Stock investing ideas: here’s how I’d try and turn a £1,000 lump sum into £10,000

Jonathan Smith shows from an example portfolio that his stock investing idea of trying to turn a grand into £10,000 is possible with the right elements.

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

There are plenty of stock investing ideas out there, but a lot depends on what I’m looking to achieve. For example, I could focus on ideas that build passive income up over time. Or if I think an impending stock market crash is coming, I’d look at ideas designed to protect myself. For this article, I want to look at ideas for high capital growth, with the aim of eventually turning a pot of £1,000 into a sum worth £10,000.

An example to show the possibility

To begin with, I want to say that this stock investing idea is entirely plausible. Of course, it’ll take a few years to achieve and isn’t guaranteed, but if I could generate that kind of return overnight, I’d be very suspicious!

Let’s say I took a timeframe of five years looking backwards. If I’d split my £1,000 into an equal mix of Ocado, Games Workshop, Future, Anglo American and Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, I’d have turned my £1,000 into over £10,000. Looking at those stocks, it’s plausible for me to have picked those as well. They aren’t obscure AIM penny stocks that are hunting for gold in Africa.

Now I’ve shown an example of a portfolio that would have achieved my stock investing idea goal, let’s break it down further. Looking at that example from the past can help me to plan for the future.

To begin with, I need to diversify my £1,000. I don’t want to buy too many stocks, so maybe half a dozen is the maximum I’d look for. I also need to diversify the industries I invest in. For the above example, all the businesses operate in very different areas. They ranges from finance to commodities, food and gaming. After all, I’m not sure over the next five years which industry is going to be super hot. So spreading my risk should help in this regard.

Patience needed

Another element to my stock investing idea is the patience needed. It’s very tempting to want to take profit and sell a stock when I’ve made 10% or so. Even if I’m up 100%, I need to be patient and let the stocks play out over time. This is because of my goal of trying to turn the £1,000 into £10,000.

Patience is also needed when the stocks I buy have negative days. Even the stocks mentioned in the example portfolio didn’t go in a perfect straight line higher. There will be days when my portfolio will be in the red, and I need to resist the urge to sell. It’s all about having the right vision of holding the stocks as long as is needed, given that I believe in their potential.

Don’t get me wrong, this idea is ambitious. There are plenty of other stock investing ideas out there that look to set goals that are more conservative. But if I want to try and get my lump sum up to £10,000, I need to have the mindset of thinking big.

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

jonathansmith1 has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK owns shares of Games Workshop. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

Investing Articles

I asked ChatGPT to name the best FTSE 100 stock and it picked this engineering giant

Dr James Fox asked generative artificial intelligence to name the best stock to invest in on the FTSE 100 in…

Read more »

Closeup of "interest rates" text in a newspaper
Investing Articles

Why I think right now could be the best time to buy UK stocks in over 20 years

UK bond yields hitting multi-decade highs are causing UK stocks to fall. Stephen Wright thinks there are opportunities, but investors…

Read more »

Pink 3D image of the numbers '2025' growing in size
Investing Articles

Could 2025 be the year of the great Lloyds share price recovery?

Analyst sentiment towards the Lloyds Bank share price is improving as we head into 2025, despite the short-term risks it…

Read more »

Investing Articles

1 growth stock that could soar 105%, according to Wall Street experts

This Fool has his eye on an innovative growth stock that has plunged by 80% since early 2021. But what…

Read more »

Investing Articles

No savings at 40? How £10 a day could grow into £8,273 of passive income a year!

This writer reckons it's entirely realistic for an investor to save a tenner a day to aim for an attractive…

Read more »

Young Asian man drinking coffee at home and looking at his phone
Investing Articles

2 super-value FTSE 100 shares to consider right now!

These FTSE 100 shares offer a blend of low price-to-earnings (P/E) multiples and 6%+dividend yields. Here's why I think they're…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Prediction: these FTSE 100 stocks could be among 2025’s big winners

Picking the coming year's FTSE 100 winners isn't an easy task, but we're all thinking about it at this time…

Read more »

Investing Articles

This UK dividend share is currently yielding 8.1%!

Our writer’s been looking at a FTSE 250 dividend share that -- due to its impressive 8%+ yield -- is…

Read more »