Richard Hunter
Richard Hunter is head of markets at interactive investor, focusing on clear, structured commentary that connects day‑to‑day stock market moves with practical decisions for individual investors. With over 35 years of stock market experience and recognition as one of the UK’s foremost commentators on market matters, he anchors the masthead’s news, analysis and interview output for a retail investing audience. His work spans daily market snapshots, “must read” company previews, ISA activity reports and an ongoing interview series with leading market voices.
Market snapshots and FTSE 100 coverage
Richard leads interactive investor’s rolling coverage of major indices through regular “Market snapshot” articles. Recent pieces include “Market snapshot: tech stocks move in different directions”, where he tracks divergent performance within the technology sector and explains how those moves feed into broader market sentiment. He also covers the UK large‑cap index in depth, as in “Market snapshot: FTSE 100 takes early lead in 2026”, which looks at the benchmark’s trading above 10,000 and its early‑year performance drivers.
Across these snapshots he ties index levels to underlying factors such as interest rates, inflation and sector rotation, making macro developments digestible for non‑professional investors. In his forward‑looking work, including contributions to “Reasons to be bearish and bullish in 2026”, he uses acronyms such as DIGITAL and CHAOS to group themes like the dollar, inflation, growth, tariffs, concentration risk and Asian uncertainty into memorable frameworks. This habit of organising complex drivers into simple structures is a consistent feature of his market commentary.
Must read company previews and sector round‑ups
Richard’s “Must read” and preview pieces focus on upcoming events for well‑followed UK‑listed companies and what they mean in context. In “Must read weekly preview: Babcock International, Bunzl and Berkeley Group”, he highlights three different businesses ahead of key updates, setting out why their newsflow matters for investors following defence, distribution and property‑related names. Another article, “Must read: BAE Systems and UK inflation”, links the fortunes of a major defence contractor with the broader inflation backdrop and the renewed prominence of defence stocks.
He extends this company‑level approach to sector round‑ups, such as his summary of how large retailers fared over the festive period. In that work he compares trading performance across household‑name chains and explains what seasonal results say about consumer demand and competitive positioning. Whether previewing specific companies or reviewing a sector after a busy news phase, his emphasis is on turning earnings, orders and guidance into clear implications for shareholders.
ISA shares, funds and trusts
Richard pays close attention to the behaviour of interactive investor’s ISA customers, regularly reporting on the most‑bought holdings. Articles like “10 hottest ISA shares, funds and trusts: week ended 3 July” track weekly buying trends across individual stocks, funds and investment trusts held in ISAs. By highlighting which names are attracting capital, he gives communications professionals and market participants a window into current retail investor preferences.
These ISA pieces typically blend simple league‑table data with brief context on why certain shares, funds or trusts are in favour, while maintaining the platform’s clear messaging on investment risk. Together with his wider stock market coverage, they underline his role as a bridge between market developments and the choices being made inside individual investors’ tax‑advantaged portfolios.
The Richard Hunter Interview
Beyond written articles, Richard fronts “The Richard Hunter Interview” series of videos and podcasts for interactive investor. In one instalment he meets James Bullock, joint portfolio manager at Lindsell Train, after earlier interviews with fund managers Nick Train and Michael Lindsell, using the format to explore how professional investors think about building and managing equity portfolios. Another episode, “The Richard Hunter Interview: Ian Cowie on inflation, value stocks and healthcare”, sees him discuss the lessons of Covid‑19, tracker funds and passive investing with an interactive investor columnist.
He also devotes an interview to the question “can you trust in trusts?”, examining why one guest views investment trusts as the “connoisseur’s choice” and unpacking the differences between closed‑ and open‑ended structures. Across these conversations, his questions draw out practical insights on inflation, sector allocation, fund structure and investment style, translating specialist perspectives into usable guidance for everyday investors. The interview strand complements his written work by adding personality and nuance to themes he covers in articles.
Experience in stock markets
Richard brings long experience and professional accreditation to his role. He has over 35 years of stock market experience and is described by interactive investor as one of the UK’s foremost and instantly recognisable commentators on market matters. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment, reflecting a deep grounding in securities analysis and market practice.
At interactive investor he serves as head of markets, shaping the platform’s approach to news, analysis and investor education. His previous work includes authoring stock market content for City A.M., extending his reach as a markets commentator beyond a single outlet. The combination of daily index coverage, company previews, ISA trend reports and long‑form interviews, backed by decades of experience, defines his position as a specialist in making complex market information accessible and actionable for a broad investing audience.
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