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James Beard

After studying Business Economics at the University of Leicester, James completed a Master's degree in Development Economics. He then joined an accountancy firm in London and went on to qualify as a chartered accountant. James finished his career in practice as a Senior Assurance Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Middle East. He has since held various senior finance positions - mainly in SMEs but also in an AIM-listed company - in the energy, engineering and manufacturing sectors, both in the UK and Ireland. He is now a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and joined The Motley Fool in September 2023. James invests primarily in UK stocks through his Stocks and Shares ISA and Self-Invested Personal Pension Plan. He enjoys using his accountancy training to review annual reports and earnings releases in an attempt to identify potentially undervalued companies. He also likes dividend stocks and follows the tried and tested approach of reinvesting all of the income he earns buying more shares. His favourite investment quote comes from Warren Buffett. He once said: “Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."

Recent Articles

Passive and Active: text from letters of the wooden alphabet on a green chalk board
Investing Articles

Is it time to consider this 15.2%-yielding passive income opportunity?

| James Beard

It’s unusual for smaller companies to offer opportunities to earn generous levels of passive income. But there’s one AIM share…

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View of the Birmingham skyline including the church of St Martin, the Bullring shopping centre and the outdoor market.
Investing Articles

Down 21%, this FTSE 100 income stock offers a 7.4% dividend yield for investors!

| James Beard

This unloved income stock offers one of the highest yields on the FTSE 100. But with a falling share price,…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

The Moonpig share price flies higher after the group issues its latest trading update!

| James Beard

For drama and excitement, forget about watching TV. Instead, just follow the Moonpig share price whenever it makes a stock…

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Customers being shown around a house in progress
Investing Articles

Today’s results give a small boost to the Barratt Redrow share price

| James Beard

The Barratt Redrow share price has fallen significantly over the past year. Our writer looks at the group’s latest results…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

With a massive yield of 24.2% and a dirt cheap P/E ratio of 5.2, should I buy this dividend share?

| James Beard

Our writer looks at a dividend share that appears to offer a dream combination of a high yield and a…

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A young Asian woman holding up her index finger
Investing Articles

Here’s 1 interesting under-the-radar UK stock to consider

| James Beard

Our writer looks at a little-known UK stock that has a long track record of delivering share price growth but…

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Percy Pig Ocado van outside distribution centre
Investing Articles

The Ocado Group share price crashed 19.9% on Friday. Can it recover?

| James Beard

On 12 September, the Ocado Group share price tanked 19.9% after one of the technology provider's customers said it was…

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Road 2025 to 2032 new year direction concept
Investing Articles

Is it time to consider taking advantage of this FTSE 250 retailer’s accounting blunder?

| James Beard

In August, the FTSE 250’s WH Smith, announced that it had got its sums wrong. Now the dust has settled,…

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Rolls-Royce's Pearl 10X engine series
Investing Articles

Can Rolls-Royce shares keep on flying?

| James Beard

Rolls-Royce shares have been the top performer on the FTSE 100 over the past five years. Our writer thinks aircraft…

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

It pays to be careful when looking for passive income stocks

| James Beard

Our writer’s a fan of earning passive income from UK shares. But here he explains why it’s important to be…

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Branch of NatWest bank
Investing Articles

Despite the NatWest share price rising 58% in a year, the stock’s still yielding 4.8%

| James Beard

The NatWest share price is higher than before it went ex-dividend in August. Today (12 September), eligible shareholders will receive…

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Young woman holding up three fingers
Investing Articles

3 reasons why I won’t touch Lloyds’ shares with a bargepole

| James Beard

Our writer doesn’t want to buy Lloyds shares even though the bank’s stock has been one of the best performers…

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Workers at Whiting refinery, US
Investing Articles

Here’s why the BP share price could soon come under pressure (but I’m not selling up)

| James Beard

Since 'Liberation Day', the BP share price has soared 26%. But even though I think this rally could be short-lived,…

Read more »

Young Asian woman with head in hands at her desk
Investing Articles

After nosediving 13% today, is it time to consider this FTSE 100 stock?

| James Beard

It’s rare for a FTSE 100 stock to fall 13% in a session. But that’s what happened with the Associated…

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Young Black woman looking concerned while in front of her laptop
Investing Articles

Down 8.3% in a day! What on earth’s going on with the Burberry share price?

| James Beard

Our writer tries to find out why the Burberry share price tanked yesterday. But he doesn't see any need to…

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Investing Articles

I don’t think a stock market crash is coming in October. But there might be a correction

| James Beard

It’s that time of year when our writer becomes anxious about the possibility of a stock market crash.  But history…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Is there any value left in the BAE Systems share price?

| James Beard

Since September 2020, the BAE Systems share price has risen nearly 250%. Our writer considers whether this impressive run is…

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Two business people sitting at cafe working on new project using laptop. Young businesswoman taking notes and businessman working on laptop computer.
Investing Articles

Why has the Phoenix Group share price fallen 7% today?

| James Beard

Investors sent the Phoenix Group share price lower today (8 September) after the long-term savings and retirement business published its…

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Tesla building with tesla logo and two teslas in front
Investing Articles

Could the Tesla stock price hit $2,739? Elon Musk hopes so!

| James Beard

If Tesla's stock price increases eightfold -- and some other ambitious targets are met -- Elon Musk will be given…

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

It’s ‘goodbye FTSE 250’ and ‘hello FTSE 100’ (again) for Burberry shares!

| James Beard

A British icon will soon escape the FTSE 250 and return to the Footsie. But will this recovery last? Our…

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

Is it time to consider this FTSE 250 12.4%-yielding dividend share?

| James Beard

With its double-digit yield catching his eye, our writer looks at one particular dividend share in the UK’s second-tier of…

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Grattan Bridge in Dublin, Ireland, on the River Liffey at sunset
Investing Articles

1 alternative to the FTSE 100’s housebuilders to consider

| James Beard

The share prices of the FTSE 100’s construction companies may be struggling but it’s a different story for Ireland’s largest…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Today’s fall in the Ashmore Group share price pushes its yield to 10.3%!

| James Beard

The Ashmore Group share price fell in early trading today after the group released its results. It means the stock’s…

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Young black female footballer training on stadium pitch
Investing Articles

With the football season under way, is it time to consider this FTSE stock?

| James Beard

Our writer considers taking a position in Celtic, current champions of the Scottish Premiership and the only soccer club listed…

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

Are Lloyds shares really worth 52% more than they were in February 2023?

| James Beard

Are Lloyds shares overvalued? Our writer takes a closer look at the recent financial performance of the bank to try…

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Thin line graph
Investing Articles

Is this an easy way of identifying potentially cheap FTSE shares?

| James Beard

Our writer thinks large FTSE share price falls are worthy of further investigation. Who knows, there could be a bargain…

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Young Caucasian girl showing and pointing up with fingers number three against yellow background
Investing Articles

3 reasons I see for the Legal & General share price wobble over the past month

| James Beard

Legal & General's share price has fallen more than 10% over the past month. Our writer considers the reasons for…

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Female Tesco employee holding produce crate
Investing Articles

What’s in store for the Tesco share price?

| James Beard

After increasing 55% over the past five years, our writer dusts off his crystal ball to consider the prospects for…

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Asian man looking concerned while studying paperwork at his desk in an office
Investing Articles

Down 20% in 2 months! Will the Greggs share price recover?

| James Beard

The Greggs share price has struggled since the baker's latest trading update. Our writer assesses the group’s performance against its…

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Low angle close up color image depicting a man holding a shopping basked filled with essential fresh groceries like bread and milk in the supermarket.
Investing Articles

Close to its 52-week high, here are 3 reasons why the Sainsbury’s share price could still move higher

| James Beard

In August, the Sainsbury’s share price reached a 12-month high. But our writer explains why he thinks there’s still some…

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Engineer Project Manager Talks With Scientist working on Computer
Investing Articles

After this weekend’s news, is it time to look again at the AstraZeneca share price?

| James Beard

Over the past year, the AstraZeneca share price has fallen 11%. But could news of a potentially game-changing new drug…

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Environmental technology concept.
Investing Articles

8 of the FTSE 250’s 11 highest-yielding passive income stocks have 1 thing in common

| James Beard

The UK’s second tier of listed companies appears to offer some great passive income opportunities. Our writer takes a closer…

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Workers at Whiting refinery, US
Investing Articles

36 reasons why I have no idea where the BP share price is going next (but I still own the stock)

| James Beard

The BP share price has risen 32% since reaching a 52-week low in April. But according to our writer, its…

Read more »

Warren Buffett at a Berkshire Hathaway AGM
Investing Articles

Is Warren Buffett behaving like the US stock market’s overheating?

| James Beard

Warren Buffett’s eponymous indicator has never been higher, suggesting that US equities are overvalued. But is the billionaire taking any…

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

Starting with £20,000 in a SIPP, here’s how you could target £21,546 of passive income a year

| James Beard

Our writer considers how to go about aiming for a healthy five-figure second income from a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP).

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

1 FTSE 100 giant to consider for a Stocks and Shares ISA

| James Beard

Our writer thinks it’s worth considering the UK’s largest defence contractor as a possible candidate for inclusion in a Stocks…

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Santa Clara offices of NVIDIA
Investing Articles

The biggest stock market news of the week was… (no, it wasn’t Taylor Swift’s engagement)

| James Beard

Our writer takes a closer look at what he believes to be the most significant -- and consequential -- stock…

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Person holding magnifying glass over important document, reading the small print
Investing Articles

The Drax Group share price tanks after FCA investigation launched

| James Beard

Investors sent the Drax Group share price lower after an announcement that the Financial Conduct Authority is to carry out…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Take a look at the latest dividend forecast for Lloyds shares

| James Beard

Our writer considers how much income might be generated over the next three years from holding Lloyds Banking Group shares.

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Investing Articles

Gold’s soaring yet the Hochschild Mining share price tanks 16%. What’s going on?

| James Beard

Despite the price of gold being close to its 52-week high, our writer wants to know why the Hochschild Mining…

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