Motley Fool Premium
  1. Authors
    2. /
  2. Alan Oscroft
    3. /

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

Burst your bubble thumbtack and balloon background
Investing Articles

3 reasons the stock market could crash in September

| Alan Oscroft

What if the stock market should fall again in September? It will just mean more cheap shares to buy. But…

Read more »

Happy male couple looking at a laptop screen together
Investing Articles

I’d invest £50 a week in a Stocks and Shares ISA to try to make a million

| Alan Oscroft

Is 2022 a good year to start investing in a Stocks and Shares ISA? Any time is surely good, but…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Why I’d buy abrdn shares to help me retire early

| Alan Oscroft

Abrdn shares have fallen this year as investors keep away. But with dividend yields up above 9%, this could well…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Why I bought Persimmon shares to help me retire early

| Alan Oscroft

Will Persimmon shares boost my retirement income? If I needed to sell them this year to provide cash, no. But…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

After doubling in 2 weeks, are Cineworld shares now a buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Cineworld shares have taken an unexpected upturn this week, after investors had been fearing the worst. Is it time to…

Read more »

Investing Articles

3 dividend shares to buy in September?

| Alan Oscroft

Some dividends are facing cuts this year, but I still see plenty I might buy. I'm considering these three, with…

Read more »

Investing Articles

No savings at 50? Here’s how I’d invest for passive income

| Alan Oscroft

Starting investing for passive income might look daunting the older we get. But I think the future could be brighter…

Read more »

Light bulb with growing tree.
Investing Articles

Is the Woodbois share price set to climb again?

| Alan Oscroft

The Woodbois share price has fallen from its 2022 peak. If there's fresh growth to come, we might be looking…

Read more »

British bank notes and coins
Investing Articles

3 penny shares to buy in September

| Alan Oscroft

We have some tasty-looking updates coming our way in September. Here are three penny shares that look cheap to me,…

Read more »

UK money in a Jar on a background
Investing Articles

3 top dividend forecasts for September

| Alan Oscroft

Dividend forecasts are growing ever stronger for a number of companies. In September, I'll be looking for evidence to support…

Read more »

Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

Which UK shares would Warren Buffett buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

UK investors are worried about the economic outlook at the moment. But how might Warren Buffett see things should he…

Read more »

2022 new year concept image
Investing Articles

Are Scottish Mortgage shares still a no-brainer buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Scottish Mortgage shares were starting to recover, but they've taken another dip. Does that give us a new unmissable buying…

Read more »

Businessman touching on number 2022 for preparation
Investing Articles

3 FTSE 100 shares to buy in September

| Alan Oscroft

Looking at FTSE 100 shares as we enter September, I think I'm seeing a lot of attractive buys right now.…

Read more »

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

3 dividend stocks that could climb in September

| Alan Oscroft

A number of UK dividend stocks have seen their prices falling in 2022. I'm wondering if the events of September…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Is the Lloyds share price headed back below 40p?

| Alan Oscroft

I'm starting to think the Lloyds share price might be headed even further downwards in the second half of 2022.…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Why I’d buy investment trusts to try to beat inflation

| Alan Oscroft

I love investment trusts at the best of times. But when we're facing economic difficulties, that's when I think their…

Read more »

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

How I’d invest in Dividend Heroes for regular passive income

| Alan Oscroft

Generating the best passive income we can while minimising our risk is a tricky balancing act. Here's one strategy that…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Are Rolls-Royce shares headed back below 50p?

| Alan Oscroft

It seems like only yesterday that Rolls-Royce shares looked like they might be set to climb above 100p. How quickly…

Read more »

Investing Articles

After Harbour Energy shares just jumped 10%, I might buy

| Alan Oscroft

Harbour Energy shares have had a volatile time in 2022. But strong first-half results have catapulted the stock onto my…

Read more »

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

3 shares to buy with £10,000 today

| Alan Oscroft

The week's results have thrown up several candidate shares to buy, as I build up a list of possibilities that…

Read more »

Playful senior couple in aprons dancing and smiling while preparing healthy dinner at home
Investing Articles

This FTSE share just jumped 25%. I’m wondering whether to buy

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE hasn't been moving much this week. But this stock just spiked in response to its latest developments. Is…

Read more »

Entrepreneur on the phone.
Investing Articles

Time to buy BT shares, on renewed takeover speculation?

| Alan Oscroft

BT shares have fallen in price. And the government might just have removed a hurdle in the way of a…

Read more »

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

Cineworld shares tank as firm considers bankruptcy

| Alan Oscroft

Cineworld shares have collapsed in price, as the company's financial problems edge closer to a conclusion. What happens now?

Read more »

Abstract 3d arrows with rocket
Investing Articles

3 growth shares that could skyrocket in September

| Alan Oscroft

As we head towards September, I see a number of exciting growth shares that I reckon might be close to…

Read more »

Smiling senior white man talking through telephone while using laptop at desk.
Investing Articles

Here’s why Abrdn shares look like a no-brainer buy to me

| Alan Oscroft

Abrdn shares have fallen heavily in 2022, as the asset manager faces investing outflows. But the dividend yield is up…

Read more »

a couple embrace in front of their new home
Investing Articles

Taylor Wimpey shares look like a no-brainer buy to me right now

| Alan Oscroft

Taylor Wimpey shares are on a slide in 2022, despite the business generating bags of cash and paying some of…

Read more »

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

Beware the perils of short-term investing!

| Alan Oscroft

Doesn't it seem like the whole financial world is obsessed with short-term investing movements these days? That's surely a mistake.

Read more »

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

The Just Eat Takeaway share price has jumped 30%. Here’s what I’d do

| Alan Oscroft

Despite a big gain on Friday, the Just Eat Takeaway share price is down nearly 80% over the past 12…

Read more »

Happy young plus size woman sitting at kitchen table and watching tv series on tablet computer
Investing Articles

The next bull run for FTSE 100 shares might have already started

| Alan Oscroft

In spite of the global economic gloom, FTSE 100 shares are set for big dividends this year. And investor optimism…

Read more »

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

Is it game over for the Cineworld share price?

| Alan Oscroft

The Cineworld share price has fallen 95% over the past five years. But the board has a rescue plan. So…

Read more »

Investing Articles

How I’d aim for £10,000 a year in passive income, from £100 per month

| Alan Oscroft

We'd all like to have a bit of passive income coming in to supplement our retirement, wouldn't we? Here's how…

Read more »

Shot of a young Black woman doing some paperwork in a modern office
Investing Articles

Is this the best time to start buying shares in years?

| Alan Oscroft

People rarely start buying shares while stock markets are falling, and we've been through a tough decade. But I think…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Here’s why I’d buy Legal & General shares to bag 7.5% dividends today

| Alan Oscroft

Legal & General shares are picking up, as the company reaches the halfway stage in its five-year cash and dividend…

Read more »

Happy young plus size woman sitting at kitchen table and watching tv series on tablet computer
Investing Articles

Should I buy Lloyds shares while they’re still under £1?

| Alan Oscroft

The banking sector might finally be back on the road to long-term health. I'm thinking of buying more Lloyds shares…

Read more »

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

At under 5p, are Woodbois shares a no-brainer buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

I didn't buy Woodbois shares when they were up over 8p. Now they've fallen back, I'm wondering if I'm seeing…

Read more »

British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

Is now a great time to start buying penny shares?

| Alan Oscroft

Are stock markets set for a rebound? If they are, there are plenty of penny shares around that might be…

Read more »

Playful senior couple in aprons dancing and smiling while preparing healthy dinner at home
Investing Articles

Are Rolls-Royce shares finally about to climb?

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares have been falling again. But I can't see that much has changed, and the full-year outlook still appears…

Read more »

Investing Articles

When should I sell my Scottish Mortgage shares?

| Alan Oscroft

Buying some Scottish Mortgage shares was an easy decision for me. But I've never been any good at knowing when…

Read more »

Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

Is this the best time in a decade to start buying FTSE 100 dividend shares?

| Alan Oscroft

UK dividend yields are rising again. I reckon any time is a good time to start buying dividend shares. But…

Read more »

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

Stocks of the week: Aviva, Antofagasta, Just Group

| Alan Oscroft

My 'stocks of the week' take in those that have caught my eye in one way or another. All three…

Read more »