It’s the end of April, and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is looking further away than ever. Its closure looms large over everything else at the moment, and risk asset investors are starting to worry for the first time in several weeks. However, there are still signs of life across the market.

In this week’s episode, we look at some of those rebound stories and discuss whether recoveries can persist in the face of ongoing stress. Michael Fahy discusses the electronics sector – companies such as Renishaw, Oxford Instruments and XP Power, which are belatedly starting to benefit from supplying the semiconductor industry.

We then move to this week’s Big Read on electricity and electrification. Could the defining, if sometimes forgotten, story of the past century be the characterising feature of this century, too? Alex Newman has the answers.

Finally, Julian Hofmann talks about chemicals supplier Synthomer, whose refinancing and improved full-year figures provide the first signs of recovery. It also had some interesting comments to make about the Iran War.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:13 Electronics companies

12:06 Electrification

32:37 Synthomer

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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.

Choosing your first stocks and shares Isa can be overwhelming. There are apps, brokerages and dozens of providers, all claiming to be the best. In this episode of Women and Wealth, funds editor Val Cipriani and personal finance editor Holly McKechnie walk you through how to choose the right one for you, whether you're investing for the first time or moving beyond cash savings.

They explain everything from what beginners should look for, which fees really matter, the differences between providers and the common mistakes to avoid. This episode will get you started on the path of investing, with Investors' Chronicle your handy guide as you grow your portfolio.

*At the time of recording, AJ Bell charged a trading fee for regular investing. The provider has since announced that this will be scrapped from May.

Women and Wealth is the monthly podcast series from Investors’ Chronicle. You can listen to 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.

It’s another week and another break-up of a FTSE 100 business. This time it’s the turn of Associated British Foods, which has announced plans to spin off Primark into a separate entity. Erin Withey discusses the demerger and explains why management of both businesses will also have their hands full dealing with a range of issues arising from the Iran War and elsewhere.

After that, we delve into investment ideas in robotics, our Big Read of the week. The word robot has been around for a century, and the tech has been present in factories for over 60 years, but could the current age herald a step change in uses of the technology, and more widespread adoption than ever before? Mark Robinson reports.

To finish, we consider US equity funds. With the Magnificent Seven – or certain members of the group – struggling this year, is it time to look at a different set of active managers to gain exposure to US shares? Val Cipriani outlines some potential options.

Timestamps

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:12 Primark spin-off
• 12:14 Robotics
• 27:33 US equity funds

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.