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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

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Investing Articles

Here’s why I think the Direct Line share price could soar by 2025

| Alan Oscroft

The Direct Line share price just got a boost from some good news. I think we might be seeing the…

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

3 FTSE 100 shares under 200p to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

Where should we look for cheap FTSE 100 shares? We could always start at the bottom, among the lowest share…

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Investing Articles

I’d put £20,000 in these 3 stocks, for a £4,435 annual second income

| Alan Oscroft

I reckon investors seeking a second income from UK shares have one of the best opportunities that we've seen in…

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

Just how high could the Nvidia share price go?

| Alan Oscroft

The Nvidia share price has trebled in just a year, when tech stocks in general have looked a bit weak.…

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Investing Articles

M&S shares are back in the FTSE 100! Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Here's why this could be the best time to buy Marks and Spencer (M&S) shares in the past 20 years,…

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Investing Articles

How to build passive income with just £250 a month in 2023

| Alan Oscroft

Even small monthly sums can build into a healthy passive income stream from top FTSE 100 dividend stocks. Many of…

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Midnight is celebrated along the River Thames in London with a spectacular and colourful firework display.
Investing Articles

Here’s why Rolls-Royce shares could break 300p by the end of 2023

| Alan Oscroft

I'm looking at three key things that I think could help push Rolls-Royce shares as high as 300p and beyond…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

The Prudential share price rises on H1 results. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Prudential share price puts it on a high valuation for the sector. But the ambitious chase for Asian growth…

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

Here’s why this could be one of the best UK growth stocks to buy right now

| Alan Oscroft

With so many big dividend stocks looking cheap, it's easy to overlook our top growth stocks. This one just posted…

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

Could Lloyds shares double my money in two years?

| Alan Oscroft

Forecasts look very good for Lloyds shares right now, but the price has still been falling. And I think the…

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Abstract bull climbing indicators on stock chart
Investing Articles

2 superb FTSE 250 stocks to consider before the next bull market!

| Alan Oscroft

In a bull market, the smaller and often more growth-focused stocks of the FTSE 250 tend to outperform the bigger…

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

£10k invested in BT shares in the crash would be worth this much now

| Alan Oscroft

BT shares have had a tough five years, after the dividends had to be pared back. But today's valuation just…

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Arrow symbol glowing amid black arrow symbols on black background.
Investing Articles

£10k invested in FTSE 100 shares in the crash would be worth this much now

| Alan Oscroft

Buying FTSE 100 shares after the stock market crash looks like it was a good idea. Here's why it could…

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

Can the boohoo share price end the year on a high note?

| Alan Oscroft

The boohoo share price fall has made a lot of investors poorer, including me. But it has to turn around…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

This small-cap UK stock just crashed 20%. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Looking for a UK stock with big growth potential but going through a downturn due to stock market weakness? This…

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

£10k invested in easyJet shares in the crash would be worth this much now

| Alan Oscroft

In a stock market crash, just buy any fallen stock and wait for the recovery, right? Hmmm. Welcome to the…

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Engineer Project Manager Talks With Scientist working on Computer
Investing Articles

Is there still time to buy Scottish Mortgage shares before it’s too late?

| Alan Oscroft

US tech stocks have been regaining lost ground. But Scottish Mortgage shares remain stubbornly low. That can't go on forever,…

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White female supervisor working at an oil rig
Investing Articles

Should I buy Harbour Energy shares for their 7.8% dividend forecast?

| Alan Oscroft

Harbour Energy shares offer a high dividend forecast, and the company is past the high debts of its early days.…

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

How to try and turn a £20k ISA into a £16,400 annual second income

| Alan Oscroft

If I were starting today and looking to build a nice second income, here's how I'd go about it using…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

3 Warren Buffett quotes every Stocks and Shares ISA investor should know

| Alan Oscroft

In need of guidance for investing in a Stocks and Shares ISA? Here's some from an ace investor who's not…

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

After a week of FTSE 100 falls, is it time to buy the dip?

| Alan Oscroft

We don't often get a solid week of stock market falls. But if I think the Footsie is cheap, I…

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

2 top penny stocks I’d buy to hold until 2033!

| Alan Oscroft

I see plenty of attractive penny stocks that I'd buy today. But to commit to holding for at least a…

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Young female analyst working at her desk in the office
Investing Articles

BHP Group shares are down 20% in six months. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Mining stocks are dropping as metals and minerals prices fall, and BHP Group shares have dipped in 2023. Here's what…

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Black father and two young daughters dancing at home
Investing Articles

£10k invested in Rolls-Royce in the Covid crash would be worth this much now

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares tell one of the biggest recovery stories since the early days of the pandemic. Investors will want more.

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

3 dirt cheap FTSE 100 shares to buy near 52-week lows?

| Alan Oscroft

It's not a good idea to try timing the market. But when FTSE 100 shares reach new lows, it has…

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Happy couple showing relief at news
Investing Articles

£10k in Barclays shares in the stock market crash would be worth this much now

| Alan Oscroft

The banks have suffered pain in 2023, but Barclays shares would have been a great buy back in 2020. Are…

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

Here’s why this could be the best FTSE 250 income stock to buy right now

| Alan Oscroft

This income stock offers a bumper dividend yeld of 10%, and it looks like it could be near the bottom…

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Young black colleagues high-fiving each other at work
Investing Articles

If I’d bought £10k of Lloyds shares in the stock market crash, I’d have this much now

| Alan Oscroft

With hindsight, buying Lloyds shares when the stock market crashed would have been a winning decision. But what comes next?

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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

3 dirt cheap LSE stocks to buy near 52-week lows?

| Alan Oscroft

A good few LSE stocks have recovered from the pain of the past few years. But plenty are still down,…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

2 cheap FTSE 100 stocks to buy for the next stock market crash?

| Alan Oscroft

Are stock markets set for a new fall? Some financial headlines seem to say so. But these FTSE 100 stocks…

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

Dirt cheap UK dividend shares to buy before it’s too late?

| Alan Oscroft

I see a lot of cheap dividend shares in all sorts of market sectors. Here are some I think might…

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Passive income text with pin graph chart on business table
Investing Articles

5 stocks to buy for a second income before it’s too late?

| Alan Oscroft

Looking for a second income from investing in UK shares? I reckon there are so many top value choices now,…

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

Who’d bet $1.6bn on a stock market crash?

| Alan Oscroft

The headlines are full of stock market crash fears right now. And one big US investor just put a lot…

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Investing Articles

Is there a FTSE 100 crash coming? Here’s why I say no

| Alan Oscroft

It seems like we read a new headline talking up the chances of a FTSE 100 crash almost every day.…

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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

Here’s why I think Aviva shares could be the FTSE 100’s best buy

| Alan Oscroft

Aviva shares rise on expectation-busting first-half results. But if the firm's refocus pays off, I could see a lot more…

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British bank notes and coins
Investing Articles

3 penny stocks to buy now, before it’s too late?

| Alan Oscroft

Some penny stocks look like they might not be penny stocks for much longer. Here are three that I think…

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

Learn the passive income secrets of the UK’s ISA millionaires

| Alan Oscroft

What's the best way to build up a passive income pot in an ISA? Well, who better to ask than…

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

Here’s why Persimmon shares could be the FTSE 100’s best buy

| Alan Oscroft

Persimmon shares are down 50% in five years. But on the back of H1 results, it looks like 2023 could…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

A once-in-a-decade opportunity to buy dividend shares this cheap

| Alan Oscroft

Should we stock up on all those big high-yield dividend shares on offer now? Well, I'd take a bit of…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

How to turn a £20k ISA into a £21,260 second income

| Alan Oscroft

I dream of putting my feet up and living on a second income from dividend shares. With a bit of…

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