The FTSE 100 passes 10,000 and is 2026 the year of the Mega IPO

On this week’s episode of the AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss what’s powering markets, including the FTSE 100, to record highs [3:00]. They consider what US action in Venezuela might mean for markets, and particularly US oil companies like Chevron and the global oil price [7:15].  They discuss at which sectors that did particularly well in 2025 like gold, silver [15:00] , defence stocks like Rheinmetall and BAE Systems [17:00] and Nvidia’s AI domination as it unveils self-driving tech. [19:30] Whilst London’s blue chip broke records the IPO pipeline in the UK was patchy, Dan considers what did well [23:30]  and Danni explains why it could be the year of the “Mega IPO” with three massive US tech companies reportedly gearing up for a stock market listing, but can Open AI, Anthropic and Space X all successfully get IPOs over the line in 2026?  [27:45] Next has set the bar high for UK retailers  but as Claire’s Accessories collapses into administration there are fears about the health of the high street. [32:00] Plus, credit card spending surges, Alyx Wood from Kernow Asset Management digs into the spending power of over 50s [41:30] and thousands of people file their tax return whilst digesting the Christmas turkey. [51:20]