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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

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

As the NatWest share price closes in on a new 5-year high, will it soon be too late to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The NatWest share price has climbed strongly so far in 2024, as the whole bank sector has been enjoying a…

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2024 year number handwritten on a sandy beach at sunrise
Investing Articles

A Q1 trading update pushes the Beazley share price up a bit more. Is it still cheap?

| Alan Oscroft

The Beazley share price has been motoring up in what might turn out to be the start of a 2024…

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Tesco employee helping female customer
Investing Articles

How much passive income could I earn if I buy Tesco shares today?

| Alan Oscroft

Buying Tesco shares has rewarded investors with solid dividends for decades, and the foreacast shows more years of growth ahead.

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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

Could the Rolls-Royce share price surge be back on again?

| Alan Oscroft

The Rolls-Royce share price peaked in early 2024, and then started to fall back... and then picked up again. Here's…

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Young mixed-race woman jumping for joy in a park with confetti falling around her
Investing Articles

3 things that could push the Lloyds share price towards £1

| Alan Oscroft

Is it too early to think about the Lloyds share price getting up close to £1? Almost certainly. But I'm…

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Exterior of BT Group head office - One Braham, London
Investing Articles

How much passive income could I make if I buy BT shares today?

| Alan Oscroft

BT Group shares offer a very tempting dividend right now, way above the FTSE 100 average. But it's far from…

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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

With a 10%+ dividend yield, is this overlooked gem the best FTSE 100 stock to buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

Many a FTSE 100 stock offers a good yield now, although that could change as the index rises. This one…

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

£10k in an ISA? I’d use it to aim for an annual £1k second income

| Alan Oscroft

Want a second income without having to take on a second job? With a bit of money up front, and…

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

Barclays’ share price jumps 5% on Q1 news. Will it soon be too late to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Barclays share price has been having a great time this year, as a solid Q1 gives it another boost.…

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ISA coins
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d aim for a ton of passive income from £20k in an ISA

| Alan Oscroft

To get the best passive income from an ISA, I think we need to balance risk with the potential rewards.…

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

This new boost in assets might just get the abrdn share price moving again

| Alan Oscroft

The abrdn share price has lost half its value in the past five years. But with investor confidence returning, are…

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Bus waiting in front of the London Stock Exchange on a sunny day.
Investing Articles

The top 5 investment trusts to buy in a resurgent UK stock market?

| Alan Oscroft

These were the five most popular investment trusts at Hargreaves Lansdown in April. And they're not the ones I'd have…

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Investing Articles

The smartest dividend stocks to consider buying with £500 right now

| Alan Oscroft

In the past few years, the UK stock market’s been a great place to find dividend stocks paying top yields.…

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Investing Articles

As the FTSE 100 hits an all-time high, are the days of cheap shares coming to an end?

| Alan Oscroft

The signs suggest that confidence and optimism are finally getting the FTSE 100 back on track, as the index hits…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

The Anglo American share price dips on Q1 production update. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Anglo American share price has fallen hard in the past two years, after a very tough 2023. But I…

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Stack of British pound coins falling on list of share prices
Investing Articles

Is the Lloyds share price high enough now?

| Alan Oscroft

Fundamental measures suggest the Lloyds Banking Group share price is too low. Here are some reasons why it might stay…

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

As the Rolls-Royce share price falls, has a big correction just started?

| Alan Oscroft

Is the Rolls-Royce share price heading for a 20% fall? Or is there a new 20% rise on the cards?…

Read more »

Aviva logo on glass meeting room door
Investing Articles

Here’s what dividend forecasts could do for the Aviva share price

| Alan Oscroft

Even after the turnaround of the past few years, the Aviva share price doesn't seem to want to move very…

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Workers at Whiting refinery, US
Investing Articles

Here’s what dividend forecasts could do for the BP share price in the next three years

| Alan Oscroft

I can understand why the BP share price is low, as oil's increasingly seen as evil. But BP's a cash…

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

Here’s what dividend forecasts could do for the BT share price in the next 3 years

| Alan Oscroft

With the BT share price down so low, the dividend looks very nice indeed. The company's debt is off-putting, though.…

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Young mixed-race woman jumping for joy in a park with confetti falling around her
Investing Articles

Forecasts are down, but I see a bright future for FTSE 100 dividend stocks

| Alan Oscroft

Cash forecasts for UK dividend stocks are falling... time to panic! Actually, no. I reckon the future has never looked…

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Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

As the Rentokil share price dips on Q1 news, I ask if it’s time to buy

| Alan Oscroft

The Rentokil Initial share price has disappointed investors in the past 12 months. Could this be the year we get…

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

Down 50% in 5 years, this is the FTSE 250 stock I want to buy now

| Alan Oscroft

Think the FTSE 100 is the only place to find top value dividend stocks? I think this FTSE 250 stock…

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

Does a 30% price drop make YouGov one of the best AIM shares to buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

The YouGov share price has fallen by nearly a third in two months. So, does it now make it on…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

Is this news just what the Entain share price needs for a fresh boost?

| Alan Oscroft

The Entain share price has fallen in the past few years. But the latest Q1 update suggests the future is…

Read more »

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

Here’s why the Vodafone share price could be a big FTSE 100 winner in 2024

| Alan Oscroft

What's the best thing about the Vodafone share price being down so low? When pessimism is at its worst, it…

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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

Could the FTSE 100 be set to soar in 2024?

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 100 keeps threatening to go off on a growth spree. And weak sentiment keeps holding it back. But…

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Group of four young adults toasting with Flying Horse cans in Brazil
Investing Articles

£8,000 in savings? I’d use it as a start to aim for £30k a year in passive income

| Alan Oscroft

Here's how regular investing in the UK stock market, over the long term, could help us build up some nice…

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Electric cars charging in station
Investing Articles

Here’s why I wouldn’t touch Tesla stock with a bargepole

| Alan Oscroft

I think Tesla stock could be a good long-term investment right now, especially in this tough year. But here's why…

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

Here’s why the FTSE 100 is still my top choice for dividend income

| Alan Oscroft

If we invest for long-term dividend income, we surely want to buy stocks on markets with lower values and higher…

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Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

NIO stock has crashed! Here’s why I still wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole

| Alan Oscroft

I've been watching NIO stock falling heavily, and wondering when might be a good time to get in cheaply. Here's…

Read more »

Young mixed-race woman jumping for joy in a park with confetti falling around her
Investing Articles

Here’s what dividend forecasts could do for the Lloyds share price in the next three years

| Alan Oscroft

The Lloyds Bank share price is picking up, but banking still look like the sick sector of the stock market,…

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Rolls-Royce engineer working on an engine
Investing Articles

Is the Rolls-Royce share price heading for a fall?

| Alan Oscroft

I love seeing the Rolls-Royce share price keep on climbing up and up... until it stops. Here, I’m examining valuations…

Read more »

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

The Helium One share price: is the only way up?

| Alan Oscroft

The Helium One share price has had a bit of a boost from news in 2024. But it's barely started…

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

After rising 11% in March, where will the Barclays share price go in April and beyond?

| Alan Oscroft

Is a new bull run for UK bank stocks finally under way, after a good month? And is the Barclays…

Read more »

ISA coins
Investing Articles

Cheap FTSE 250 stocks to consider for a new Stocks and Shares ISA

| Alan Oscroft

Millions of UK investors will be thinking about their 2024 ISAs right now. Here are a few FTSE 250 stocks…

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

I’d invest my 2024 Stocks and Shares ISA in these overlooked FTSE 100 stocks

| Alan Oscroft

I'm searching for long-term ISA investments for 2024, and I've been digging through some unloved FTSE 100 shares.

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'2024' art concept overlaid on a stock screener
Investing Articles

Is Premier African Minerals the best penny stock to buy for 2024?

| Alan Oscroft

Premier African Minerals stock saw a boom and bust in 2023. But it looks like cash generation could be tantalizingly…

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

I’d target £1,000 a month in passive income, from this FTSE 100 value stock

| Alan Oscroft

I aim for passive income through buying good value dividend stocks in my Stocks and Shares ISA. Here's one to…

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Jumbo jet preparing to take off on a runway at sunset
Investing Articles

After climbing 20% in March, what next for the IAG share price?

| Alan Oscroft

Warren Buffett has bought airline stocks and sold them too. Looking at the IAG share price, should investors consider buying…

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