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Ben McPoland

Ben is an investment writer who has contributed more than 1,800 articles for The Motley Fool UK. He has been managing his own ISA and SIPP portfolios for over a decade, focusing on high-quality companies benefitting from powerful growth trends. His favourite investing quote comes from Peter Lynch: “The real key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.”

Recent Articles

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

Should I buy Palantir stock before 4 August?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer is wondering if it's time for him to add Palantir stock to his portfolio, just in case it…

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Long-term vs short-term investing concept on a staircase
Investing Articles

How I’m positioning my ISA and SIPP for the AI revolution

| Ben McPoland

Artificial intelligence is almost certainly going to transform multiple industries. Ben McPoland explains his strategy for his ISA and SIPP.

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Abstract 3d arrows with rocket
Investing Articles

Up 65% since April, is this ex-penny share ready to rocket higher?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland looks at Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE), a former penny share that has exploded skywards in the past three months.…

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

My favourite UK stock rose 5% today and topped the FTSE 100 index!

| Ben McPoland

The Games Workshop (LON:GAW) share price jumped over 5% in the FTSE 100 index today. Our writer takes a closer…

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UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

This green energy share just jumped 44% on the London Stock Exchange! Time to buy?

| Ben McPoland

There are plenty of hidden gems waiting to be discovered in the London Stock Exchange. Might this surging FTSE share…

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Portrait of pensive bearded senior looking on screen of laptop sitting at table with coffee cup.
Investing Articles

Down 47% and 29%! Here are the 2 worst-performing FTSE 100 dividend stocks of 2025

| Ben McPoland

Buying unloved shares can really turbocharge a portfolio, if and when they mount a comeback. What about these two struggling…

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Investing Articles

This cheap FTSE stock could jump 27%, according to brokers

| Ben McPoland

Our writer highlights one cheap small-cap stock that appears well set up to actually grow amid all the economic doom…

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Investing Articles

2 top FTSE 100 stocks to consider buying in August

| Ben McPoland

This pair of high-quality FTSE 100 stocks look decent value to our writer, despite the blue-chip index's recent jump higher.

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Blue NIO sports car in Oslo showroom
Investing Articles

Down 92%! Should I buy NIO stock at $5 before September?

| Ben McPoland

NIO stock’s trading below its IPO price of $6.26, yet the Chinese electric vehicle firm continues to grow strongly (unlike…

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

Should I buy Apple for my Stocks and Shares ISA in August?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer’s never owned Apple stock. With the share price down 14% year to date, is now the time for…

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Smart young brown businesswoman working from home on a laptop
Investing Articles

At 85p, is ITV a bargain value stock hiding in plain sight?

| Ben McPoland

The FTSE 250 broadcaster impressed investors with its first-half results last week. Should I now buy this dividend-paying value stock?

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Businessman hand flipping wooden block cube from 2024 to 2025 on coins
Investing Articles

Up 84% and down 53%! 2 innovative growth stocks on my ISA watchlist

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland has been keeping an eye on these two growth stocks. After one has surged and the other crashed,…

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Mature friends at a dinner party
Investing Articles

Might this unique penny stock be a millionaire-maker at 43p? 

| Ben McPoland

Our writer takes a look at a fascinating penny stock that has been doing well in recent months. Is it…

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Middle-aged white man pulling an aggrieved face while looking at a screen
Investing Articles

This UK investment trust has a 39% position in Nvidia stock!

| Ben McPoland

The dramatic rise of Nvidia stock since 2022 has massively benefitted this tech-focused investment trust. But should I invest?

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Young woman holding up three fingers
Investing Articles

3 excellent ETFs to consider for a Stocks and Shares ISA

| Ben McPoland

These three mega-trends look set to make investors a lot wealthier in future. Here are three thematic ETFs that I…

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

2 top shares to consider for a Stocks and Shares ISA as August nears

| Ben McPoland

Looking for ideas for a Stocks and Shares ISA? Our writer outlines why he's bullish on these two innovative growth…

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Thoughtful man using his phone while riding on a train and looking through the window
Investing Articles

This FTSE 250 trust is easily beating the global index in 2025. Time to buy?

| Ben McPoland

One global FTSE 250 investment trust has been turning things round recently, with a handy bit of outperformance. Ben McPoland…

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Portrait of a boy with the map of the world painted on his face.
Investing Articles

3 top FTSE 250 investment trusts to consider buying today 

| Ben McPoland

This trio of high-quality trusts from the FTSE 250 index would give a Stocks and Shares ISA portfolio a truly…

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Google office headquarters
Investing Articles

This S&P 500 firm just crushed Q2! Time to buy the stock?

| Ben McPoland

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) continues to trade at a discount to the S&P 500 index. Our writer asks whether it's worth considering…

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A handsome mature bald bearded black man in a sunglasses and a fashionable blue or teal costume with a tie is standing in front of a wall made of striped wooden timbers and fastening a suit button
Investing Articles

Is Opendoor at $2 the next millionaire-maker Nasdaq stock?

| Ben McPoland

Some are betting that Opendoor Technologies (NASDAQ:OPEN) is the next meme stock to make investors filthy rich. Should I join…

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Wall Street sign in New York City
Investing Articles

Billionaire Bill Ackman has over 20% of his FTSE 100 fund in this one stock

| Ben McPoland

Our writer explores why one of Wall Street's best-known investors has loaded up on this S&P 500 growth stock for…

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UK coloured flags waving above large crowd on a stadium sport match.
Investing Articles

Meet the $2 stock up 366% that UK investors are piling into

| Ben McPoland

UK stock investors have been snapping up this meme stock recently. Incredibly, it has more than quadrupled since June! What's…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

If the stock market crashes, I will buy this under-the-radar AI stock

| Ben McPoland

Nobody knows when the stock market will nosedive next. But one fantastic growth share is on this writer's buy list,…

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

Up 124% since the start of 2024, is this former penny share a hidden gem?

| Ben McPoland

After a strong run, this under-the-radar stock has climbed out of penny share territory. But is there still fuel in…

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

5 strong reasons to consider buying Netflix for a SIPP or Stocks and Shares ISA

| Ben McPoland

Our writer thinks that shares of the global streaming leader could make for a savvy long-term addition to a SIPP…

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British flag, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and British flag composition
Investing Articles

£20k in an ISA? 2 top ETFs to consider from the London Stock Exchange

| Ben McPoland

Whether it's high-yield dividends or growth, there are plenty of options on the London Stock Exchange to help build long-term…

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A GlaxoSmithKline scientist uses a microscope
Investing Articles

Up 20%! Here’s why Oxford Nanopore stock topped the FTSE 250 today

| Ben McPoland

This under-the-radar growth stock in the FTSE 250 index just jumped to a 52-week high. Can it keep climbing higher…

Read more »

British union jack flag and Parliament house at city of Westminster in the background
Investing Articles

2 growth stocks backed by this British fund that’s soared 77.8% in just 3 years!

| Ben McPoland

Our writer likes the look of this under-the-radar fund, especially with a pair of exciting growth stocks near the top…

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Smiling family of four enjoying breakfast at sunrise while camping
Investing Articles

Here’s how investing £10,000 a year can lead to annual passive income of £67,000

| Ben McPoland

This writer explores two different stock market approaches to building up a sizeable passive income figure. Both can generate significant…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

£5,000 invested in this 9p penny stock just 1 month ago is now worth…

| Ben McPoland

This high-flying penny stock offers investors a lot of potential reward, as well as a fair bit of risk. Ben…

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

£10,000 invested in Santander shares 5 years ago is now worth…

| Ben McPoland

Our writer digs into surging Santander shares to see whether they might be a good fit for his passive income…

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Night Takeoff Of The American Space Shuttle
Investing Articles

3 booming growth shares in the Scottish Mortgage portfolio

| Ben McPoland

Our writer highlights a diverse trio of red-hot shares from the portfolio of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust. Are any worth…

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

This S&P 500 blue chip looks far too cheap to me at $183!

| Ben McPoland

Our writer picks out one high-quality S&P 500 stock that is currently the cheapest among the 'Magnificent 7' group of…

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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

Down 23% today! This one’s stinking out my Stocks and Shares ISA

| Ben McPoland

Our writer's wondering what to do with a problem named Ashtead Technology (LON:AT.) in his Stocks and Shares ISA portfolio.

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

3 reasons I prefer HSBC over Lloyds shares

| Ben McPoland

While this writer likes Lloyds shares for their solid passive income potential, a rival FTSE 100 bank looks even more…

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Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

Up 131% this year! Should I add this rocketing 9p penny stock to my ISA?

| Ben McPoland

Agronomics (LSE:ANIC) has made investors a lot of money so far this year. But is it too risky at 9p…

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Queen Street, one of Cardiff's main shopping streets, busy with Saturday shoppers.
Investing Articles

Why this FTSE 100 rocket is this investment trust’s number 1 holding

| Ben McPoland

A UK investment trust is certainly going against the grain by having this FTSE 100 share as a high-conviction holding…

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UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

These 2 FTSE growth stocks jumped 8% and 4.5% today!

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland takes a closer look at a pair of FTSE stocks that are performing really well recently. Why are…

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Pakistani multi generation family sitting around a table in a garden in Middlesbourgh, North East of England.
Investing Articles

Forget ChatGPT! This timeless stock market strategy can still build generational wealth

| Ben McPoland

Our writer discusses how taking observations in everyday life seriously has the potential to lead to big stock market winners.

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UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

5 reasons I’m buying this top UK growth stock for my ISA 

| Ben McPoland

The high quality of this UK stock has finally convinced our writer to add it to his Stocks and Shares…

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