Volatile share prices have created a lot of stock market interest this week. But while the big moves have come from the US, UK investors have been focusing on the FTSE 100. 

Data from AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown indicates that UK retail investors have been focusing on a handful of names. And one in particular stands out.

Buying and selling

In terms of what investors have been buying, the lists are identical. Barclays and Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR) appear in opposite orders, but the five FTSE 100 names are the same.

Most popular shares bought by number of deals

	AJ Bell	Hargreaves Lansdown
1	Barclays	Nvidia
2	Nvidia	Rolls-Royce
3	Legal & General	Legal & General
4	Rolls-Royce	Barclays
5	BP	BP

Where things get really interesting though, is in terms of what investors have been selling. Rolls-Royce also appears to be the stock with the most sell orders from customers this week.

Most popular shares sold by number of deals

	AJ Bell	Hargreaves Lansdown
1	Rolls-Royce	Rolls-Royce
2	Nvidia	Nvidia
3	BAE Systems	Lloyds Banking Group
4	Lloyds Banking Group	International Consolidated Airlines Group
5	Amazon	Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust

It’s been an interesting week for the Rolls-Royce share price. The stock fell 21% before staging a 35% comeback, so investors have had chances to make – or lose – money in the short term.

For those with a long-term outlook though, I think it’s a reminder of the risks with the business. The stock’s been outstanding recently, but things can turn around quickly.

Recession risk

The possibility of a recession in the US is a significant risk for Rolls-Royce. Demand for air travel’s likely to drop in an economic slowdown and this is the company’s largest division.

In terms of tariffs, the picture’s a bit less clear. The company does have a significant manufacturing base in the US, which should help reduce the effect of tariffs.

Despite this, it’s probably worth noting that its largest competitor – GE Aerospace – has a bigger presence. So tariffs might tilt things in favour of the FTSE 100 firm’s rival. 

Most importantly, none of this is under Rolls-Royce’s control. While all businesses face risks, it’s worth noting the extent to which the company depends on something it can’t influence.

Long-term investing

Investors with a long-term perspective however, might take a different view. When I buy shares, I intend to hold them for decades and I think a recession’s likely at some point. 

That’s not to say the issue can be ignored entirely. If the company’s going to make less money because of a difficult macroeconomic environment, that’s relevant to what the stock’s worth.

My view with Rolls-Royce is that things are rarely as good or as bad as they seem. The firm operates in an industry where demand is naturally cyclical and investors have to factor this in.

Even with the big drop earlier this week, the stock still traded at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 20. Given that things have been going well for the firm recently, I think that’s high. 

Independent thinking

I’ve been taking the opportunity to buy a FTSE 100 stock for my portfolio this week — but it isn’t Rolls-Royce. I can understand the recent interest, but I think there are better options available for me.

A Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) can be a great way to boost a retirement pot. These DIY pension accounts offer a wide range of investing options, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs), investment trusts, and stocks.

But is it best to buy UK or US stocks? Here’s what I think.

New York

Put simply, there’s no right or wrong answer. But a lot will depend on what age someone is. I still have a couple of decades left before retirement age, so my own SIPP’s still largely oriented towards growth stocks, many of which are in the US.

Why not UK growth stocks? Because there are just not as many options for growth-focused investors this side of the pond. Most of the world’s best growth companies — those changing the world around us — are listed in New York.

Having said that, I do have a small handful of UK growth stocks in my SIPP, including subsea rental firm Ashtead Technology and DP Poland (the owner of the Domino’s Pizza brand in Poland). But these are small holdings compared with the rest.

A stock example

One of my largest SIPP holdings is Axon Enterprise (NASDAQ: AXON). This stock’s done really well for me over the past eight years or so. It’s up nearly 150% in the past two years alone!

What attracted me to Axon was the strength of its competitive position. It sells Tasers to law enforcement agencies around the world, as well as body cameras and various software solutions.

The newer Taser models can activate the body-worn cameras when fired by officers, directly sending the footage to Axon’s cloud-based evidence management platform. Needless to say, this creates a powerful ecosystem, making Axon’s products mission-critical to thousands of law enforcement and public safety agencies worldwide.

In 2024, the company’s revenue jumped 33% year on year to $2.1bn, while total future contracted bookings surged to $10.1bn. For context, Axon now puts its total addressable market at $129bn.

Even if that proves overly optimistic, it shows the magnitude of the opportunity ahead of the firm over the next couple of decades. Its rapid entry into artificial intelligence (AI) is also exciting, as it has mountains of real-world data with which to build AI products and solutions.

Of course, the stock’s not risk free. It’s trading at 85 times forward earnings. At this rich valuation, a lot of future growth is baked in. This means Axon will have to deliver on that growth or the valuation could pull back sharply.

However, this is exactly the type of high-growth company I want in my retirement portfolio over the long term.

Leaning into London

As I get older though, I’ve started to add more dividend stocks to the mix. This is the UK market’s strong point, as it’s packed full of income shares.

My FTSE 100 holdings include Legal & General, Aviva, and British American Tobacco. These yield 9.3%, 7.2% and 7.7% respectively.

According to AJ Bell, FTSE 100 companies are expected to dish out a whopping £83bn in dividends this year, up 5% from 2024. This puts the blue-chip index on a forward dividend yield of 3.7%.

Obviously I can’t spend the dividends I receive in my SIPP. So I put the cash back to work by reinvesting it into more stocks.

When exploring the world of penny stocks, tools like ChatGPT can be helpful in discovering under-the-radar stocks. And upon asking it about the best UK penny stocks to buy, the artificial intelligence (AI) model suggested taking a look at Helium One Global (LSE:HE1).

A few years ago, this enterprise was getting a lot of attention, with its shares surging by over 500% in less than a year following its IPO in late 2020. The momentum was driven almost entirely by the hype surrounding the group’s helium exploration projects that could position the firm to become a global industry titan in the long run.

Sadly, following the 2022 stock market correction, the hype fizzled out as investors started to realise the group still had a long way to go. Now, three years later, the stock’s down over 95% from its 2021 peak. And even in the last 12 months, the shares have continued their downward trajectory, falling by 50% to less than 1p.

However, could that soon be about to change?

Production on the horizon

One of the biggest risks surrounding this enterprise is a lack of a revenue stream. With no active production generating cash flow, management’s entirely dependent on external equity financing and its residual cash on the balance sheet.

As of December, the firm had just $10m in the bank. Needless to say, that’s not enough to fund the high cost of exploration and project development. So it should come as no surprise that the number of shares outstanding over the last five years has skyrocketed by over 2,700%, due to management raising more money by issuing shares.

However, this equity dilution may soon be coming to an end. 2025 has proven to be a solid year of operational milestones. In March, the company secured its mining license in Tanzania for its flagship Rukwa project. A few weeks later, intermediate drilling at the Jackson-29 well (in which Helium One has a 50% working interest) was sucessfully completed.

In terms of the next steps, Jackson-29 will undergo safety tests to verify well integrity which, if successful, will make it ready to enter and move into the production phase. In other words, Helium One’s finally on track to gain revenue stream.

Taking a step back

Reaching production is an impressive milestone that most young exploration companies fail to achieve. And while Helium One still has some challenges to overcome, it appears to be taking the right steps. However, it’s important to remember that this transition process won’t happen overnight.

Even if everything goes smoothly at Jackson-29, building a production facility could potentially take years, especially if infrastructure (roads, power, water, etc) also needs to be built out. And it’s a similar story to the other projects in Helium One’s portfolio.

There’s no denying the explosive potential of Helium One’s share price. After all, helium gas is steadily rising in demand thanks to its aerospace and medical applications. But a lot of things have to go right before the firm can realise this potential.

So while ChatGPT’s bullish, I’ll be waiting on the sidelines until this penny stock makes more progress.

I think those on the hunt for healthy passive income streams could take a closer look at these FTSE 100 dividend stocks. Although returns to shareholders may fluctuate with earnings, the track records of these blue-chip companies suggests they’re in a good position to cope with whatever challenges they may face.

Going up in smoke?

Ethical investors look away now but, over the past four quarters, British American Tobacco (LSE:BATS) has returned 236.7p to shareholders by way of dividends. This implies an impressive yield of 7.6%.

The group has a long track record of increasing payouts too. By selling an addictive product that’s cheap to make, it’s able to generate huge amounts of surplus cash.

However, for health reasons, the company’s transitioning to making things other than cigarettes. This requires significant capital expenditure. Also, these so-called ‘reduced-risk products’ are more expensive to produce. Over the longer term, this could mean less cash for dividends.

But despite these challenges, the company increased its earnings per share in 2024. This suggests that reports of the death of the tobacco industry have been greatly exaggerated.

Raising the roof

Despite well-documented problems in the housing market, Taylor Wimpey (LSE:TW.) still declared a dividend of 9.46p in respect of its 2024 financial year. That’s a 10.2% increase on 2021. And it means the stock’s currently yielding 9%, the fourth-highest on the FTSE 100.

The company aims to return 7.5% of net assets, subject to a minimum of £250m, to shareholders each year. It’s able to do this as it has very little debt on its balance sheet.

However, the housebuilder’s payout could come under threat if interest rates don’t fall as anticipated. The availability of affordable mortgages is a key driver of housing market growth. Also, building cost inflation remains stubbornly higher than the general rate of price increases.

But the government’s planning reforms — and reliance on the construction sector to get the UK economy growing again — should help Taylor Wimpey maintain its dividend in the medium term. Analysts are expecting payouts of 9.4p (2025) and 9.5p (2026) over the next couple of years.

One for a rainy day?

Legal & General (LSE:LGEN) last cut its dividend in 2008. For 2024, it’s declared 21.36p a share. In cash terms, that’s 21.6% higher than in 2020. Coupled with a stagnant share price performance over the past five years, this has helped push the yield to 9.3%. The directors of the financial services group have pledged to increase this by 2% a year from 2025-2027.

But earnings (and its dividend) could be impacted by falling interest rates. This would make annuities less attractive to pensioners. Also, it carries over £200bn of equities on its balance sheet. Volatile markets could weaken its financial position.

However, the group has an enormous pipeline (£44bn) of pension funds that it’s looking to acquire. And its store of future profit from its insurance arm is currently worth more than the group’s market-cap. Also, the UK’s ageing population could boost the demand for retirement products.

For these reasons, although there are never any guarantees, its dividend looks secure for now.

US stocks took a pretty big tumble as April kicked off, only to reverse course as the threat of tariffs got put on pause. By comparison, UK shares are proving to be a better safe haven from all the volatility. The FTSE 100 has taken a hit, but it pales in contrast to the recent downward trajectory of the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.

And with US investors potentially exploring international opportunities, the UK stock market might be a popular destination for new capital. So which UK shares could be good buys right now?

Exploring options

Global tariffs put a lot of pressure on businesses with complex supply chains. But there are plenty of British enterprises that don’t have this sort of exposure. For example, Safestore Holdings (LSE:SAFE) owns and operates a portfolio of self-storage facilities in the UK and Europe with next-to-no direct ties to the US economy.

Similarly, Howden Joinery operates within the UK and Europe. While the firm imports a significant amount of wood, lumber was explicitly excluded from proposed US tariffs. Then there’s also AstraZeneca. The pharmaceutical giant relies on the US healthcare market for a large chunk of its revenue stream. But, just like lumber, pharmaceuticals were also excluded from the tariff list, leading to minimal disruption.

The list of UK shares that could have minimal or no impact from US tariffs is quite substantial. And these companies are likely where most investors could find refuge from volatility.

Tariffs could cause indirect damage

Just because a business won’t get directly caught in the crossfire of a potential global trade war doesn’t mean the stock’s an instant buy. Investors still need to do their due diligence and look at the operational risks as well as potential rewards. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at Safestore.

The company’s in the middle of navigating a cyclical downturn in the self-storage market, with its 2024 performance landing pretty flat. Thankfully, investors did see a welcome return to growth in the first quarter of 2025. However, while not directly exposed to the US market, Safestore could still be indirectly impacted.

Retaliatory tariffs from the UK or Europe could drive up domestic costs, resulting in both businesses and individuals seeking to save more money. That could translate into Safestore customers ending their leases, putting more pressure on the firm’s cash flow in the short term.

Stay focused on the long run

Tariffs will undoubtedly cause headaches in the business world if they end up being implemented in markets beyond China in the next 90 days. However, in the long term, high-quality businesses will adapt. And in my opinion, Safestore seems perfectly capable of doing just that.

This isn’t the first time it has had to navigate a downturn in its target market. And while most of its competitors are being more conservative, management continues to invest in its European expansion to perfectly position the firm for when the cycle eventually ticks back up.

In fact, it was this strategy that saw Safestore become the industry leader in the UK. And if management can replicate its success in Europe, the stock could have a long way to climb in the long run. That’s why I’ve already added this business to my defensive income portfolio.

With a global trade war having kicked off earlier this month, the US stock market, along with other markets around the world, started crashing.

In the few days following President Trump’s announcement, both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq plummeted by over 10%. Meanwhile, looking at the international landscape, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index cratered by almost 12% along with Japan’s Nikkei 225.

The UK and Europe seem to have fared a bit better, with the FTSE 100 only down 6% and the DAX shrinking by 8%, yet that’s still a painful tumble in less than 72 hours.

Since then, shares have started to bounce back as the US reversed course and implemented a 90-day pause on its tariff programme (excluding China). This volatility is obviously gut-wrenching. But could stocks be heading down further in the coming months?

Here’s what the forecasts say

Let’s zoom into where this all started – the US. The latest projections from The Economy Forecast Agency reveal that the S&P 500 could still be on a downward trajectory despite the recent bounceback. In fact, the index could reach as low as 4,434 points by July. If that’s true, then America’s flagship index could see another near-20% clipped off in the coming months.

The timeline certainly seems plausible. July’s the summer earnings season and would reveal the impact of trade disruptions either from the US or other markets like China. So should investors use the recent rally to sell up and buy back into the market in July?

While this may seem wise on paper, in practice, history’s shown countless times that trying to time the market is a losing strategy.

July could indeed be the ‘true’ bottom. But what if the trade war is resolved faster than expected? Then the bottom could be much sooner. Similarly, if negotiations fail, then a protracted trade war could drag stock prices even lower later than July. There’s simply no way of knowing right now.

A better way to invest during volatility

Instead of trying to throw money into the stock market at the lowest point, investors can likely achieve better results if they use ‘dollar cost averaging’.

Take Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) as an example. The cybersecurity enterprise has already seen close to 20% of its valuation wiped out since mid-February, even after enjoying a rebound. And with the shares still trading at a lofty price-to-earnings multiple of 87, the stock could continue to tumble from here.

The company manufactures its hardware products in the US. But don’t forget it’s reliant on a global supply chain, including sourcing components from countries like China, which are facing some of the steepest tariffs.

Having said that, cybersecurity isn’t something businesses can really skimp on, even during economic turmoil, giving Palo Alto flexibility to pass on the higher import costs to customers. After all, that’s exactly what management did in the last China trade war in 2018-2019.

Through dollar cost averaging, investors could buy shares today, securing a 20% saving versus a few months ago. Yet if the stock continues to fall, then there’s still capital available to buy more at an even bigger saving, bringing the average cost per share down. It may be worth considering.

With US growth stocks in free-fall, dividend shares and the passive income they can generate are proving to be a popular refuge from volatility. Even some UK shares are being impacted by the prospect of a prolonged trade war, yet that’s also pushed dividend yields much higher. And providing those dividends can keep flowing, investors may be looking at a rare opportunity to supercharge their passive income.

So let’s say an investor has £10,000 to spend. How much income could they unlock right now and in the future?

Profiting from higher yields

Today, the FTSE 100 offers an average yield just shy of 3.8%. Yet it’s actually the FTSE 250 offering the higher payout right now at almost 4%. So if an investor were to just snap up shares in a low-cost index tracker, a £10,000 investment could instantly start generating £400 a year.

Alternatively, instead of relying on an index fund, what if investors were to just split the £10,000 across the 10 highest-yielding income stocks in the FTSE 250? In that case, the dividend yield would average out to a massive 11.9%, or £1,190.

But that’s just right now. What if investors were to reinvest these dividends over time and grow the income portfolio? Assuming yields stay the same after:

• 5 years – £18,077 portfolio generating £2,151 passive income.
• 10 years – £32,678 portfolio generating £3,888 passive income.
• 20 years – £106,790 portfolio generating £12,708 passive income.

Let’s be realistic

There’s no denying that the prospect of using £10,000 to earn more than £10,000 every year in the long run is exciting. But there are some pretty large assumptions going into this calculation. Firstly, yields never stay the same since they’re affected by stock prices that change constantly (for better or worse).

What’s more, high yields are only attractive if the dividends can keep flowing. And across the top highest-yielding FTSE 250 stocks today, there are plenty of risks that could prevent that from happening. Take Ithaca Energy (LSE:ITH) as an example.

The oil & gas producer offers a 13.9% payout right now as its production efforts ramp up, beating analyst expectations in 2024. This momentum has seemingly spilt over into 2025, putting the firm on track to continue growing earnings and dividends despite recent weakness in oil & gas prices.

Dividends being backed by earnings is an encouraging sign. However, if that’s the case, why aren’t more investors taking advantage? There are undoubtedly several factors at play. However, one of the biggest concerns is the location of Ithaca’s operations.

With new development projects located in the North Sea, the company’s facing increasing political, legal, and activist pressure that could result in its long-term growth becoming compromised. And if earnings dry up, dividends are likely to follow.

The bottom line

There are a lot of passive income opportunities in the stock market right now, especially as prices tumble on fears of a global trade war. However, it’s essential for investors to do plenty of research when looking for stocks to buy, even among historically ‘safer’ dividend stocks.

With no revenue, it’s hard to know what the Helium One Global (LSE:HE1) share price should be. Since April 2024, it’s bounced around between 0.5p and 2.15p. Today (11 April), the stock changes hands for 0.96p, valuing the company at £56m.

Theory and practice

Those who believe in the efficient market hypothesis — which says that current asset prices reflect all publicly available information — will claim that the group’s present market cap is equal to its intrinsic value.

And this is a good starting point.

We know that the company has a 50% interest in a project in Colorado, at which test drilling is currently underway. Revenue from the mine is expected in the first half of the year.

Also, the group recently formally accepted the offer of a mining licence for its larger Rukwa project in Tanzania. Additional funding of $75m-$100m is required to fully commercialise this one.

Armed with this information, investors believe the group’s worth just over £50m.

Can this be justified?

The most common valuation techniques require the preparation of a cash flow forecast.

In December, for its Pegasus project in America, the company said there were “indications of $2m per annum accruing to the Company over a period of five years”. In addition, extra revenue could come from the sale of carbon dioxide.

This is a relatively modest sum. In fact, it will just about cover the group’s present level of overheads for a year. And when discounted to reflect what this cash is worth today, it contributes very little to the group’s current market cap.

It’s the group’s African operations that really matter.

However, the company’s given no clues as to what the future inflows and outflows might be from Tanzania.

That’s probably because, at the moment, there’s no indication as to the potential volume of gas that could be extracted. During testing, up to 7.9% helium – 5.5% on a sustained basis — has flowed to the surface. According to the company, this makes it the fourth-biggest helium concentration in the world. However, there’s no indication as to what this means in terms of total reserves or cash.

And without any idea of the volume of gas that’s underground, other valuation measures cannot be used including, for example, the total acquisition cost. This comprises the cost of buying, building, and operating the mine divided by the expected output.

Another valuation

In the absence of detailed information, Panmure Liberum has done some sums and come up with an estimate of what Helium One should be valued at.

The bank’s set a price target of 3.6p – a potential premium of 275% to today’s share price. The broker’s analyst described recent updates as “very encouraging” and suggests there’s “substantial upside on offer from the development of the resources in Tanzania“.

But in the absence of further information, I don’t think it’s possible to come up with an accurate valuation for Helium One. On this basis, making an investment would be too speculative for me. I have no doubt there’s a growing market for the gas. And supply restrictions should keep upward pressure on prices. But there are presently too many moving parts, not least questions over how the group’s going to fund its expansion. For these reasons, I don’t want to invest right now.

The UK market is in correction territory (a drop of over 10% in short order) with the blue-chip index — the FTSE 100 — falling around 12% from its peak. It’s not a stock market crash (down 20% or more). However, US stocks have come much closer to a crash, with the S&P 500 nearing a bear market earlier in the week.

These are scary events. With some investors seeing thousands wiped off their portfolio in a matter of days, it can be hard to stay positive. However, this kind of volatility can also create rare openings.

When quality companies are sold off indiscriminately alongside weaker names, it gives long-term investors the chance to buy some of their favourite stocks at knockdown prices. In these moments, fundamentals often take a backseat to fear. And that’s precisely when opportunity strikes. The ability to distinguish between temporary noise and lasting value becomes critical.

Staying calm during these downturns isn’t easy, but history consistently rewards those who do. For those with a clear strategy and the patience to act when others are panicking, these turbulent periods can lay the groundwork for some of the best long-term returns. As Warren Buffett says “be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful”.

What’s on my watchlist?

During these events, it’s always useful to have a watchlist. This allows me to keep a close eye on stocks I may be interested in buying or adding more of to my portfolio. So, what’s on my watchlist?

Well, let’s start with companies with a strong economic moat — this is a a distinct advantage a company has, allowing it to protect its market share and profitability. These are Arm Holdings, the British chip designer, ASML, the lithography machine producer, and Ferrari, the luxury car brand with sky-high margins and brand value. These companies have strong profit margins that also make them more resilient in times of economic distress. Ferrari’s drop has been modest, but Arm and ASML are down 50% and 40% from their peaks, respectively.

Two I’ve bought

I’m also taken the chance to buy two stocks on my watchlist. The first is Alphabet. The Google parent company is trading with a price-to-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 1.1, which puts it at a huge discount to its information technology peers.

I’ve also topped up my position in Jet2 (LSE:JET2). The UK no.1 tour operator is actually sitting on shed loads of cash. With £2.3bn in net cash, and a market cap of £2.7bn, the market is valuing the business at just £400m — that’s equal to the company’s projected net income for 2025.

Unlike ASML and Ferrari, Jet2’s margins are much thinner. And this makes its more vulnerable to economic downturns. And yes, higher minimum wages and National Insurance contributions will increase costs by as much as £25m.

However, the net cash position provides something of a backstop for the share price, and jet fuel prices have fallen significantly. The latter should provide a major boost. Spot prices have fallen more than 10% since 2 April.

What’s more, its fleet overhaul plan — replacing older Boeing aircraft with more modern and fuel-efficient Airbus models — appears measured and financially prudent. I may continue to top up on this one.

I’m looking for the best bargains to buy following recent share price turbulence. After doing some initial research, it seems that Aston Martin Lagonda‘s (LSE:AML) share price may warrant a close look.

At 61.3p per share, the FTSE 250 stock’s dropped more than a quarter in value over the past month, and 61.6% over a one-year horizon.

Aston’s not tipped to generate any profits over the next couple of years. So the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio doesn’t give us an idea about whether its shares offer decent value for money.

The price-to-book (P/B) multiple and price-to-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratios, on the other hand, do. As you can see, both of these metrics fall well inside value territory of 1 and below:

However, it’s important to consider that Aston’s low valuation may reflect the level of risk it poses to investors. So what’s the story, and should invidividuals consider buying the business at today’s price?

Bumps in the road

Few carmakers on the planet have the lasting appeal that Aston Martin enjoys. Offering a tasty combination of luxury and speed, its products are among the hottest status symbols out there. And as the number of global millionaires rapidly grows, turnover could skyrocket if the company finds the right formula.

Yet while Aston’s products may glisten, the same can’t be said for the business itself. Supply and manufacturing issues, product development delays, a merry-go-round of CEOs, and high debt (net debt was £1.2bn in December) have left the Warwickshire firm in dire straits.

It’s also currently failing to reach customers in the highly competitive sports car market as effectively as other prestigious marques like Ferrari right now.

Worrying readacross

Aston’s task isn’t made any easier as the tough economic environment crushes demand for expensive cars. Competitor Porsche‘s first-quarter update on Tuesday (8 April) underlined the huge challenges that high-end manufacturers currently face.

This showed sales in Europe and Asia fall sharply in quarter one, with sales in China — a key market for Aston — down 42% year on year.

US sales rose 37%, but this reflected artifically low sales in Q1 2024 when units were held at US ports due to component issues. Even factoring this in, Porsche’s worldwide sales dropped 8% in the last quarter.

With the critical markets of China and the US embroiled in a fierce trade war, and the spectre of import taxes weighing on other regions, things could get worse for the carmakers before they get better. Aston’s own sales volumes dropped 9% in 2024, latest financials showed.

The threat of a 25% tariff on US auto imports presents a more specific risk for the company, too.

Longer-term threats

In another worrying omen for Aston Martin, Porsche announced a substantial pickup in electric vehicle (EV) sales in that first-quarter statement. Some 38.5% of all units that rolled out of showrooms were either fully electric or hybrid models.

This is significant because Aston has delayed the planned launch of its own EVs by three years, to 2030. By relying on combustion engine cars in the meantime, it risks losing relevance in an increasingly eco-conscious market.

And it is, in my opinion, another damning indictment of Aston’s turnaround strategy. While its cars still sparkle, I think investors should consider avoiding Aston Martin shares despite their current cheapness.