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Simon Watkins

After graduating from Oxford University with BA (Hons) and MA (Hons) degrees, Simon Watkins worked for several years as a Forex trader and salesman, becoming Head of Forex Institutional Sales for Credit Lyonnais, and then Director of Forex at Bank of Montreal. He then became a financial journalist, including positions as Head of Weekly Publications, Managing Editor and Chief Writer of Business Monitor International, Head of Global Fuel Oil Products for Platts, and Global Managing Editor of Research and Vice President of Renaissance Capital investment bank in Moscow. He has written extensively on the oil market and other commodities markets, Forex, equities, bonds, economics and geopolitics for many publications, including The Financial Times, Euromoney, Financial Times Capital Insights, OilPrice, NewsBase, Risk.net, and FTSE Global Markets. In addition, he has worked as an investment and risk consultant for major hedge funds in London, New York, Moscow, and Dubai, and regularly appears as an oil and financial markets expert on various international television networks, including the BBC, and Al Jazeera. Simon has also written eight best-selling books on the global financial markets and financial markets trading, all of which are available from Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Blackwells, among others.

Recent Articles

Female Tesco employee holding produce crate
Investing Articles

Under £5 now! Here’s why I think Tesco’s share price should be trading closer to £7

| Simon Watkins

Tesco’s share price looks too cheap to me for a business growing profits, boosting cash flow and undertaking buybacks at…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

£20,000 invested in BT shares 2 years ago is today worth…

| Simon Watkins

BT shares have doubled in price over two years — yet the valuation still looks low. Here’s why the next…

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Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

I’m targeting £15,401 in yearly dividends from £20,000 in this FTSE passive income heavyweight

| Simon Watkins

Analysts expect this FTSE 100 gem to keep increasing dividends and generating strong earnings growth. So can it keep turbocharging…

Read more »

Businessman hand stacking money coins with virtual percentage icons
Investing Articles

£20,000 invested in AstraZeneca shares 5 years ago is now worth…

| Simon Watkins

AstraZeneca shares have more than doubled since 2021 -- but they still look very undervalued. Here’s why forecast earnings growth…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

How can I target £14,132 a year in dividend income from a £20,000 holding in this FTSE 250 dividend gem?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 dividend heavyweight keeps generating market-beating yields, with forecasts of more to come as earnings momentum continues to…

Read more »

Nottingham Giltbrook Exterior
Investing Articles

Marks and Spencer’s share price is down 16% to below £4! Is now the time for me to buy the dip with an eye to £8+?

| Simon Watkins

Marks and Spencer’s share price has dipped, but is the market missing a far bigger story? The latest numbers hint…

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Businessman hand stacking money coins with virtual percentage icons
Investing Articles

I’m targeting an £8,299 annual income from £20,000 in this transformed FTSE energy star!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE energy firm has transformed since 2024, creating a deeply undervalued and high-yielding proposition that many investors overlook, in…

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

47% under ‘fair’ value, with 9% annual forecast earnings growth! 1 FTSE 100 gem to buy today?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 financial giant is 18% off its highs. With profits surging and returns climbing, could the market be…

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Trader on video call from his home office
Investing Articles

Down 19%! Here’s why Barclays shares look a serious bargain to me right now

| Simon Watkins

Barclays shares have slumped recently, but a big gap between price and fair value has opened, offering nimble long-term investors…

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

£20,000 invested in BAE Systems shares 4 years ago is now worth…

| Simon Watkins

BAE Systems' shares have soared since 2022, yet rising NATO budgets are just starting to feed through, so the real…

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

A 6.3% forecast yield! 1 bargain-basement FTSE passive income gem to buy today?  

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 passive income star has delivered consistently high dividends, with analysts forecasting more to come, and it looks…

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

A 9.2% forecast yield and 59% undervalued! 1 dirt cheap FTSE income gem to buy today? 

| Simon Watkins

This dependable, asset‑light FTSE income share yields 8.3%, which is forecast to rise, and looks deeply undervalued, driven by strong…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Down 19% to under £1, here’s why Lloyds shares look a bargain to me anywhere up to £1.80

| Simon Watkins

Lloyds' shares are down a lot in a short time, but the price doesn’t reflect how well the business is…

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Hydrogen testing at DLR Cologne
Investing Articles

£20,000 invested in Rolls-Royce shares 3 years ago is now worth…

| Simon Watkins

Rolls‑Royce shares are down after a huge surge from 2023, but the numbers suggest this rare dip could be a…

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

How big must an ISA be to aim for a £25,000+ a year second income?

| Simon Watkins

Ahead of the 5 April ISA deadline, I double-checked I had fully utilised my tax-free allowance by topping up my…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

An 8.8% forecast dividend yield! 1 FTSE 100 income share to buy today after bullish 2025 numbers?

| Simon Watkins

With strong 2025 results and earnings growth forecasts, this high-yielding FTSE 100 share could offer far more income potential than…

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Investing Articles

Lists of income stocks to buy almost never include this one — but with a forecast 8.2% yield, I think they should!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE firm, not always seen as an income play, has a forecast yield of 8.2%, underlining why it's one…

Read more »

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

Aviva’s share price is down 13% to under £7, despite outstanding 2025 results! Time for me to buy more?

| Simon Watkins

I think Aviva’s share price reflects an outdated view of the business, and that gap between perception and reality is…

Read more »

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

Shell’s £33+ share price is near an all-time high, so why am I going to buy more as soon as possible?

| Simon Watkins

Shell's strong cash generation and improving growth drivers contrast with a share price well below my valuation, suggesting major long‑term…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

An 8.4% forecast yield but down 16%! Time for me to buy more of this FTSE 100 passive income star?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 passive‑income machine is delivering rising payouts and strong forecasts, and its share price suggests the market hasn’t…

Read more »

Satellite on planet background
Investing Articles

Here’s why I think this FTSE 250 high-tech defence gem ‘should’ be trading over £7 now, not under £5

| Simon Watkins

A little‑known FTSE 250 defence innovator is riding a global spending super-cycle and its valuation gap suggests investors may be…

Read more »

Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

I’m targeting £7,570 in yearly dividends from £20,000 in this FTSE income heavyweight

| Simon Watkins

Analysts forecast this FTSE gem will keep raising dividends and generating solid earnings growth. So can it keep supercharging my…

Read more »

This way, That way, The other way - pointing in different directions
Investing Articles

Is it worth me buying National Grid shares now that they’ve dipped under £13?

| Simon Watkins

National Grid shares have slipped under £13, but does that dip hide real value or a value trap? My deep…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

A new name — but this still-standout FTSE 100 dividend‑income star now has a superb forecast yield of 9.2%!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 giant has reset its identity, but its dividend income potential looks stronger than ever. Both the present…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Here’s why 8.8%-yielding Legal & General shares remain my top pick for a high-income retirement portfolio

| Simon Watkins

Legal & General shares have delivered years of rising income for my family — and new forecasts suggest the payouts…

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

Around £45, is it time for me to buy this overlooked FTSE growth gem on the dip after strong results?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 growth share looks far cheaper than its fundamentals merit — and if the market wakes up to…

Read more »

Businessman hand stacking money coins with virtual percentage icons
Investing Articles

Down 9% to just over £1! Are Vodafone shares too cheap to miss?

| Simon Watkins

Vodafone shares have fallen sharply, yet the latest numbers show momentum building. Could the market be missing a major recovery…

Read more »

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

How can investors target £9,089 a year in passive income from 1,677 shares in this underrated FTSE high-yield star after strong 2025 results?

| Simon Watkins

Passive income is getting harder to find. But one overlooked FTSE stock may be quietly setting up a long term…

Read more »

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

Down 17% on short-term risks, here’s why IAG’s share price looks deeply undervalued long term

| Simon Watkins

The IAG share price looks weighed down by short‑term risks, but a huge gap to fair value suggests long‑term investors…

Read more »

Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

A 6.5% forecast dividend yield! 1 FTSE 250 income stock to buy today?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 stock offers a 6%+ yield and looks significantly mispriced, with recent results hinting at a stronger business…

Read more »

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

Down 14% after super-strong 2025 results! Time for me to buy this FTSE med-tech gem?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE heavyweight delivered its strongest results in a decade, but is trading below last year’s peak, raising the prospect…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Down 11%! Time for me to buy more of this FTSE 100 dividend gem at a dirt-cheap price?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 gem has a forecast dividend yield of 7% and looks extremely underpriced to its ‘fair value’, offering…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Around £16 now, here’s why Greggs shares ‘should’ be trading just over £25

| Simon Watkins

Greggs shares are trading at a serious discount to where they ‘should’ be, based on record sales, iconic branding and…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

This FTSE 250 turnaround story is now delivering a standout 7.3% dividend yield!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 income play has held its payout steady for years and is now showing early signs of renewed…

Read more »

Two white male workmen working on site at an oil rig
Investing Articles

BP shares surge on energy prices, yet still look cheap. What’s the market missing?

| Simon Watkins

Despite a recent energy-price-led spike, BP shares look deeply undervalued just as cash flows strengthen and dividends climb. So, is…

Read more »

Smiling white woman holding iPhone with Airpods in ear
Investing Articles

A superb 7.7% forecast yield! Time for me to buy more of this FTSE passive income superstar?

| Simon Watkins

My passive income portfolio is geared to maximising my dividend income with little effort from me, so should I buy…

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

Down 12% to under £13, is this exactly the right time for me to buy more HSBC shares?

| Simon Watkins

HSBC shares are down from an all-time high, but they still look very undervalued on fundamentals -- potentially a big…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’m targeting £11,363 a year in dividend income from £20,000 in this FTSE high-yield gem!

| Simon Watkins

A reshaped FTSE outlier has quietly opened the door to unusually powerful income potential, which many investors don’t seem to…

Read more »

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

Just over £2 now, BT’s share price hasn’t caught up with reality yet — so where should it be trading?

| Simon Watkins

BT’s share price still reflects an outdated story, but the company’s cash-flow shift suggests the market may be missing a…

Read more »

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

A 6%+ forecast yield and 37% under ‘fair value’! Time for me to buy more of this FTSE 100 gem?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 heavyweight has been a dividend powerhouse for years, which looks set to continue. But now it looks…

Read more »