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► Episode Notes:

Which company did Steve W make money shorting in 2024? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show!

It’s that time of year again, where we look at our predictions from 2024 and make some new ones for 2025. Who’s been catching the eye of Steve and Steve – for the right (or wrong) reasons?

Steve D set out to do a bit less selling from his portfolio in 2024 and to try and max out his ISA. One’s in the bag and one is on track, but what’s he planning for 2025?

Steve W cruised home in his ambition to sort out his emergency fund. For 2025, he’s turning back to an investing-themed resolution that could be interesting for the show.

In 2024, Steve D was looking for Disney to outperform. It didn’t quite manage this – but with streaming turning profitable a quarter early, could it still be a good stock to buy?

Steve W elected to bet on J.D. Wetherspoon and against International Consolidated Airlines Group. While the pubs did well, the stock didn’t – and the airline was a top FTSE 100 performer.

As usual, Steve D predicted a weak year for the Tesla share price. And it nearly worked – until the US election suddenly triggered a burst of optimism, despite a decline in annual car sales.

For a US prediction, Steve W thought Goldman Sachs would do well – which was right. Unfortunately, he also doubted Nvidia, which has been the wrongest prediction of them all.

Steve D also thought equities would outperform, which they did handsomely. A 23% return from the S&P 500 was about double the average historic return.

Unfortunately for Steve W, his prediction about the UK cutting interest rates was too specific. Inflation got below 3% – but not below 2% – making his prediction incorrect for 2024.

After the election in the UK and the US, investors seem to be much more optimistic about the S&P 500 than the FTSE 100. But Steve D thinks this could be a mistake going into 2025.

Steve W has an eye on Diploma to outperform in 2025. The stock has lost some momentum recently, but can it get back to high growth and get things moving again?

REITs have been one of the weaker sectors in a generally strong year for S&P 500 stocks in 2024. Steve D is betting on this changing in 2025, though, as the index as a whole falters.

Palantir has been signing up US businesses all over the place and the stock has responded accordingly. Steve W, however, thinks it’s just getting started with a $170bn market cap.

In the UK, Wise has been going from strength to strength. And with its market cap just starting to creep above where it was at its IPO Steve D thinks it could be an acquisition target.

Steve W is going out on a limb with his acquisition prediction. McBride is a UK company that mostly does white-label cleaning products with a couple of brands – could anyone want it?

Only on this week’s PlayingFTSE Podcast!

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► Timestamps:

0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS

6:49 NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

12:33 REVIEWING PREDICTIONS PT1

18:07 REVIEWING PREDICTIONS PT2

24:24 REVIEWING PREDICTIONS PT3

30:21 NEW PREDICTIONS PT1

39:56 NEW PREDICTIONS PT2

50:08 NEW PREDICTIONS PT3

► Show Notes:

What’s been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that’s accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy

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► Disclaimer:

This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.