Playing FTSE

Who’s turning 2026 around? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! Q2 is in the books, so it’s time to check in on what the Steves have been buying and selling. And there are some surprising updates from both of them… Steve D’s been making some moves in his portfolio in Q2. And the big story is a major new buy making its way to position number three in his portfolio. It’s a big bet on a big comp...

What unusual things have been going on with Vistry shares? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! They say a broken clock is right twice a day. Steve W’s now been right twice in a month, as the crowded semiconductor trade started to unwind this week.  Micron has been one of the big beneficiaries of the run on data centre stocks. And its latest results are nothing short of incredible.  The stock...

What does Steve D use to edit our show? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! It’s been an odd week in the stock market. But Steve D extends his winning streak to two in a row as Steve W drops back into the middle of the pack.  This week saw Kevin Warsh’s first meeting as Fed Chair. And there weren’t any major surprises… or were there? The new chief is surprisingly quiet – to the point of not...

Why does the sound of an ocarina make grown men cry? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! It’s a win for both Steves in the stock market this week. A proper one too – they’re both up while the rest of the market is down! Steve D’s looking at Nintendo again. It’s a business where an installed console base opens up high-margin software revenues.  Sometimes, however, a game comes along that peop...

Who can’t keep it in his pants? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! We recorded this show on Thursday before the stock market dropped on Friday. Pity, that might have helped Steve W’s performance this week… It’s been a while since we looked at the London Stock Exchange Group. But Steve D thinks it’s time to check back in.  The stock has been something of an AI casualty as the market doubts i...

Who gets away with calling a liquid ‘gas’? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! Both Steves are in the middle of the indices – as usual – this week. But the software rally is finally creating notable returns from one name. Warren Buffett is barely out of the CEO seat and Berkshire Hathaway is buying an airline. Do these people never learn? Steve W’s been taking a look. And there’s something a...

Who’s firing the money printer? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! It’s been an ok week for the Steves in the stock market this week. And some unfamiliar names are starting to show signs of life... The big story this week is SpaceX’s upcoming IPO. Steve D’s been looking at the S1 and it’s fair to say he isn’t hugely impressed.  It’s fair to say that it’s hard to make the numbers add up with...

Who queues for a vegan sausage roll? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! This could be the worst week in the stock market for both Steves. But they’re here to talk about it nonetheless.  Are things finally looking up for Greggs shares? It looks like it – improving like-for-like sales and a rising share price say so.  Steve W’s been taking a look. But there’s something else in the firm’s cash...

Who has a cold, cold heart? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! The Steves are up the middle this week. But which FTSE 100 laggard is starting to show some life? We’ve had another viewer request - this time to take a look at S&P 500 insurance brokers. Steve W is on the case. Brown & Brown has been at the centre of a really interesting staff-poaching drama. But what does it mean for t...

Whose moat is being destroyed by PayPal?! Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! Underperformance from Steve this week. Doesn’t matter which one – it’s true of both of them… We’ve had a viewer request to take a look at Nike. And it’s a good one – the stock has been falling, but is it cheap enough to buy? Steve D’s been taking a look at what might be the start of a long process. But Steve W has...

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► Get a free fractional share! This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. ► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai: Huge...

► Get a free fractional share! This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. ► What's on the show What is K...

How can you get a free t-shirt and a copy of Poor Charlie’s Almanack? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! It’s that time of the year where we reflect on how badly Q1 has gone. And it hasn’t gone well – but it’s better than some have managed. Steve W’s lost 6% this quarter. But he’s made two big moves out of cyclical stocks that have done well and into tech.  The timing hasn’t been perfect, b...

When should you fire your fund manager? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! Both Steves were pleasantly surprised when they looked at their portfolios this week. Neither is good, but Steve D has done less badly than most. We had a request to talk about what the UK’s Warren Buffett has been saying recently. So Steve W checked out the Fundsmith Meeting. There were no excuses, apparently. But i...

***CHECK OUT CHARLIE'S SUBSTACK*** https://charliehuggins.substack.com/ (Comment below -- we have three free 30-day trials to offer our listeners). This week on the PlayingFTSE Show, a change from your regularly scheduled podcast. It’s an interview with Charlie Huggins – a former professional fund manager! After a career managing growth-focused portfolios, Charlie now runs the Fiercely Indepen...

Who buys t-shirts by the bale?! Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! Not much good from either Steve in the stock market this week (again). But what’s been going wrong this time with their portfolios? Greg Abel has taken over from Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway and has released his first shareholder letter. There’s a buyback in process – and likely another big one to come. Aside from th...

What’s Steve D spent £100 on? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! The FTSE 100 took a hit as investors rotated away from materials and back towards quality. But which Steve managed to cash in this week? Vistry shares took an absolute hammering when the company released its full-year results. The CEO is leaving, but Steve W saw two other reasons the market might not be happy. A shift to prior...

Who’s bought a Zapdos this week? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! Big divergences in the stock market this week. The FTSE 100 is up, the S&P 500 is down and both of the Steves round to zero – make of that what you like. Cava – the Greek version of Chipotle Mexican Grill – has reported earnings. And the stock market really liked them.  Sales are growing, the company’s opening more stor...

Where is Steve W seeing cockroaches? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! Steve D’s portfolio has been running away with it, once again. At the other end, there’s a tie for last place in this week’s leaderboard – but between who or what? There are a lot of people who claim to being the next Warren Buffett, but Mohnish Pabrai has a closer connection than most. And he’s got a new ETF that launc...

Who doesn’t like Mondays? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! A difficult week in the stock market for both Steves. But which one’s done badly and which one’s been awful? Adyen’s results are in. It’s the usual growth of roughly 20% and the stock has – as usual – moved in a vertical direction, so not much to report, right? Actually no, there’s a lot to talk about and not just how much better...

What does SteveD think about when he wakes up in the morning? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! It’s been quite the week in the stock market. But which Steve has been busy, and which has been biding his time waiting for an opportunity? Alphabet posted some outstanding results for the fourth quarter of 2025. Cloud growth is rapid and search is going from strength to strength boosted by Gemi...

Where can you find PDF files? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! Both Steves are between the indices this week. But we’re doing something a bit different with the return (for one week only) of our games. SAAS companies have been falling lately and we’ve been (mostly) paying attention. So Steve D has a quiz about how far they are from their highs. See how you get on at home. A point if you c...

► Get a free fractional share! This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai:Huge th...

Who’s struggling in Sri Lanka? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show! Down weeks all round this time in the stock market. But Steve D at least has something worth reporting from the last seven days  It might be a tough time for private equity, but KKR still have a view on the stock market for 2026. And it’s one that should give both Steves a lot of reason for optimism. According to their foreca...