AJ Bell Money & Markets Buy and sell ratings on stocks: do they ever work?
12 snips
Jan 23, 2026 
Russ Mould, AJ Bell investment director and market commentator, explains how buy/hold/sell broker ratings are made and why they matter. He discusses whether ratings move markets and which UK stocks attract unanimous buys or heavy sells. Short takes on rising buy sentiment, analyst debates over valuation, and the interaction between ratings and market dynamics.
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Pension Death Tax Cliff
- The tax treatment of pensions after death differs sharply depending on whether the holder dies before or after age 75.
- That arbitrary cliff creates planning challenges and partly explains upcoming inheritance tax rule changes.
Use ISAs And Invest For Long Deposits
- First-time buyers should consider using a Lifetime ISA and potentially invest savings if deposit goals will take many years.
- Investing helps protect savings from inflation while you build a 10% deposit for a home.
Inflation, Rates And Mortgage Hope
- Recent inflation uptick may delay cuts, but markets expect rates to fall later in the year which could reduce mortgage costs.
- Mortgage competition has already produced sub-4% deals for some borrowers with 10% deposits.