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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

Business woman creating images with artificial intelligence inside office
Investing Articles

Can a new AI deal with Google give the Vodafone share price a fresh boost?

| Alan Oscroft

The Vodafone share price has needed something to shake it up for some time. Is this 10-year deal just what…

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British pound data
Investing Articles

How I’d invest £1,000 a month to aim for a passive income of £45,000 a year

| Alan Oscroft

Here's how a mixed growth strategy might be the way I'd try to target long-term passive income, if I were…

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Close-up of a woman holding modern polymer ten, twenty and fifty pound notes.
Investing Articles

When I look for dividend shares to buy, should I just go for the biggest yields?

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 100 is having a strong year in 2024 so far. But there are still some great yields offered…

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

What’s the dividend forecast for BT shares? Here’s what the experts say

| Alan Oscroft

Have I made a mistake in not buying BT shares for the dividend, even while watching the share price dip…

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Hand of person putting wood cube block with word VALUE on wooden table
Investing Articles

These might just be the cheapest FTSE 100 shares for me to buy next

| Alan Oscroft

There are many ways we can consider which are the best UK shares to buy at any time. I'm seeing…

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Young Woman Drives Car With Dog in Back Seat
Investing Articles

Can the Tesla share price beat September’s 22% climb in October?

| Alan Oscroft

All the techie attention seems to have drifted away from the Tesla share price at the moment. But October could…

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Female Tesco employee holding produce crate
Investing Articles

After a bumper first half gives the Tesco share price a boost, should I buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Tesco share price is having a great year, and these first-half figures show us why. Here's how the stock…

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High flying easyJet women bring daughters to work to inspire next generation of women in STEM
Investing Articles

Here’s why the easyJet share price climbed 9% in September, and what happened next

| Alan Oscroft

The easyJet share price had been having a good September. But the latest events in the Middle East have knocked…

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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

Is JD Sports a buy for me, as the share price falls on H1 results?

| Alan Oscroft

Mixed first-half figures lead to a drop in the JD Sports Fashion share price, despite strong management optimism for the…

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Aviva logo on glass meeting room door
Investing Articles

With a 7% yield, here’s the dividend forecast for Aviva shares

| Alan Oscroft

With a big cash payout, and solid forecasts for the next few years, what's not to like about Aviva shares?…

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The flag of the United States of America flying in front of the Capitol building
Investing Articles

Which is better for UK investors, the FTSE 100 or the S&P 500?

| Alan Oscroft

Despite being home to mostly international companies, the FTSE 100 has a valuation that's very different from the US stock…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

Can buying penny shares really make me rich?

| Alan Oscroft

Are penny shares a route to quick riches, or a pit for investors to throw all their money into? Or…

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

Is this stock with an 8.8% dividend yield a no-brainer for passive income?

| Alan Oscroft

Some high yields right now look really good as passive income candidates. But we need to take care, and not…

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Close-up as a woman counts out modern British banknotes.
Investing Articles

These are my 3 top FTSE 250 dividend shares to consider buying right now

| Alan Oscroft

There are some FTSE 250 stocks offering attractive dividend yields at the moment. These three picks have something else in…

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Petrochemical engineer working at night with digital tablet inside oil and gas refinery plant
Investing Articles

Where might the BP share price go in the next 12 months? Here’s what the experts say

| Alan Oscroft

The BP share price has been falling in recent months. But forecasters seem to think it has a bright future,…

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Young black woman in a wheelchair working online from home
Investing Articles

Where might the boohoo share price go in the next 12 months? Here’s what the experts say

| Alan Oscroft

The boohoo share price has become one of the stock market's biggest disappointments. But where do City analysts expect it…

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Rolls-Royce's Pearl 10X engine series
Investing Articles

When will the Rolls-Royce share price hit £6?

| Alan Oscroft

The Rolls-Royce share price just keeps on heading up and up as if the sky's the limit. But how high…

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British coins and bank notes scattered on a surface
Investing Articles

Is this the best reason to consider buying Lloyds shares right now?

| Alan Oscroft

As interest rate cuts start coming along, are we likely to see any benefit for Lloyds bank shares? US history…

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Iberian plane on runway
Investing Articles

Where might the IAG share price go in the next 12 months? Here’s what the experts say

| Alan Oscroft

The International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) share price has had a terrible five years. But analysts see it as a Buy…

Read more »

Diverse children studying outdoors
Investing Articles

These are my 3 top FTSE 100 dividend shares to consider buying right now

| Alan Oscroft

Despite a strong year for the UK stock market, we still have a large number of attractive Footsie dividend shares…

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UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

Where might the BT share price go in the next 12 months? Here’s what the experts say

| Alan Oscroft

The BT Group share price has had a good few months, following a lengthy painful spell. The big question now…

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

Want to make millions like Warren Buffett? Here’s how to avoid his mistakes

| Alan Oscroft

Just look at that Warren Buffett bloke and all the investing mistakes he's made over the years... What do you…

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

Here’s the 1 UK growth stock I’d buy for the AI revolution

| Alan Oscroft

The UK doesn't have many growth stocks competing in the global race for artificial intelligence domination. But this newcomer looks…

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

As the Smiths Group share price drops 7% on results day, I ask if it’s cheap

| Alan Oscroft

The Smiths Group share price had been having a good year, but it just dipped even though full-year profits and…

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

I’m thinking of buying these cheap passive income stocks right now

| Alan Oscroft

I'm searching for passive income stocks for my 2024 Stocks and Shares ISA. The big problem? There are too many…

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

Here’s why we could be in for a golden decade for FTSE 100 dividend shares

| Alan Oscroft

We seem to start each year with bumper FTSE 100 dividend forecasts, and then through the year they keep being…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

Here’s how much 10 years of dividends from Lloyds shares could be worth

| Alan Oscroft

Forecasting where Lloyds shares will go in the next 10 years is near impossible. But that shouldn't stop us from…

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A senior group of friends enjoying rowing on the River Derwent
Investing Articles

How much do I need to invest in UK shares to retire on the passive income they earn?

| Alan Oscroft

Investing in a diversified portfolio of dividend stocks can generate a nice passive income to help long-term investors to retire…

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

Is it finally time for me to buy this FTSE 100 dividend star?

| Alan Oscroft

I think most of my favourite FTSE 100 income stocks still look like they're very good value today. This one's…

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Close-up as a woman counts out modern British banknotes.
Investing Articles

If I had to buy just 1 FTSE 100 passive income stock for the next 10 years, this would be it

| Alan Oscroft

Wouldn't it be scary having to pick only one passive income stock to hold for a decade? But if someone…

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

If I’d put just £1,000 into Nvidia stock 5 years ago, here’s how much I’d have now

| Alan Oscroft

The Nvidia stock price has fallen since we saw estimate-busting Q2 earnings at the end of August. But it's still…

Read more »

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

This FTSE 100 stock looks back on course, and I think it’s still cheap

| Alan Oscroft

Shares in this FTSE 100 stock didn't react too well to the lastest news release, even though the company beat…

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BUY AND HOLD spelled in letters on top of a pile of books. Alongside is a piggy bank in glasses. Buy and hold is a popular long term stock and shares strategy.
Investing Articles

My 5 favourite stocks to consider buying right now

| Alan Oscroft

As I see the stock market outlook getting brighter, I'm building up my list of potential stocks to buy in…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

Here’s why September could be a great time to start a Stocks and Shares ISA

| Alan Oscroft

I wonder how many people, like me, still haven't got their 2024 Stocks and Shares ISA going properly yet? Best…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Analysts expect big dividend jumps from these FTSE 250 income stocks

| Alan Oscroft

These are some of the FTSE 250 stocks I like as I believe they could reward dividend investors strongly in…

Read more »

Two business people sitting at cafe working on new project using laptop. Young businesswoman taking notes and businessman working on laptop computer.
Investing Articles

I’d buy 2,000 shares of this dividend stock to aim for an extra £200 of monthly passive income

| Alan Oscroft

Here's one blue-chip UK stock 'd buy if I had the cash to spare as I think it could help…

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Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

I wouldn’t touch Nvidia stock with a bargepole right now

| Alan Oscroft

It seems that Nvidia stock's the one everyone is raving about buying, as it beat expectations again. Well, not me,…

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

Dividend shares to consider buying while their prices are this cheap

| Alan Oscroft

Dividend shares are becoming more attractive as interest rates fall. But I don't think the market has caught up, and…

Read more »

Close-up of a woman holding modern polymer ten, twenty and fifty pound notes.
Investing Articles

Cheap penny stocks to consider buying in September

| Alan Oscroft

I keep looking at my top penny stocks, and I keep finding they've climbed and I missed them. But there…

Read more »

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

Here’s why the National Grid share price might make it the FTSE 100’s best buy

| Alan Oscroft

The National Grid share price was shaken at FY results time. But has everyone noticed how it's been creeping back…

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