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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

A close-up side view of a three gen female family cooking food for their family as they celebrate Diwali in the family home. The young girl is eating some fresh Jalebi from the baking tray and trying it as her grandmother serves the fresh food into serving dishes.
Investing Articles

4,000 shares of Tesco could pay this much passive income…

| Ben McPoland

Are Tesco shares worth considering for passive income right now? Ben McPoland takes a closer look at this FTSE 100…

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A young black man makes the symbol of a peace sign with two fingers
Investing Articles

2 stocks to consider buying while they’re this cheap

| Ben McPoland

Our writer likes the look of two stocks that are down between 20% and 49%. He thinks both are worth…

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Environmental technology concept
Investing Articles

Up 49%! But have I backed the wrong horse in my Stocks and Shares ISA? 

| Ben McPoland

I bought this speculative growth stock for my ISA portfolio and it's doing very well. So why does this return…

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Businessman hand stacking money coins with virtual percentage icons
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in Tesla stock 1 week ago is now worth…

| Ben McPoland

Tesla stock has been continuing its habit of a lifetime, which is to display incredible volatility in very short spaces…

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

Here’s why UK stock Serco jumped 7% in the FTSE 250 today

| Ben McPoland

This writer looks at why the Serco share price rose in the mid-cap index today. Does this UK stock interest…

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Three generation family are playing football together in a field. There are two boys, their father and their grandfather.
Investing Articles

£20,000 invested in the FTSE 100 would pay a second income of…

| Ben McPoland

For investors looking to generate a second income from the stock market, the UK's blue-chip index still takes some beating.

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

This S&P 500 dividend stock has crashed 48% and now has a P/E of 13!

| Ben McPoland

One blue-chip dividend stock from the S&P 500 index has lost nearly half its value in just four weeks. Is…

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Investing Articles

Should I buy the most popular FTSE 100 stock on AJ Bell?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer can see the appeal of this recently popular dividend stock from the FTSE 100 index. But will he…

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Businessman using pen drawing line for increasing arrow from 2024 to 2025
Investing Articles

3 top growth stocks driving wealth in my Stocks and Shares ISA

| Ben McPoland

Our writer shines a light on a trio of outperforming growth firms in his Stocks and Shares ISA portfolio. They're…

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Illustration of flames over a black background
Investing Articles

The S&P 500’s suddenly on fire! What’s going on?

| Ben McPoland

S&P 500 growth stock Tesla briefly returned to a $1trn valuation yesterday as the US index surged yet again. Ben…

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

Now down 46%, this FTSE small-cap stock looks a steal to me at 463p

| Ben McPoland

Our writer sets out the bullish investment case for this UK small-cap stock, despite it struggling in the FTSE AIM…

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

£20,000 Stocks and Shares ISA: how long would it take to reach £1 million?

| Ben McPoland

This writer considers how long it would take an investor to reach a seven-figure sum by maxing out their Stocks…

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Frustrated young white male looking disconsolate while sat on his sofa holding a beer
Investing Articles

Down 99%, this stock has been crushed by AI and is now a penny share!

| Ben McPoland

Chegg has gone from being a fast-growth tech stock to a penny share trading for less than $1 in the…

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

2 top dividend stocks to consider for passive income in May

| Ben McPoland

Our writer thinks these two shares are well worth checking out for investors targeting a growing stream of passive income…

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UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

5 FTSE 100 shares driving wealth in my Stocks and Shares ISA

| Ben McPoland

Many FTSE 100 shares are doing very well this year in the face of upheaval. Ben McPoland highlights a cheap…

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Female student sitting at the steps and using laptop
Investing Articles

100 shares of Greggs at its IPO would have turned into… 

| Ben McPoland

Our writer takes a look at how well Greggs shares have done over the past 40 years, before considering whether…

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Tree lined "tunnel" in the English countryside of West Sussex in autumn
Investing Articles

How should I invest to build retirement wealth in a SIPP for a child?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland explains how he plans to adapt his investing strategy in order to more reliably build wealth for his…

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A row of satellite radars at night
Investing Articles

Up 900% in 2 years, this former penny stock is on fire! Should I buy it?

| Ben McPoland

Unfortunately, I missed out on the truly stellar gains of this ex-penny stock. Is now the time to make amends…

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

As CEO Warren Buffett steps down, should I buy Berkshire Hathaway shares?

| Ben McPoland

Warren Buffett’s generated enormous returns for long-term Berkshire shareholders. Should I become one after a 5% dip in the stock?

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Couple working from home while daughter watches video on smartphone with headphones on
Investing Articles

Should I buy Roblox for my Stocks and Shares ISA?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer considered this metaverse company a few months ago but didn't add it to his ISA. Now it's near…

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Nottingham Giltbrook Exterior
Investing Articles

2 stocks to consider after the Marks & Spencer cyberattack

| Ben McPoland

Hacking is on the rise and is being fuelled by artificial intelligence. Here are two stocks to consider from the…

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Happy young female stock-picker in a cafe
Investing Articles

This FTSE 250 growth trust just loaded up on these 2 top S&P 500 stocks

| Ben McPoland

Our writer noticed that this FTSE 250 investment trust has just scooped up a couple of quality US growth stocks.…

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4 Teslas in a parking lot at a charger station
Investing Articles

Tesla vs Ferrari: which stock is leading the race in 2025?

| Ben McPoland

This writer digs into the Q1 numbers to see whether his decision to choose Ferrari over Tesla stock has been…

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

Down 26% in 3 months! What’s going on with the Alphabet share price?

| Ben McPoland

Stock market investors sold off Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares heavily yesterday. Is this a worry or a timely buying opportunity to…

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Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Could buying Palantir stock today be like investing in Nvidia in 2020?

| Ben McPoland

This writer thinks that AI-driven company Palantir is exceptional and exciting, but does he think the same thing about the…

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Tariffs and Global Economic Supply Chains
Investing Articles

£5,000 invested in Scottish Mortgage shares just 1 month ago is now worth…

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland takes a look at a handful of growth shares in the Scottish Mortgage portfolio to see how they…

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UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

2 UK stocks that could be set for a roaring recovery

| Ben McPoland

This investor highlights a pair of UK stocks from the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indexes that may be set…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

My favourite S&P 500 growth stock is on fire! What’s going on?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland has been very pleased with the performance of this S&P 500 stock in 2025. But is it still…

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

Up 52% in my ISA in 2025, this growth stock’s on fire! What’s going on?

| Ben McPoland

This investor’s favourite new growth stock is off to a flying start this year, posting strong gains in his ISA…

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

I broke my 2025 Stocks and Shares ISA plan by buying this stock while it was down 60%

| Ben McPoland

Our writer explains why he just added to a big loser to his Stocks and Shares ISA portfolio, despite it…

Read more »

ISA coins
Investing Articles

£20,000 in an ISA? Here’s how that could grow to £83,000 by 2040!

| Ben McPoland

Our writer highlights a FTSE 100 investment trust that he believes could add some market-beating growth to a Stocks and…

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Illustration of flames over a black background
Investing Articles

These 3 FTSE 100 stocks have been on fire over the past 12 months!

| Ben McPoland

Looking at the standout FTSE 100 stocks across the past year, it's striking just how varied this group of top…

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Bronze bull and bear figurines
Investing Articles

Is the stock market now heading for a bull run?

| Ben McPoland

This writer explains why he tries to look for signals rather than noise in the stock market when it comes…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Genus rockets 27% in the FTSE 250! Should I buy this UK stock?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer has had this under-the-radar UK stock on his watchlist for a few months now. Why did it suddenly…

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

4 reasons I’m avoiding surging BT shares in 2025

| Ben McPoland

Despite being impressed with the recent performance of BT shares, this investor has no intention of buying any today. Here's…

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

Here’s why the Smith & Nephew share price jumped 7% in the FTSE 100 today!

| Ben McPoland

The Smith & Nephew share price was marching higher today, topping the Footsie index in the process. Is this cheap…

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Hand is turning a dice and changes the direction of an arrow symbolizing that the value of an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is going up (or vice versa)
Investing Articles

2 top ETFs to consider for a SIPP in May

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland reckons this diverse pair of funds listed on the London Stock Exchange could make great additions to consider…

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

I asked ChatGPT for 3 fallen FTSE angels and here’s what the AI bot said

| Ben McPoland

Our writer called in a bit of artificial intelligence to pick out FTSE shares with big turnaround potential. But were…

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Black father and two young daughters dancing at home
Investing Articles

UK investors piled into these S&P 500 stocks during the Liberation Day sell-off…

| Ben McPoland

Our writer wasn't surprised to see AJ Bell investors buying into the S&P 500 earlier this month, though one popular…

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

Here’s why the AstraZeneca share price dipped 3.7% in the FTSE 100 today

| Ben McPoland

Despite AstraZeneca’s falling share price today, this writer believes the London-listed pharmaceutical giant could be worth a closer look.

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