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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

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Investing Articles

Which will be worth more by 2030: Ramsdens or RC365 shares?

| Ben McPoland

This Fool compares Ramsdens' and RC365 shares to assess which small-cap company he thinks will be worth more by the…

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Investing Articles

3 stocks I’m avoiding at all costs!

| Ben McPoland

Our writer puts a stake in the ground and highlights two stocks in the UK and one in the US…

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Young happy white woman loading groceries into the back of her car
Investing Articles

One penny stock I just can’t stop buying at 9p!

| Ben McPoland

This penny stock has fallen 40% over the past year despite eye-catching progress being made at the company in recent…

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Bearded man writing on notepad in front of computer
Investing Articles

I just sold this FTSE 100 stock. Here’s where I’m investing the money in September

| Ben McPoland

Our writer outlines why he sold one FTSE 100 stock in order to free up spare cash to pursue higher…

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Tabletop model of a bear sat on desk in front of monitors showing stock charts
Investing Articles

Should I buy Man United shares after they just crashed 18%?

| Ben McPoland

Man United shares got hammered across the pond in New York after the football club's long-running takeover saga took yet…

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Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Down 5%! Should I buy the dip in the Darktrace share price?

| Ben McPoland

The Darktrace share price slipped 5% after the FTSE 250 cybersecurity company released its full-year earnings. Does that make it…

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Investing Articles

I’d buy 7,200 shares of this rare FTSE 250 stock for £1,000 a year in passive income

| Ben McPoland

The FTSE 250 is packed with stocks that offer investors the prospect of both growth and income. Here's one priced…

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Investing Articles

Here’s why the Ashtead share price dipped 5% today

| Ben McPoland

The Ashtead share price dropped 5% today after the plant hire group posted its Q1 results. Does this dip represent…

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Investing Articles

This top FTSE 100 share turned £5k into £2m+! Should I invest in its spin-off?

| Ben McPoland

Ashtead Technology (LSE: AT.) appears to be following in the footsteps of its former FTSE 100 parent. Does this make…

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

Down 94%! Is penny share WANdisco now ridiculously oversold?

| Ben McPoland

Now a penny share priced at 78p, WANDdisco (LON:WAND) appears to be down if not yet out. So could this…

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

1 top-notch FTSE 100 stock to buy in September while it’s on sale

| Ben McPoland

This Footsie share is more than 50% below its all-time high. But it looks set to eventually recover and could…

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A Black father and daughter having breakfast at hotel restaurant
Investing Articles

If I’d put £5k in B&M shares during the 2020 Covid crash, would I have £10k now?

| Ben McPoland

The UK stock market crashed in 2020 as the world faced up to a once-in-a-century pandemic. How have B&M shares…

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Investing Articles

£10,250 invested in this Dividend Aristocrat could net me £1k in passive income in 2024

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland looks at a FTSE 100 Dividend Aristocrat that is currently sporting a massive dividend yield and assesses whether…

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Investing Articles

Should I rush to buy ASOS shares while they’re still under £5?

| Ben McPoland

ASOS shares have crashed 92% over the last five years. Should I invest in the fast fashion firm now in…

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Mature black couple enjoying shopping together in UK high street
Investing Articles

If I’d put £5k in Greggs shares 10 years ago, here’s how much I’d have now

| Ben McPoland

Greggs shares have generated some tasty returns for shareholders since 2013. But can they keep on delivering for the next…

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Investing Articles

2 unloved FTSE 100 shares I snapped up in August

| Ben McPoland

Our writer explains why he recently bought two FTSE 100 shares despite both of them badly underperforming over the last…

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

5 things that could take high-flying Rolls-Royce shares to 600p

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland considers five big catalysts that could help push Rolls-Royce shares towards the £6 mark over the next few…

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Back view of blue NIO EP9 electric vehicle
Investing Articles

Is NIO stock now a buy at $11? Here’s what the charts say

| Ben McPoland

NIO stock has been extremely volatile lately and is now down 44% in just one year. Do the charts suggest…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

RC365 is a penny stock again! Should I act now and invest?

| Ben McPoland

We've witnessed a quite remarkable boom and bust cycle in RC365 (LON: RCGH) shares this summer. Is this penny stock…

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Elderly father and adult son work in the garden
Investing Articles

I don’t care if the stock market crashes in 2023! I’m still buying FTSE 100 stocks today

| Ben McPoland

Listening to people who make predictions about the stock market crashing could mean missing out on the next bull run.

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Surprised Black girl holding teddy bear toy on Christmas
Investing Articles

Should I invest in Disney in my Stock and Shares ISA?

| Ben McPoland

Disney is an iconic company with an unrivalled treasure trove of intellectual property. But are the shares a buy today…

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Black father and two young daughters dancing at home
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d aim to build a powerful second income portfolio with just £20,000

| Ben McPoland

It is entirely possible to go from an empty portfolio today to one full of dividend stocks paying me a…

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Stack of one pound coins falling over
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d start building reliable passive income in 2023 with just £500 a month

| Ben McPoland

There has never been a better time than today to start investing in high-yield dividend stocks to get streams of…

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Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

Would you take a million pounds now or let 1p double every day for a month?

| Ben McPoland

A million pounds in the hand now sounds like a no-brainer deal to take. But the incredible power of compound…

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Bearded man writing on notepad in front of computer
Investing Articles

1 deep value stock under 99p that’s grabbing my full attention!

| Ben McPoland

Value stocks abound in the UK market today. Here, our writer considers an out-of-favour FTSE 250 share with a temptingly…

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

Here’s why the Scottish Mortgage share price has dipped 10% so far in August

| Ben McPoland

The Scottish Mortgage share price has been falling in August. What has been weighing on the stock and is it…

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Abstract bull climbing indicators on stock chart
Investing Articles

2 relentless UK stocks thrashing the FTSE 100!

| Ben McPoland

These world-class FTSE 100 heavyweights are investing heavily for future growth. Shareholders are benefiting as both stocks continue to outperform.

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Bronze bull and bear figurines
Investing Articles

Should I buy the 2023 dip in FTSE 100 stocks? Here’s what the charts say

| Ben McPoland

FTSE 100 stocks have fallen quite heavily this year. Ben McPoland takes a look at the charts to see whether…

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

I’d buy 368 shares of this high-yield FTSE 250 stock for £1,000 a year in passive income

| Ben McPoland

The FTSE 250 is struggling due to its links with the British economy. However, the index contains quality dividend stocks…

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White middle-aged woman in wheelchair shopping for food in delicatessen
Investing Articles

Is Tesco stock a buy for passive income today? Here’s what the charts say

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland goes through visual depictions of different financial metrics to assess whether Tesco stock is worth buying for the…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

Near 52-week lows, is the Diageo share price dip a buying opportunity?

| Ben McPoland

The Diageo share price has dropped nearly 5% in a month. Why is it languishing near a one-year low and…

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Young mixed-race couple sat on the beach looking out over the sea
Investing Articles

3 of the ‘safest’ dividend stocks on the planet

| Ben McPoland

Not all dividend stocks are created equal. Some have payouts that appear far safer than others. Ben McPoland looks at…

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Portrait of elderly man wearing white denim shirt and glasses looking up with hand on chin. Thoughtful senior entrepreneur, studio shot against grey background.
Investing Articles

Down 70% to 62p! Is this unloved penny stock set for a massive rebound?

| Ben McPoland

This 62p penny stock has been crushed recently due to the Hollywood strikes. But they won't last forever and this…

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

2 superb FTSE 100 stocks to buy before the next bull market!

| Ben McPoland

Thinking about which stocks to buy this summer? Our writer explains why he's buying these two FTSE 100 shares ready…

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Google office headquarters
Investing Articles

36% discount! Here’s the next FTSE 100 stock I’m buying in August

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland sets out the case for investing in this unique FTSE 100 company run by a famous US billionaire…

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Young Black woman using a debit card at an ATM to withdraw money
Investing Articles

If I’d put £5k in Lloyds stock 3 years ago, how much passive income would I have now?

| Ben McPoland

Lloyds stock was languishing at 28p three years ago. Here's how much passive income I'd have today following a five…

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British Isles on nautical map
Investing Articles

I’d snap up cheap BAE Systems shares at £10 today!

| Ben McPoland

BAE Systems shares have delivered handsome returns over the last year and are currently priced at £10. Here's why I…

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Close up of a group of friends enjoying a movie in the cinema
Investing Articles

Should I sell my Tesla shares in case Elon Musk has a cage fight?

| Ben McPoland

It's still possible that Elon Musk takes on Mark Zuckerberg in an MMA contest. Should I dump my Tesla shares…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

I’d buy 9,100 shares of this rising penny stock for £1,000 a year in passive income

| Ben McPoland

This penny stock in the pawnbroking industry has jumped 17% in 2023. Here's why I think it could deliver both…

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

1 excellent FTSE 250 stock I’d buy in August without hesitation

| Ben McPoland

This writer is extremely bullish on one well-known FTSE 250 stock that has long delivered handsome returns for shareholders.

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