban...