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Alan Oscroft

Alan is a freelance writer who began writing for The Motley Fool in the late 1990s. He has been a private investor for more 30 years, and has explored a number of strategies, settling on high-yielding blue-chip shares.

Recent Articles

Investing Articles

If I’d put £10k in BP shares 5 years ago, here’s how much I’d have today

| Alan Oscroft

The last five years haven't treated BP shares too badly. But here's why I think shareholders could be in for…

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Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d aim for a million from FTSE 100 shares, starting now

| Alan Oscroft

Is hitting the magic milestone of a million pounds from FTSE 100 shares a realistic goal for a new investor?…

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Middle-aged white man wearing glasses, staring into space over the top of his laptop in a coffee shop
Investing Articles

Looking for cheap income shares? Here are two with 6%+ yields to consider buying

| Alan Oscroft

The prices of these two income shares are down, for different reasons. But the resulting high dividend yields look good…

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Investing Articles

If I’d put £10k in BT shares 5 years ago, here’s how much I’d have now

| Alan Oscroft

BT shares have fallen a long way this century. But they have a habit of bouncing back from time to…

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One English pound placed on a graph to represent an economic down turn
Investing Articles

3 penny stocks I think could smash through £1

| Alan Oscroft

When we buy penny stocks, we want them to grow past 100p and stop selling for pennies, right? I reckon…

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Investing Articles

I’d buy 55k Barclays shares to target an annual £5k second income

| Alan Oscroft

Will Barclays make up a part of my second income plan for my retirement? As part of my diversified investments,…

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Investing Articles

With an 8.6% dividend, is the Legal & General share price set for a 2024 surge?

| Alan Oscroft

The Legal & General share price is down in 2023, along with its insurance peers. But the underlying business looks…

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Investing Articles

Never mind a stock market crash, I’d buy these cheap passive income shares now

| Alan Oscroft

Should passive income investors snap up today's big FTSE 100 dividend yields, or wait for share prices to fall even…

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Businessman use electronic pen writing rising colorful graph from 2023 to 2024 year of business planning and stock investment growth concept.
Investing Articles

This is one of my top FTSE 100 growth stocks to consider buying today

| Alan Oscroft

We're getting lots of news from FTSE 100 stocks right now. But who says the top index is only for…

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Investing Articles

Here’s why I’d invest £200 a month in cheap FTSE 250 shares, starting now

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 250 has easily beaten the FTSE 100 since its start. Now, after a weak 2023, could mid-cap stocks…

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Smiling young man sitting in cafe and checking messages, with his laptop in front of him.
Investing Articles

As the Sage share price jumps 10%, is there still time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Sage share price is one of the big FTSE 100 winners of the past five years. And we just…

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Young mixed-race couple sat on the beach looking out over the sea
Investing Articles

The easyJet share price is down 70% since the crash. It could be time to consider buying

| Alan Oscroft

I'm really starting to like the look of the easyJet share price, still way down since the slump. We're a…

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Investing Articles

If I’d put 10k in Rolls-Royce shares 3 years ago, here’s how much I’d have now

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares have soared in the past year, and made good money for shareholders. But what can we learn by…

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Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

Better high-yield buy: Phoenix Group vs M&G shares?

| Alan Oscroft

Which is the better long-term income buy, M&G or Phoenix Group shares? It's a tricky choice, and I wonder if…

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Mature couple in a discussion while eating a meal in a restaurant.
Investing Articles

Does the Compass share price make it a hidden FTSE 100 gem?

| Alan Oscroft

Revenue, earnings, cash, and dividends all grew strongly in 2023, but the Compass share price dipped on the news. Funny…

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

3 signs the FTSE 100 could be set to soar in 2024

| Alan Oscroft

Cheap shares, big dividends, rising earnings... what's not to like about FTSE 100 shares? Well, the economy isn't too hot,…

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

With a P/E ratio of 6, is the Lloyds share price too cheap to ignore?

| Alan Oscroft

When a FTSE 100 bank is on such a low valuation, it's surely a no-brainer buy -- or a big…

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A senior man and his wife holding hands walking up a hill on a footpath looking away from the camera at the view. The fishing village of Polperro is behind them.
Investing Articles

I’d buy 57k shares of this FTSE financial stock to target a £10k annual second income

| Alan Oscroft

Does it make sense to buy financial stocks right now, to try to build a second income? It might just…

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Young woman working at modern office. Technical price graph and indicator, red and green candlestick chart and stock trading computer screen background.
Investing Articles

I’d buy 77k shares of this FTSE 100 bank stock to target a £1k monthly passive income

| Alan Oscroft

How can we aim to earn a long-term passive income? For me, it's by buying dividend-paying Footsie stocks every time.

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’m following Warren Buffett to pick my best shares to buy

| Alan Oscroft

Never mind all those get-rich-quick punters out there, Warren Buffett has done it slowly, and made his shareholders very rich…

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

£10,000 in savings? I’d put some of it in beaten-down FTSE 250 shares

| Alan Oscroft

So the FTSE 250 is for growth stocks, leaving the blue-chip Footsie index for dividend stocks? Rubbish, I think, and…

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Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

With the Melrose share price up 90%+ in a year, is there still time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Melrose Industries share price has soared in 2023, with earnings growth forecast for the next two years. Is it…

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Affectionate Asian senior mother and daughter using smartphone together at home, smiling joyfully
Investing Articles

Starting a Stocks and Shares ISA in 2024: here’s what the experts say

| Alan Oscroft

Shaky UK share prices might scare people away from a Stocks and Shares ISA right now. But I say we…

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Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

Here’s how big share buybacks could boost these low bank stock prices

| Alan Oscroft

So many FTSE 100 companies are engaged in share buybacks right now, but can they really make a difference for…

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Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

I’d buy 4,300 shares of this FTSE 100 financial stock to aim for £1,000 a month passive income

| Alan Oscroft

There are many ways to earn a passive income. But there's only one way for me, and that's putting my…

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Investing Articles

With an 8.5% dividend, is the Taylor Wimpey share price set to surge?

| Alan Oscroft

The Taylor Wimpey share price is recovering, but the dividend yield is still massive. I'm looking at locking in some…

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Investing Articles

As the Marks & Spencer share price climbs 10%, is it time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Marks & Spencer share price has doubled in the past year after the company stormed back into the FTSE…

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

What would it take for the Lloyds share price to climb 5X?

| Alan Oscroft

We'd all love to find a five-bagger in our investments, wouldn't we? Could we see it from the Lloyds share…

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a couple embrace in front of their new home
Investing Articles

As the Persimmon share price rises, should we buy before it’s too late?

| Alan Oscroft

The Persimmon share price is still down in the dumps after collapsing in 2022. But we have a flicker of…

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Businesswoman analyses profitability of working company with digital virtual screen
Investing Articles

Here’s why FTSE 100 dividend stocks could shine in 2024

| Alan Oscroft

Forecasts have been cut back a bit, but UK dividend stocks could still be set for the best few years…

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Mature couple at the beach
Investing Articles

Forget the State Pension, here’s how I want to plan my retirement

| Alan Oscroft

The UK State Pension can give us a start to retirement, and it's a nice thing to have. But the…

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Investing Articles

As the BT share price jumps 6%, is it time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The BT share price has made a good start to the day as the telecoms giant beat first-half expectations. Is…

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Investing Articles

Which is better value, the AstraZeneca or GSK share price?

| Alan Oscroft

The GSK share price has fallen behind in the past few years. But do Q3 earnings mean we should expect…

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Businesswoman analyses profitability of working company with digital virtual screen
Investing Articles

With 8%+ dividends, how long can these FTSE 100 passive income stocks stay cheap?

| Alan Oscroft

Investing in UK stocks for passive income? I am, and I see so many big yields out there I'm spoiled…

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Group of young friends toasting each other with beers in a pub
Investing Articles

This beaten-down FTSE 250 growth stock just jumped 25%. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Growth investors haven't really had much to shout about in 2023. But could this FTSE-leading share price spike change all…

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Young Caucasian woman with pink her studying from her laptop screen
Investing Articles

The downtrodden Pearson share price is on the way up. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

With earnings growth and cash flow looking better, I wonder if the Pearson share price could be set for a…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

I’d buy 11,000 shares of this FTSE 100 financial stock to aim for £1,000 a month second income

| Alan Oscroft

What's the secret to earning a second income to help fund our retirement? For me, it's all about buying good…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

With the Lloyds share price in the dumps, should the bank be broken up?

| Alan Oscroft

What should investors want from a persistently low Lloyds share price, and what should the company do to boost shareholder…

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Investing Articles

Can the beaten-down Aviva share price ever reach £7 again?

| Alan Oscroft

The Aviva share price has been disappointing investors for years. But there could be a return to earnings growth on…

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Happy young female stock-picker in a cafe
Investing Articles

These beaten-down FTSE 100 stocks could get my money in 2024

| Alan Oscroft

As this year moves towards its close, I reckon I see more good value FTSE 100 stocks than I remember…

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