Motley Fool Premium
  1. Authors
    2. /
  2. Ben McPoland
    3. /

Ben McPoland

Ben is an investment writer who has contributed more than 1,800 articles for The Motley Fool UK. He has been managing his own ISA and SIPP portfolios for over a decade, focusing on high-quality companies benefitting from powerful growth trends. His favourite investing quote comes from Peter Lynch: “The real key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.”

Recent Articles

Red briefcase with the words Budget HM Treasury embossed in gold
Investing Articles

The Autumn Budget looms — but this FTSE 250 stock could be a quiet winner

| Ben McPoland

Grim sentiment around the Autumn Budget isn’t helping UK firms. But one firm is quietly getting stronger, and its share…

Read more »

Mature black couple enjoying shopping together in UK high street
Investing Articles

Yields above 5%! Here are my 2 favourite FTSE 100 dividend stocks 

| Ben McPoland

See why this pair of UK dividend stocks from the financial sector are my top picks to aim for steady…

Read more »

The Mall in Westminster, leading to Buckingham Palace
Investing Articles

Is ITM Power stock the next Nvidia?

| Ben McPoland

Nvidia stock has minted many millionaires over the past two decades. Might this UK small-cap at 72p be a future…

Read more »

Mother and Daughter Blowing Bubbles
Investing Articles

I asked ChatGPT if we’re in an AI bubble that might crash the stock market and it said…

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland reckons this leading FTSE 100 property portal will bounce back, despite stock market jitters about an AI bubble.

Read more »

Close-up of children holding a planet at the beach
Investing Articles

Meet the top growth stock down 63% that experts think will crush the S&P 500

| Ben McPoland

Roughly 88% of Wall Street analysts rate this growth stock a buy, with most of them seeing it as having…

Read more »

Friends at the bay near the village of Diabaig on the side of Loch Torridon in Wester Ross, Scotland. They are taking a break from their bike ride to relax and chat. They are laughing together.
Investing Articles

How the GLP-1 weight-loss boom could lift these FTSE 100 stocks

| Ben McPoland

If millions more people in the UK start taking weight-loss medications, this pair of FTSE 100 retailers should enjoy a…

Read more »

Road 2025 to 2032 new year direction concept
Investing Articles

2 growth stocks down 23% or more to consider for an ISA right now

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland spotlights two interesting growth stocks with the potential to become far bigger businesses over the next decade.

Read more »

Thoughtful man using his phone while riding on a train and looking through the window
Investing Articles

With an AI bubble inflating, should I sell Nvidia in my Stocks and Shares ISA?

| Ben McPoland

I recently trimmed my Nvidia stake above $200. But with stock market crash fears now swirling, should I dump the…

Read more »

Close-up image depicting a woman in her 70s taking British bank notes from her colourful leather wallet.
Investing Articles

This FTSE 100 income machine yielding 5.5% keeps pumping out dividends

| Ben McPoland

Imperial Brands has been dishing out dividends for decades. But after a strong share price run and with its current…

Read more »

Young brown woman delighted with what she sees on her screen
Investing Articles

Thank goodness I own this FTSE 100 share that’s up 13% today!

| Ben McPoland

Just 91 words was all it took to send this excellent FTSE 100 company's share price soaring 13% to another…

Read more »

photo of Union Jack flags bunting in local street party
Investing Articles

Down 43% and on a P/E of 10, this FTSE 250 stock looks like an absolute bargain

| Ben McPoland

Following a 43% nosedive since mid-December, Ben McPoland is stunned at how cheap this FTSE 250 technology stock has become.

Read more »

Black woman using smartphone at home, watching stock charts.
Investing Articles

I asked ChatGPT to build an ISA that pays me £1,000 a month in passive income

| Ben McPoland

ChatGPT can do many things really well, but what's it like at creating a top-notch passive income portfolio? Ben McPoland…

Read more »

Happy woman commuting on a train and checking her mobile phone while using headphones
Investing Articles

No savings at 35? Here’s how investing £500 a month could unlock a big second income

| Ben McPoland

Our writer shows how consistent investments each month in a Stocks and Shares ISA could lead to a £50,000+ annual…

Read more »

Front view of aircraft in flight.
Investing Articles

Rolls-Royce shares just got an Outperform rating

| Ben McPoland

A 10% dip in Rolls-Royce shares since September hasn't deterred one analyst team from giving the FTSE 100 stock a…

Read more »

Businessman hand stacking money coins with virtual percentage icons
Investing Articles

1 high-quality FTSE 250 investment trust to consider for growth

| Ben McPoland

Alphabet's CEO says artificial intelligence is the most profound technology humans are working on. This FTSE 250 investment trust offers…

Read more »

Silhouette of a bull standing on top of a landscape with the sun setting behind it
Investing Articles

1 top brand I’m buying in my Stocks and Shares ISA for the next 5 years 

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland reveals why he’s ready to pump more cash into this rising sportswear powerhouse inside his Stocks and Shares…

Read more »

UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

Is Raspberry Pi stock the next Nvidia?

| Ben McPoland

This interesting FTSE 250 tech stock has crashed 56% since January. Ben McPoland wonders whether it has any similarities with…

Read more »

Thoughtful man using his phone while riding on a train and looking through the window
Investing Articles

This growth stock down 50% reminds me of Netflix in 2009

| Ben McPoland

Netflix has been one of the best growth stocks of the past two decades. This writer sees some similarities in…

Read more »

Finger clicking a button marked 'Buy' on a keyboard
Investing Articles

Can my favourite UK stock soar 47% in my ISA by 2026? This top broker thinks so

| Ben McPoland

Of the 18 analyst teams covering this growth stock in my ISA, over 70% rate it as a Buy, with…

Read more »

Investing Articles

1 top-tier ETF to consider on the London Stock Exchange 

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland highlights an idea from the London Stock Exchange that offers exposure to the booming global aerospace and defence…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Meet the 7p penny stock ChatGPT says could be a hidden gem 

| Ben McPoland

This unique penny stock is 78% below an all-time high made in 2021. Is it a hidden gem? Ben McPoland…

Read more »

Playful senior couple in aprons dancing and smiling while preparing healthy dinner at home
Investing Articles

Up 53% in 2 years, has this FTSE 100 stock finally got its mojo back?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland sees a fruitful future ahead for this high-quality FTSE 100 stock after a rocky few years following the…

Read more »

Finger clicking a button marked 'Buy' on a keyboard
Investing Articles

I’ve just invested £3,000 in this UK stock in my ISA and SIPP 

| Ben McPoland

Our writer isn't messing about with this growth stock, and recently harvested some gains to double down on it inside…

Read more »

A senior man using hiking poles, on a hike on a coastal path along the coastline of Cornwall.
Investing Articles

3 key lessons from Warren Buffett’s final letter as CEO

| Ben McPoland

Warren Buffett has minted many millionaires over the decades due to his truly legendary track record investing in the stock…

Read more »

Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Down 17% in days, this top S&P 500 stock now looks on sale to me

| Ben McPoland

This dominant S&P 500 company has an incredible 3.54bn users logging on to at least one of its apps every…

Read more »

Concept of two young professional men looking at a screen in a technological data centre
Investing Articles

ChatGPT and Gemini warn AI is a 7/10 threat to this FTSE 100 stock

| Ben McPoland

If one artificial intelligence chatbot is to be believed, this high-quality FTSE 100 stock could be set to fall much…

Read more »

Portrait of pensive bearded senior looking on screen of laptop sitting at table with coffee cup.
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in Diageo shares just last week is now worth…

| Ben McPoland

Might Diageo finally be about to make long-suffering shareholders money again? Ben McPoland thinks the new CEO appointment is a…

Read more »

Frustrated young white male looking disconsolate while sat on his sofa holding a beer
Investing Articles

I was a huge fan of Greggs shares, then this happened…

| Ben McPoland

After years of strong performance, Greggs shares have fallen off a cliff in 2025. But this writer thinks the FTSE…

Read more »

piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Is the mother of all stock market crashes on the horizon?

| Ben McPoland

As AI enthusiasm keeps lifting the stock market, Ben McPoland highlights one under-the-radar UK share that might deserve investors’ attention.

Read more »

Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

Up 95% since April! Is this ex-penny stock ready to explode at 17p?

| Ben McPoland

This high-flying rare earth stock is still trading for pennies, potentially offering an opportunity for risk-tolerant investors.

Read more »

Young black woman walking in Central London for shopping
Investing Articles

5,000 Lloyds shares could pay this much passive income…

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland considers whether Lloyds shares still offer juicy passive income prospects after the huge bull run since 2020.

Read more »

Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

Dear Rolls-Royce shareholders, mark your calendars for 13 November

| Ben McPoland

Rolls-Royce shares have been stuck in neutral recently. But there could be a big catalyst coming up soon for this…

Read more »

Road 2025 to 2032 new year direction concept
Investing Articles

2 growth stocks I’m backing to grow my ISA by 2030 

| Ben McPoland

These two growth shares have not set the world on fire inside Ben McPoland's ISA. In fact, one has set…

Read more »

British union jack flag and Parliament house at city of Westminster in the background
Investing Articles

I asked ChatGPT if Rachel Reeves’ Budget will crash the UK stock market and it said…

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland will have his eye on one FTSE 100 dividend stock later this month if the Chancellor's Budget causes…

Read more »

The Mall in Westminster, leading to Buckingham Palace
Investing Articles

How much do you need in a Stocks and Shares ISA to target £766 a week in passive income?

| Ben McPoland

A Stocks and Shares ISA account shields dividends from the taxman, allowing portfolio returns to compound at a far higher…

Read more »

Artillery rocket system aimed to the sky and soldiers at sunset.
Investing Articles

BAE Systems or Rolls-Royce? Here’s the City’s share price verdict 

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland checks out the Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems share price and dividend forecasts to help him decide which FTSE…

Read more »

UK coloured flags waving above large crowd on a stadium sport match.
Investing Articles

Up 699% since April, 85% of analysts still rate this FTSE 250 stock as a Buy

| Ben McPoland

This blistering-hot FTSE 250 stock has quadrupled inside four months. Interestingly though, it still remains 76% beneath its five-year high.

Read more »

Three young adults drinking cans of J20 Spritz in a pub garden
Investing Articles

Down 55%, is now the time to buy Diageo shares for my ISA?

| Ben McPoland

Now languishing at a 10-year low, bombed-out Diageo shares appear dirt-cheap and are sporting a respectable dividend yield.

Read more »

Concept of two young professional men looking at a screen in a technological data centre
Investing Articles

Michael Burry just made a big bet against Palantir stock! Time to buy?

| Ben McPoland

The famed investor portrayed in the Hollywood film The Big Short thinks Palantir stock is in an AI bubble and…

Read more »

A senior woman and young girl help out in the greenhouse at the local farm.
Investing Articles

How much do you need in a SIPP to aim for a £37,430 pension income?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland shows how investing less than £1,000 per month in a SIPP can compound to create a portfolio near…

Read more »