Investors' Chronicle

Lee and the IC is back after its summer hiatus with the latest updates to Lord Lee’s portfolio. Armed with the proceeds of a takeover, Lord Lee has spent the last few months topping up some existing holdings and running the slide rule over several British value opportunities, including a media conglomerate and a global shipping firm. John and Alex continue their discussion on the role of non-executive directors (NEDs) as share ambassadors, as well as what lies ahead for private investors in the wake of Labour’s win.1:11 Lok’nStore sell6:13 Britvic 9:56 ITV purchase12:09 Braemar purchase18:00 Non-executive director holdings24:01 Labour government

Alex Hamer unpacks the results from Australian mining giant BHP (BHP). It reported higher earnings in the 12 months to June thanks to record copper prices and a relatively stable iron ore market, its biggest market. Alex shares what investors should expect going forward. Alex Newman, the author of this week’s cover feature on insurance stocks, joins the show. DIY investors love insurers – note our Lee and the IC podcast co-host, Lord John Lee – but the industry is a complex beast. Alex explains what investors should do to know which names are worth owning.Lastly, Arthur Sants joins to discuss Nvidia’s (US:NVDA) latest interim results. Its revenue more than doubled but the share price fell thanks to expectations that it turns out even the world’s top-earning company can’t beat. Arthur explores the valuation and what lies ahead for the business.Timestamps1:18 BHP10:21 Investing in insurers 23:59 Nvidia Claim your first 12 weeks of Investors' Chronicle Print + Digital for just £12. You will get instant access to our website and app, plus the magazine delivered to your door every week. To start your trial, visit www.investorschronicle.co.uk/podcasttrial *After your 12-week trial you will pay just £62 every 13 weeks by direct debit. If you’re not entirely satisfied, you can cancel up to 5 business days before your renewal date and only pay the £12 already debited. This offer is for UK subscribers only.

We begin with construction firm Costain (COST), which recently announced a £10mn buyback. Mark Robinson weighs in on its latest results and more.It’s then on to Hargreaves Lansdown (HL). Val Cipriani covers the proposed takeover and what it means for those who use the platform. Julian Hofmann also unpacks the company’s results and the impact on shareholders.Last up, Alex Hamer covers Ithaca Energy’s (ITH) results, what impact Labour’s windfall tax will have and the latest events affecting North Sea stocks in general.Timestamps 1:15 Costain12:20 Hargreaves 23:50 Ithaca 

Who holds the power: the government or the market? In this episode of the ‘A Value View’ Podcast, portfolio manager Simon Gergel discusses the aftermath of the recent UK election, marked by a significant Labour victory. He explores the UK stock market response and highlights where opportunities are being found today. Listen in now to find out more about the market reaction and what it means for investors. For more in-depth discussions and insights, visit our website for additional podcast episodes, articles and videos: https://www.merchantstrust.co.uk/en-gb/videos-podcasts-and-reading This content was paid for and produced by The Merchants Trust

We begin with life insurer Just Group which raised its profit outlook after corporate pension deals boomed. Julian Hofmann unpacks the recent results and discusses whether the shares offer value and how the business might expand.Another insurer's results, Aviva (AV), follows. Mark Robinson and Julian talk about what the business is doing right and how it’s benefitting from diversification.Arthur Sants joins from New York to discuss his cover feature on Google’s parent company Alphabet (GOOGL). Arthur explains how Google became the world’s top search engine, its recent run-in with the Department of Justice, the threat of AI and more.One Savings Bank (OSB) is last up and Jemma Slingo reveals what led to the 20 per cent share price drop after its latest update.Timestamps1:21 Just Group10:19 Aviva 19:42 Alphabet 42:04 OSB

Dave Baxter is joined by one of the managers of Migo Opportunities Investment Trust, an unusual fund which exploits valuation anomalies and discounts in other investment trusts.Dave and Charlotte discuss where she looks for opportunities, interesting asset classes and the reason that share buybacks turn the trust’s head more than dividend increases. Listen to this and more. Timestamps 00:34 Sectors of interest6:34 Geopolitical risk8:14 Worthy investments in private equity 10:38 M&A scale 12:49 Smaller trusts14:59 Areas of innovation18:09 Interesting asset classes25:20 Share buybacks and capital allocation

We begin the episode with commodity trading and mining company Glencore (GLEN). Alex Hamer unpacks a busy week, including everything from the cancellation of the coal demerger to the company’s copper prospects in an environmentally conscious world.Val Cipriani discusses our cover feature on the often much-desired topic: retiring early. It doesn’t always seem realistic but Val covers how investors can set themselves on the right track, with simple and effective strategies including how to properly use pensions and Isas.Last up, Christopher Akers explains Deliveroo’s (ROO) latest results. The food delivery company’s shares were up 8 per cent on the morning of the recording on account of its first-ever statutory profit, a share buyback announcement and more, which cheered up a pretty dreary market.1:13 Glencore16:20 How to retire early27:50 Deliveroo

We’re in the thick of results season but that doesn't stop our hardworking journalists from providing a deep dive into the top stories of the week.We begin with St James’s Place (STJ), which recently released results. The financial advice company announced an ambitious £500m cost-saving programme, a figure that turned many heads in the City. Julian Hofmann covers all.Then Mark Robinson discusses the cover feature on making rapid returns with short-term trades. Mark explains the thinking behind the piece, the ways investors can get involved and the pitfalls to avoid.New recruit Holly McKechnie makes her podcast debut to talk about how to spot rising star fund managers and then Julian returns to unpack London Stock Exchange Group’s (LSEG) results.Timestamps 1:11 St James’s Place (STJ)9:36 Rapid returns19:11 Rising star fund managers 26:22 London Stock Exchange

In this IC Interviews podcast, Val Cipriani is joined by James Cook, manager of JPMorgan Global Growth & Income. As the only global and global equity income investment trust trading at a premium, it is keeping investors happy with its approach.Val and James discuss how this has happened, the future of semiconductor stocks, how AI will change the market, Microsoft’s recent outage and much more.Timestamps1:01 Strategy of growth3:35 Payout policy7:41 Paying dividend out of capital 9:09 Outlook for the market 13:33 Interesting areas of the market17:05 Semiconductor stocks19:31 Magnificent Seven21:41 AI 25:47 Microsoft 27:53 AI’s risk 29:06 Tech stocks capex 30:56 Apple 32:48 UK stocks34:50 Japan36:32 Portflio balance39:30 Getting involved with M&A  Claim your first 12 weeks of Investors' Chronicle Print + Digital for just £12. You will get instant access to our website and app, plus the magazine delivered to your door every week. To start your trial, visit www.investorschronicle.co.uk/podcasttrial *After your 12-week trial you will pay just £62 every 13 weeks by direct debit. If you’re not entirely satisfied, you can cancel up to 5 business days before your renewal date and only pay the £12 already debited. This offer is for UK subscribers only.