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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

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

559 shares in this FTSE 100 dividend star can make me a £7,466 annual passive income!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 gem looks undervalued to me, appears set for strong growth, and pays a big dividend yield that…

Read more »

Hand of person putting wood cube block with word VALUE on wooden table
Investing Articles

Is Glencore’s share price looking overvalued as it nears £5?

| Simon Watkins

Despite Glencore’s share price rise, it still looks undervalued to me, and has flagged that current conditions bode well for…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

£9,000 of savings invested in abrdn shares could make me a £12,826 a year second income!

| Simon Watkins

abrdn appears set for strong growth, looks undervalued, and pays a very high dividend yield that can make me a…

Read more »

London offices of Standard Chartered
Investing Articles

Am I missing out by not buying FTSE bank gem Standard Chartered?

| Simon Watkins

Despite its recent price rise, FTSE 100 bank Standard Chartered still looks very undervalued against its peers and appears set…

Read more »

BUY AND HOLD spelled in letters on top of a pile of books. Alongside is a piggy bank in glasses. Buy and hold is a popular long term stock and shares strategy.
Investing Articles

Dividend giant Legal & General’s share price still looks cheap, so should I buy more?

| Simon Watkins

Legal & General’s share price still looks undervalued to me, with the company set for strong growth and continuing to…

Read more »

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

£11,000 in savings? I’d try to turn that into a £23,256 annual passive income — here’s how

| Simon Watkins

Investing a relatively small amount in high-yielding stocks and reinvesting the dividends paid can generate significant passive income over time.

Read more »

Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

Up 33%, is there any value left in Aviva’s share price?

| Simon Watkins

Despite the recent rise, Aviva’s share price looks very undervalued to me, with strong growth prospects in view, and a…

Read more »

Side of boat fuelled by gas to liquids, advertising Shell GTL Fuel
Investing Articles

Trading around all-time highs, is there any value left in Shell’s share price?

| Simon Watkins

With excellent Q1 results, a rising yield, and strong business prospects, Shell’s share price looks full of value to me,…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

£10,000 of shares in this FTSE 100 dividend superstar can make me a £16,060 annual passive income!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 gem appears set for strong growth, looks undervalued to me, and pays a 9%+ dividend yield that…

Read more »

Investing Articles

£20,000 in savings? Here’s how I’d aim to turn that into a £16,075 annual second income

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 stock pays a high dividend that could make me a big second income. It looks undervalued and…

Read more »

Satellite on planet background
Investing Articles

At over £13, is any value left in BAE Systems’ share price?

| Simon Watkins

Despite rising steadily over recent years, BAE Systems’ share price still appears undervalued to me and looks set for continued…

Read more »

Young Caucasian woman at the street withdrawing money at the ATM
Investing Articles

HSBC’s share price of over £7 still looks a huge bargain to me

| Simon Watkins

Despite its recent rise, HSBC’s share price still looks very undervalued to me, pays a high dividend yield, and the…

Read more »

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

How much passive income would I make from 179 shares in this FTSE dividend star?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE commodities giant pays a high dividend that could make me significant passive income and looks set to benefit…

Read more »

Bronze bull and bear figurines
Investing Articles

1 dividend giant I’d buy over Lloyds shares right now

| Simon Watkins

I sold my Lloyds shares recently and have used some of the proceeds to buy more of this high-yielding FTSE…

Read more »

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

£11,000 in savings? Here’s how I’d aim to turn that into a £19,119 annual passive income!

| Simon Watkins

Investing a relatively small amount in high-yielding stocks and reinvesting the dividends paid can generate significant passive income over time.

Read more »

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

Rolls Royce’s £4+ share price still looks a major bargain to me, so should I buy?

| Simon Watkins

Rolls-Royce’s share price has shot up in the past year, but I think it’s still around 50% undervalued and is…

Read more »

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

A 10%+ yield but down 12%! Is this hidden FTSE 100 gem an unmissable passive income opportunity?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 stock has one of the highest yields in the index, appears undervalued against its competitors, and looks…

Read more »

Abstract bull climbing indicators on stock chart
Investing Articles

A 10% yield but down 38%! This FTSE 250 dividend superstar looks a hidden gem to me

| Simon Watkins

After demotion from the FTSE 100, this stock dropped off the radar for many investors, but this FTSE 250 high-yield…

Read more »

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

With three new value-boosting strategies in place, BP’s share price looks a bargain to me

| Simon Watkins

A major valuation gap between BP’s share price and its key rivals could close due to three new strategies being…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

£20,000 in savings? Here’s how I’d try to turn that into a £10,739 second income every year!

| Simon Watkins

Generating a sizeable second income can be done from relatively small investments in high-yielding stocks if the dividends are reinvested.

Read more »

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

A 9.9% yield but down 17%! Is this FTSE dividend superstar also its best bargain right now?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE stock pays a very high dividend yield, looks very undervalued to me, and seems set for strong growth.

Read more »

Artillery rocket system aimed to the sky and soldiers at sunset.
Investing Articles

This FTSE 250 defence stock looks like a hidden growth gem to me

| Simon Watkins

With countries hiking defence spending as the world grows more insecure, this FTSE 250 firm has seen surging orders and…

Read more »

Bronze bull and bear figurines
Investing Articles

1 hidden dividend superstar I’d buy over Lloyds shares right now

| Simon Watkins

My stock screener flagged that I should sell my Lloyds shares and buy more Phoenix Group Holdings for three key…

Read more »

National Grid engineers at a substation
Investing Articles

How much passive income would I make from 945 National Grid shares?

| Simon Watkins

National Grid shares pay a healthy dividend that, over time, can produce a sizeable passive income if the dividends are…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Is this FTSE growth superstar set to soar even higher on new drug results?

| Simon Watkins

New drugs should significantly boost this FTSE stock’s earnings in my view. But even without them it looked very undervalued…

Read more »

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

£9,000 in savings? Here’s how I’d try to turn that into £7,864 every year in passive income

| Simon Watkins

Investing a relatively small amount in high-yielding stocks and reinvesting the dividends paid can generate significant passive income over time.

Read more »

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

Is Aviva’s share price a bargain now it’s trading well below £5?

| Simon Watkins

Aviva’s share price has slumped to well below £5, but even before that it looked a bargain to me, with…

Read more »

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

At around £28.50, Shell’s share price looks cheap to me

| Simon Watkins

Shell’s share price still looks undervalued against its fossil-fuel-focused rivals to me, despite it pushing back its carbon reduction targets.

Read more »

BUY AND HOLD spelled in letters on top of a pile of books. Alongside is a piggy bank in glasses. Buy and hold is a popular long term stock and shares strategy.
Investing Articles

433 shares in this FTSE 100 dividend superstar could make me £18,803 in annual passive income!

| Simon Watkins

This overlooked FTSE 100 gem has one of the best yields in the index, looks undervalued, and makes me big…

Read more »

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

£20,000 in savings? Here’s how I’d aim to turn that into a £1,231 monthly second income!

| Simon Watkins

Generating a sizeable second income can be life-enhancing, and it can be done from relatively small investments in high-dividend-paying stocks.

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Is Legal & General’s share price the best bargain in the FTSE 100?

| Simon Watkins

Legal & General’s share price looks very undervalued to me. It also yields 8.3% and seems set to benefit from…

Read more »

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

Even at £5+, BP’s share price still looks around 50% undervalued against its peers to me

| Simon Watkins

BP’s share price still looks very undervalued to me, given its strong core business and more pragmatic energy transition strategy.

Read more »

BUY AND HOLD spelled in letters on top of a pile of books. Alongside is a piggy bank in glasses. Buy and hold is a popular long term stock and shares strategy.
Investing Articles

Down 27%, but set for major growth, this hidden FTSE gem looks cheap to me

| Simon Watkins

This powerhouse FTSE stock has embarked on a new growth strategy that’s already showing good results, but it looks undervalued…

Read more »

Bronze bull and bear figurines
Investing Articles

1 dividend superstar I’d buy over Lloyds shares right now

| Simon Watkins

I sold my Lloyds shares recently and have used some of the proceeds to buy more of this high-yielding dividend…

Read more »

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

£20,000 in savings? Here’s how I’d try to turn that into a £43,960 annual passive income!

| Simon Watkins

Investing a relatively small amount into high-yielding stocks and reinvesting the dividends can generate significant passive income over time.

Read more »

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

Rolls-Royce shares look cheap to me after its investment-grade ratings clean sweep

| Simon Watkins

Despite recent gains, Rolls-Royce shares look great value to me, as it moves into its next phase of growth spurred…

Read more »

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

A 10.5% yield but down 16%! Time for me to buy more of this FTSE hidden gem?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 insurer pays one of the highest dividends in the index, looks set for continued strong growth, and…

Read more »

GSK scientist holding lab syringe
Investing Articles

Is GSK’s share price the best bargain in the FTSE 100?

| Simon Watkins

Even before news of new drugs in the pipeline, GSK’s share price looked a huge bargain to me, but now…

Read more »

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

This FTSE 250 defence stock looks nearly 50% undervalued against its peers to me

| Simon Watkins

I think this FTSE 250 firm looks very undervalued, especially with a big and growing order book, and a massive…

Read more »

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

How many shares of this FTSE dividend star would make me £500 a month of passive income?

| Simon Watkins

This high-yielding FTSE dividend star can generate major passive income, especially if the dividends are reinvested, even starting from zero.

Read more »