Financial markets might be looking past the initial drama in the Middle East, clinging to hopes of a swift resolution to the crisis, but don’t hold your breath. US President Donald Trump said overnight that the US will do ‘whatever it takes’ to achieve its military objectives, indicating that operations could continue for several weeks. For thousands of UK investors, now might be a good time to build a defensive edge to investment portfolios. The possibility of increased military strikes has already driven oil prices to two-year highs. Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for April delivery has shot up 21%…

In our latest podcast, Sharesify’s James Crux, Steven Frazer and Ian Conway talk blowout earnings from Nvidia (NVDA) and hiked guidance. However, there was a puzzling big fat meh! from the markets. James gives us a quick wrap of what the markets have been doing. The chaps chat through results highlights, and lowlights and what to watch out for next week. Ian talks through figures from London Stock Exchange (LSEG), and flags former ads giant WPP (WPP). WPP is firmly in turnaround mode (again!) after hitting 29-year lows. Now, however, the company has a CEO who seems to have a…

I said they’d be worth watching and so it proved as Dell Technologies (DELL) stock surged nearly 11% pre-market on Friday after impressive Q4 results which promise an AI infrastructure bonanza. Those who tune in to the Sharesify podcast will have heard us explain why investors need more than just earnings beats to boost share prices, and Dell delivered, smashing previous fiscal 2027 (to end Jan) guidance on top of a sharp Q4 beat. The $90 billion Texas-based company forecast fiscal 2027 revenue of $138 billion-$142 billion, well above the $124.9 billion consensus. Annual EPS is projected at $12.90, compared…

Aero-engine maker Rolls‑Royce (RR.) set a new all-time share price high after reporting a sharp rise in annual profit, lifted medium‑term financial targets, and promised an upto £9 billion share buyback as its remarkable recovery continues. Leading the way was strong aero‑engine demand, efficiency gains and mega cashflows saw the stock rally more than 5% on Thursday, setting a record of £13.79. Sharesify flagged Rolls’ results as worth watching in our recent podcast (listen here). The ‘burning platform’ inherited by CEO Tufan Erginbilgic three years ago has been transformed into a business which is now on fire. Remarkably, the stock…

AI chip champ Nvidia (NVDA) smashed it again, outstripping Q4 2026 forecasts and upping guidance for Q1 2027. Yet the market’s muted response left analysts bemused and pondering if even standout execution may no longer be enough to excite investors deeply embedded in the AI boom. For the second straight quarter, the chipmaker reported revenue that exceeded its own guidance (by roughly $3 billion this time), while its outlook was even more striking, implying about $5 billion above Wall Street expectations. Management also projected sequential growth for every quarter this year and signalled that strong momentum should continue well into…

In our latest podcast, Sharesify’s Steven Frazer, Ian Conway and James Crux talk AI doom, Guinness and tequila sales at Diageo (DGE). They also discuss a shrinking investment trust sector and loads more. Steve kicks us off with a look at Citrini Research’s bleak AI future. He discusses why markets are so worried, and what the impacts might be. Furthermore, he flags Sharesify’s feature on the topic, plus IBM’s (IBM) worst daily decline in 25 years. James talks us through Diageo’s recent report and the cuts to guidance. He also notes a dividend slashed as CEO ‘Drastic Dave’ Lewis tries…

The AI scare trade continues to rattle investors following another sharp sell-off in software stocks this week. Key companies like Workday (WDAY), CrowdStrike (CRWD) and Datadog (DDOG) have led the retreat. This follows the publication of a ‘doomsday’ AI report. The old ‘Big Blue’, or IBM (IBM) posted its steepest daily drop in more than 25 years (-13%) after Anthropic’s Claude AI code tool could be used to modernise COBOL, a programming language run on IBM systems. COBOL powers thousands of legacy IT systems around the world. These are in banking, insurance, cybersecurity and governments. Global Intelligence Crisis The ‘2028…

In our latest podcast, the team are delighted to welcome our very first guest, Mark Northway of Share Soc. Mark is a board member of the retail investor advocate organisation and was previously chairman from April 2016 to December 2021. Mark gives us the elevator pitch as to what ShareSoc is and its objectives. Then he discusses investment trust mergers and the ongoing campaign by activist Saba. We talk through whether Saba is acting as a force for good for investors. Alternatively, we consider if it is becoming a big distraction for trust managers. Trusts in focus Mark explains why…

IT hardware stock Dell Technologies (DELL) has gone nowhere for two years, but that could be about to change. The Texas-based company’s stock has shot to the top of Wells Fargo’s IT hardware selections. AI server revenue is projected to rally to $30 billion–$35 billion or more in fiscal 2027 (to end Jan). In November, Dell projected $25 billion in fiscal 2026 revenue from AI server shipments, up from its previous $20 billion estimate. The company’s AI server backlog rose to $18.4 billion by the end of Q3, fuelled by $12.3 billion in new orders. Additionally, it shipped servers worth…

In our latest podcast, Sharesify’s Steven Frazer, Ian Conway and James Crux discuss an interesting week on UK and overseas markets. There are more investment trusts merging – BlackRock Throgmorton (THRG) and BlackRock Smaller Companies (BRSC). They also discuss what activist Elliott Investment Management wants London Stock Exchange (LSEG) to change. In addition, Nvidia (NVDA) earnings are coming in hot next week. As investors rethink US large cap exposure, Ian flags where some of the money is heading. James talks us through emerging markets trusts that are pulling in fresh capital. This includes Templeton Emerging Markets (TEM), Schroder AsiaPacific Fund…