Weekly Roundup 20th June

If you’re watching the news wondering “what on earth is going on?” – same. US – UK trade deals are being signed at drive-by G7 meetings amidst rising tensions in the Middle East – where the UK and US are increasing their involvement. Military parades and ‘No King’s’ protests to celebrate Trump’s birthday, whilst London observes Trooping the Colour for King Charles’s official birthday last weekend. Meanwhile The BoE and US Fed make decisions on interest rates, as UK inflation holds steady at 3.4%.

If it’s all feeling a bit much, you’re not alone. We’ve pulled the most interesting and relevant stories of the week to help you make sense of it all, so you can make well informed decisions when growing your wealth.

Are you really going to rely on these two to secure the world enough so you have a financial future? Yeah… we’re not either.

A word from Ayesha Ofori, founder and CEO of Propelle

Before we look at how the markets have been performing this week, Propelle Founder & CEO, Ayesha Ofori, shares her reflections on how a Netflix binge can reflect your attitude to growing wealth.

Why Instant Gratification might be Killing Your Wealth

I have a confession. Last weekend, I started watching the new series of Ginny & Georgia on Netflix (don’t judge me… It’s how I get my brain to stop thinking and rest. It helps me balance the stress of start-up life!). I told myself I’d watch max one episode a day – sensible, right? Fast forward to 3am and I’m still there, having binged most of the series like a woman possessed.

Then my 3-year-old woke up at 4am. And of course, I couldn’t get back to sleep. The only person I was angry at was myself. Why did I do this to myself? Why didn’t I have more self-control? I knew what I should have done, but I didn’t do it. And then it hit me – this is exactly the same psychological trap that’s keeping so many women from building real wealth.

Let me explain.

What happened to me on Sunday night wasn’t a lack of willpower. It was my brain choosing instant gratification over delayed gratification. Each episode gave me an immediate hit of pleasure – the dopamine, the entertainment, the “just one more” feeling. The cost? Being absolutely shattered the next day. But that cost felt abstract and distant at 11pm when I was deciding whether to watch another episode.

Sound familiar? It should, because this is exactly how most people approach money.

We live in a world designed for instant everything. Amazon next-day delivery. Instagram likes. Netflix binges. Our brains have been rewired to expect immediate rewards, and when we don’t get them, we lose interest.

This is why so many smart women invest £100, check their app a week later, see it’s now £98, and think “this is pointless, I’m not getting rich fast enough.” They’re looking for the financial equivalent of a Netflix binge – immediate, obvious results. Or even worse, they think “I’ve lost money, I’m not doing this anymore”.

But here’s what I’ve learned from years in finance: wealth building is the opposite of instant gratification. It’s boring. It’s slow. It’s about making a choice today that your future self will thank you for, even when you can’t see the immediate benefit. Think about it – the most successful investors I know weren’t the ones looking for quick wins. They were the ones who would park money for years and almost forget about it. They understood something most people don’t: the best financial decisions often feel unrewarding in the moment.

When I started Propelle, I didn’t see results for months. I even had investors (male) tell me I was mad and it was a bad business idea because women didn’t want to invest – if they did they’d be doing it already. Every day I questioned whether it was working. But I kept going because I understood that building something worthwhile takes time. The women who are now seeing returns in the app? Many started small, stayed consistent, and resisted the urge to constantly check and panic.

This is why I get so frustrated when women tell me they can’t be bothered to invest relatively small amounts. “What’s the point of investing £100 a month?” they ask. “It’s not going to make me rich.” They’re right – it won’t make them rich this month. Or next month. But it can make them wealthy over time, and that’s what matters.

So here’s my challenge to you: next time you’re about to dismiss an investment because it won’t give you immediate gratification, remember me at 3am, exhausted from choosing short-term pleasure over long-term sense.

Your future self is begging you to make the boring choice. To invest that monthly £100 or £1,000… whatever is affordable to you. To not check your balance every day. To trust the process even when it doesn’t feel exciting.

Because the best things in life – whether it’s a good night’s sleep or financial freedom – are worth waiting for.

And unlike a Netflix programme, they don’t disappear when the credits roll.

Upcoming Propelle Events💃

We’re back with more amazing events to help you get confident with money!

This month we’re dropping all the tips to help you secure that pay rise and bonus. Join us for June’s webinar “More Money, More Power: Negotiate Better & Make Your Money Work Harder”

📍 25th June, 6.30pm online

AND we’re hosting another in-person event where our Propelle super users are spilling the tea on their investing journeys. Think stories, sisterhood and strategies! Get ready for some real talk at this summer’s “In my investing era” event

📍 3rd July, 6.30pm London

Top 5 Market Headlines of the Week 📰
🇮🇷 Middle East Tensions Ease, Markets Rally

Markets climbed this week as geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran eased slightly, following comments from Donald Trump suggesting a two-week pause on any U.S. military involvement. Investors saw this as a temporary cooling-off period, prompting a rebound in FTSE 100 stocks – especially airlines and financials that were previously under pressure.

📉 UK Retail Sales Slump by 2.7% in May

Consumer spending dropped sharply in May, with retail sales falling 2.7% month-on-month. Warmer weather is partly to blame, as shoppers shifted away from in-store purchases. The figures raise fresh concerns over the resilience of UK consumer demand heading into the summer.

🏘 Berkeley Group Shares Slide on Lower Profits
Shares in housebuilder Berkeley Group fell nearly 7% after it reported a 5% fall in annual profits. Despite securing over 75% of its 2026 sales pipeline, concerns about the housing market – especially in London and the Southeast – continue to weigh on investor sentiment.

💼 FTSE 100 Nears All-Time High
The FTSE 100 briefly touched near-record highs above 8,800 this week, powered by gains in travel, banking, and consumer stocks. Although volatility remains due to global risks, UK equities are showing relative strength, helped by rate-hold decisions and easing oil prices.

🛢 Oil Prices Dip as Conflict Fears Recede
Brent crude pulled back to around $82/barrel, after briefly spiking on Middle East conflict fears. The retreat in prices took some pressure off energy-related inflation expectations, but markets remain alert to renewed geopolitical flare-ups that could push oil higher again.

Source: Reuters, Yahoo Finance, The Guardian

Little Learn of the Week

🛠️ UK manufacturers pivot away from the US – what does it mean for investors?

For the first time ever, the US has dropped out of the top three export markets for UK manufacturers and this is a big deal! It signals a fundamental shift in the UK’s trading priorities – away from the US, and towards Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

What’s driving it? US tariffs and tougher trade conditions. According to a new Make UK report, over 60% of British manufacturers say they’ve been directly impacted by US trade barriers and a £2billion drop in US-facing exports in April 2025, with many pivoting towards friendlier global markets instead. It’s not just about politics, it’s about protecting profits and finding buyers who want what we’re selling.

So what does this mean for you as an investor?

If you’re investing in companies with international exposure, pay attention to where they’re doing business. Firms pivoting toward Asia-Pacific or the EU may have stronger long-term tailwinds.
Manufacturing and export-heavy sectors could look different going forward, and so could the makeup of indices like the FTSE.

Diversification across geographies is crucial in helping your portfolio stay resilient as global relationships shift.

These changes serve as a great reminder that investing isn’t just about reacting to today’s news, but spotting the slow, meaningful shifts that shape the future. And right now, the UK’s global trading story is being rewritten.

Source: Make UK, The Times (June 2025)

Last Week’s Major Indexes

Before we dive in…

Indices are lists of major sections of a market. Basically, they give a gauge of the health of a certain financial market. Often, when the UK market is strong, the FTSE 100 index (measuring the 100 biggest companies on the London Stock Exchange) will keep moving up. Conversely, when markets are bad, they fall. You’ll see below the value of the index, as well as how much it changed last week, with a percentage.

FTSE 100 (UK): 8,844.84 +0.60%

S&P 500 (US): 5,980.87 -0.03%

Euro Stoxx 50 (Europe): 5,250.59 +1.05%

Nasdaq (US): 19,546.27 +0.13%

Dow Jones (US): 42,9171.66 0.10%

Accurate as of Friday 20th June 11:08

Propelle Funds
We have a selection of funds available on our Propelle investing app, specially selected to be diverse and suitable for a range of investors. Whilst all investing should be considered long-term (with a minimum of 5 years), it can be helpful to understand how each fund is doing. Here’s some notable updates from our Propelle funds.

📈How global exposure is working for you

Speaking of global diversification, let’s take a look at how our funds have got you covered amidst big shifts in the global landscape. This week we’re spotlighting the BlackRock MyMap 5 ESG Select fund. It offers a globally diversified mix of assets, with around 70% invested in equities and the rest in bonds, adjusted dynamically based on market conditions.

This means your portfolio isn’t reliant on one country or sector to perform. Right now, that global mix is paying off – strong US tech performance, signs of recovery in Europe, and stabilisation in bond markets have helped push the fund to a +7.4% return over the past year (as of June 2025).

The ESG criteria add another layer of quality control, with the fund excluding companies that don’t meet strict standards – a strategy that continues to attract long-term institutional capital.

If you hold this fund in your Propelle portfolio, you’re already benefiting from broad international exposure, professional risk management, and a clear ESG framework designed to withstand market swings.

Source: BlackRock, June 2025.

Mini Market Deep Dive
📊 All eyes on the Bank of England: Rates held at 4.25% as expected

This week, the Bank of England made its next big call on interest rates and have decided to hold at 4.25%, whilst stating “interest rates remain on gradual downward path”.

Here’s the current picture:

UK inflation is stubborn, sitting at 3.4% in May – above the BoE’s 2% target which suggests pressure to maintain higher rates.

Unemployment has quietly crept up to 4.6%, the highest level in four years.

Oil prices are rising again due to tensions in the Middle East, pushing petrol costs and transport-linked inflation higher.
The Fed also held US rates for a fourth time this week, whilst the EU cut rates by 0.25% to 2.00% earlier this month.

The BoE has hinted at further cuts as early as August, with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) calling this week’s decision a “pit stop on the way down” – CBI economist Alpesh Palenja believe her will be three more rat cuts, gradually bringing rates down to 3.5% by “early next year”

Why does this matter to your money?

A hold means borrowing stays expensive, so mortgages, credit cards, and business loans remain tight. But rate cuts on the horizon could boost consumer confidence and lift sectors like real estate, retail, and growth stocks. For savers a hold means yields stay high for now, however a future cut could spark gains in equities and credit-sensitive assets. If you’re holding out for the “perfect” rate drop to start investing, remember that market timing is tricky, and the real power comes from consistency over time.
When investing capital is at risk.

Source: Bank of England, BBC, Reuters

Fear & Greed Index
FAG
The Fear & Greed Index is a way to gauge stock market movements and investor attitudes. The theory is based on the idea that excessive fear tends to drive down share prices, and greed tends to see share prices rise.

Whilst it’s based on the US, it matters to us in the UK because it helps us to understand where general sentiment of the US market sits, which often has very close ties to other global markets and investment portfolios.

We’re down to 54 from 61 last week, marking a shift from mild optimism back into neutral territory. While markets remain relatively stable, the drop suggests investors are growing slightly more cautious amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and mixed economic signals. Sentiment is still far from fearful, but this move highlights that confidence is cooling. As always, this is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding market mood. It’s important to consider the broader picture, keep an eye on global headlines and longer term market trends to help you put a clear plan in place when making financial decisions.

Source: CNN

Keep your eyes open for next week’s index and how these market movements affect your finances and investments.

Love,

The Propelle Team 💜