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James Beard

After studying Business Economics at the University of Leicester, James completed a Master's degree in Development Economics. He then joined an accountancy firm in London and went on to qualify as a chartered accountant. James finished his career in practice as a Senior Assurance Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Middle East. He has since held various senior finance positions - mainly in SMEs but also in an AIM-listed company - in the energy, engineering and manufacturing sectors, both in the UK and Ireland. He is now a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and joined The Motley Fool in September 2023. James invests primarily in UK stocks through his Stocks and Shares ISA and Self-Invested Personal Pension Plan. He enjoys using his accountancy training to review annual reports and earnings releases in an attempt to identify potentially undervalued companies. He also likes dividend stocks and follows the tried and tested approach of reinvesting all of the income he earns buying more shares. His favourite investment quote comes from Warren Buffett. He once said: “Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."

Recent Articles

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

Is it time to consider this FTSE 250 12.4%-yielding dividend share?

| James Beard

With its double-digit yield catching his eye, our writer looks at one particular dividend share in the UK’s second-tier of…

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Grattan Bridge in Dublin, Ireland, on the River Liffey at sunset
Investing Articles

1 alternative to the FTSE 100’s housebuilders to consider

| James Beard

The share prices of the FTSE 100’s construction companies may be struggling but it’s a different story for Ireland’s largest…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Today’s fall in the Ashmore Group share price pushes its yield to 10.3%!

| James Beard

The Ashmore Group share price fell in early trading today after the group released its results. It means the stock’s…

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Young black female footballer training on stadium pitch
Investing Articles

With the football season under way, is it time to consider this FTSE stock?

| James Beard

Our writer considers taking a position in Celtic, current champions of the Scottish Premiership and the only soccer club listed…

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

Are Lloyds shares really worth 52% more than they were in February 2023?

| James Beard

Are Lloyds shares overvalued? Our writer takes a closer look at the recent financial performance of the bank to try…

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Thin line graph
Investing Articles

Is this an easy way of identifying potentially cheap FTSE shares?

| James Beard

Our writer thinks large FTSE share price falls are worthy of further investigation. Who knows, there could be a bargain…

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Young Caucasian girl showing and pointing up with fingers number three against yellow background
Investing Articles

3 reasons I see for the Legal & General share price wobble over the past month

| James Beard

Legal & General's share price has fallen more than 10% over the past month. Our writer considers the reasons for…

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Female Tesco employee holding produce crate
Investing Articles

What’s in store for the Tesco share price?

| James Beard

After increasing 55% over the past five years, our writer dusts off his crystal ball to consider the prospects for…

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Asian man looking concerned while studying paperwork at his desk in an office
Investing Articles

Down 20% in 2 months! Will the Greggs share price recover?

| James Beard

The Greggs share price has struggled since the baker's latest trading update. Our writer assesses the group’s performance against its…

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Low angle close up color image depicting a man holding a shopping basked filled with essential fresh groceries like bread and milk in the supermarket.
Investing Articles

Close to its 52-week high, here are 3 reasons why the Sainsbury’s share price could still move higher

| James Beard

In August, the Sainsbury’s share price reached a 12-month high. But our writer explains why he thinks there’s still some…

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Engineer Project Manager Talks With Scientist working on Computer
Investing Articles

After this weekend’s news, is it time to look again at the AstraZeneca share price?

| James Beard

Over the past year, the AstraZeneca share price has fallen 11%. But could news of a potentially game-changing new drug…

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Environmental technology concept.
Investing Articles

8 of the FTSE 250’s 11 highest-yielding passive income stocks have 1 thing in common

| James Beard

The UK’s second tier of listed companies appears to offer some great passive income opportunities. Our writer takes a closer…

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Workers at Whiting refinery, US
Investing Articles

36 reasons why I have no idea where the BP share price is going next (but I still own the stock)

| James Beard

The BP share price has risen 32% since reaching a 52-week low in April. But according to our writer, its…

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Warren Buffett at a Berkshire Hathaway AGM
Investing Articles

Is Warren Buffett behaving like the US stock market’s overheating?

| James Beard

Warren Buffett’s eponymous indicator has never been higher, suggesting that US equities are overvalued. But is the billionaire taking any…

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happy senior couple using a laptop in their living room to look at their financial budgets
Investing Articles

Starting with £20,000 in a SIPP, here’s how you could target £21,546 of passive income a year

| James Beard

Our writer considers how to go about aiming for a healthy five-figure second income from a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP).

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

1 FTSE 100 giant to consider for a Stocks and Shares ISA

| James Beard

Our writer thinks it’s worth considering the UK’s largest defence contractor as a possible candidate for inclusion in a Stocks…

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Santa Clara offices of NVIDIA
Investing Articles

The biggest stock market news of the week was… (no, it wasn’t Taylor Swift’s engagement)

| James Beard

Our writer takes a closer look at what he believes to be the most significant -- and consequential -- stock…

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Person holding magnifying glass over important document, reading the small print
Investing Articles

The Drax Group share price tanks after FCA investigation launched

| James Beard

Investors sent the Drax Group share price lower after an announcement that the Financial Conduct Authority is to carry out…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Take a look at the latest dividend forecast for Lloyds shares

| James Beard

Our writer considers how much income might be generated over the next three years from holding Lloyds Banking Group shares.

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Investing Articles

Gold’s soaring yet the Hochschild Mining share price tanks 16%. What’s going on?

| James Beard

Despite the price of gold being close to its 52-week high, our writer wants to know why the Hochschild Mining…

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many happy international football fans watching tv
Investing Articles

The JD Sports share price is up despite a mixed sales picture

| James Beard

After the first hour of trading today (27 August), the JD Sports share price was up around 5% following the…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Are the FTSE 100’s banks really cheap at the moment?

| James Beard

Our writer takes a look at the FTSE 100’s five banking stocks and considers whether the sector currently offers good…

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Storytelling image of a multiethnic senior couple in love - Elderly married couple dating outdoors, love emotions and feelings
Investing Articles

My favourite FTSE 100 share for dividends is…

| James Beard

Before identifying his number one FTSE 100 income share, our writer considers the wide variation in yields currently on offer…

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Young Black woman looking concerned while in front of her laptop
Investing Articles

It’s been a terrible week for the FTSE 250’s WH Smith!

| James Beard

Our writer reflects on a disastrous period for a well-known FTSE stock that’s uncovered a major accounting problem on the…

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

It’s been a great week for this FTSE 250 legend. But will it last?

| James Beard

Our writer reflects on the recent share price performance of a FTSE 250 icon that’s hit the buffers since becoming…

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Business woman creating images with artificial intelligence inside office
Investing Articles

Here’s why I think AI makes passive income more important than ever

| James Beard

Our writer explains why the rise of artificial intelligence means he’s doubling down on his efforts to earn more passive…

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Emma Raducanu for Vodafone billboard animation at Piccadilly Circus, London
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in Vodafone shares in 2000 would now be worth…

| James Beard

Vodafone shares are worth a fraction of what they were when the FTSE 100 telecoms group became the UK’s largest…

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Rolls-Royce engineer working on an engine
Investing Articles

2 reasons why Rolls-Royce shares could take off!

| James Beard

Rolls-Royce shares have outperformed all others on the FTSE 100 over the past three years. Our writer remains optimistic about…

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

£5,000 invested in Lloyds shares in August 2020 is now worth…

| James Beard

Lloyds shares have performed brilliantly since August 2020 but our writer has some concerns about the bank’s exposure to the…

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

‘Asia’s Warren Buffett’ has a stake in BYD. Should I?

| James Beard

Li Lu’s approach to investing has been likened to that of Warren Buffett. They also both have a stake in…

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London offices of Standard Chartered
Investing Articles

After hitting a 52-week high, the share price of this FTSE 100 bank’s plunged 8.9%. What’s going on?

| James Beard

Our writer reflects on a particularly turbulent week for Standard Chartered, the FTSE 100 (INDEXFTSE:UKX) international banking group.

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House models and one with REIT - standing for real estate investment trust - written on it.
Investing Articles

These 2 FTSE stocks could benefit from the growth of AI and the demand for new data centres

| James Beard

Our writer’s been examining the potential impact of artificial intelligence on two FTSE stocks with exposure to the property sector.

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UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

Where are all the UK’s AI shares?

| James Beard

Our writer’s searching for UK shares likely to benefit from cutting-edge technological developments predicted to change our lives.

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Passive and Active: text from letters of the wooden alphabet on a green chalk board
Investing Articles

How much do you need in a Stocks and Shares ISA to target £37,544 of passive income a year?

| James Beard

Our writer does some number-crunching to see how much an investor would need in an ISA to aim for a…

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Rolls-Royce engineer working on an engine
Investing Articles

Could AI lift the Rolls-Royce share price by 93% and make the group the UK’s number 1?

| James Beard

Our writer considers the long-term prospects for the Rolls-Royce share price following recent comments made by the group’s boss.

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Branch of NatWest bank
Investing Articles

After recording a 52-week high, is there any value left in the NatWest share price?

| James Beard

As the NatWest Group share price continues its impressive rally, our writer considers the bank’s prospects for the next few…

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Workers at Whiting refinery, US
Investing Articles

Where next for the BP share price?

| James Beard

Since the start of 2025, the BP share price has underwhelmed. Even so, our writer reckons the energy giant's stock…

Read more »

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

This FTSE 100 stock’s forecast to outperform Rolls-Royce shares over the next 12 months

| James Beard

Analysts reckon Rolls-Royce shares are fairly priced at the moment. And there’s another FTSE 100 stock predicted to do better.

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Young Caucasian man making doubtful face at camera
Investing Articles

What should I do with my Persimmon shares after today’s earnings release?

| James Beard

Despite announcing a solid set of results, the price of Persimmon shares fell today (13 August). Our writer considers whether…

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Man putting his card into an ATM machine while his son sits in a stroller beside him.
Investing Articles

How will the Lloyds share price be affected by today’s Supreme Court ruling?

| James Beard

Today’s legal judgement will have implications for the Lloyds share price. But our writer thinks the bank has bigger issues…

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