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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

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Investing Articles

Near a 3-year high, Vodafone may not look a cheap share, but is the value story just beginning?

| Simon Watkins

Vodafone has risen a lot over 12 months, yet my analysis suggests there's more value left in this supposedly not‑so‑cheap…

Read more »

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Investing Articles

Under £19, here’s why GSK’s share price looks cheap to me anywhere below £42.92

| Simon Watkins

Despite a strong run last year, my DCF modelling suggests the market may be overlooking a far higher value than…

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Investing Articles

Here’s how you could target £7,066 a year of retirement income by putting just £5 a day into HSBC shares…

| Simon Watkins

Some in the markets may think HSBC shares have risen too far, but my analysis implies the opposite -- and…

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Investing Articles

With 2,685 shares in this 7.2%-yielding FTSE 100 gem, investors can target £12,406 in yearly passive income!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 financial giant could turn a modest investment into serious passive income over time, with the long‑term totals…

Read more »

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Investing Articles

Down 22% to under £11, is this high-tech FTSE high-flyer a screaming bargain now?

| Simon Watkins

Despite solid growth, strong margins, and rising cash generation, this FTSE tech star has dropped sharply. So is it seriously…

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Investing Articles

Here’s how investors could aim for £9,532 in yearly dividend income from this 9.9%-yielding FTSE 250 high-yield gem

| Simon Watkins

A near double-digit yield backed by growing cash flow and long-term contracts makes Energean look like one of the FTSE…

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Middle-aged white man wearing glasses, staring into space over the top of his laptop in a coffee shop
Investing Articles

At a bargain-basement valuation under £19, is it time for me to buy this FTSE 100 banking gem?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 giant has reshaped its business and its balance sheet and is growing fast. With the shares still…

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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

Here’s how my £20,000 holding in this top-flight income share could make me £7,927 a year in retirement…

| Simon Watkins

This overlooked FTSE 100 income share keeps lifting payouts and buying back stock. Could it really supercharge my long term…

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Investing Articles

Greggs share price: is the market mispricing this UK favourite?

| Simon Watkins

Sales are rising, expansion is intact, and JPMorgan is bullish -- so is the beaten down Greggs share price now…

Read more »

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Investing Articles

Around £41 a share, this FTSE 100 passive income star now has a forecast dividend yield of 7%!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE high-yield stock already has a near-6% payout, but analysts forecast a rise to 7%, which could generate major…

Read more »

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Investing Articles

Down 20% but with 15% annual earnings growth forecast, how high can BT’s share price go?

| Simon Watkins

Analysts expect BT’s profits to rise nearly 15% a year, yet the share price is down 19% over the year.…

Read more »

Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’m targeting £10,872 in annual dividend income from £20,000 in this FTSE 100 income share

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 income share is already paying me handsomely -- but the long term income potential here could be…

Read more »

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Investing Articles

This standout FTSE income gem now has a dividend yield of 7%!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE financial giant is growing profits, customers and assets while trading at low valuations and offering a big yield…

Read more »

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

Up 117% from its 2025 low, here’s why Barclays’ share price could soar again this year

| Simon Watkins

Barclays’ share price surged in 2025, but strong earnings growth following its recent business strategic shift could mean huge gains…

Read more »

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Investing Articles

Is this FTSE 250 high‑tech defence leader on the brink of stunning multi‑year growth?

| Simon Watkins

This little‑noticed FTSE 250 high‑tech defence firm is entering a rapid expansion phase, with new contracts and soaring earnings forecasts…

Read more »

Investing Articles

I’m targeting £23,441 in annual dividend income from my £20,000 in this FTSE 100 high-yield star!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 high‑yield gem is expected to deliver major earnings growth, strengthening its long‑term income appeal and boosting its…

Read more »

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

This crackerjack FTSE dividend stock now has a forecast yield of 8.9%!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 income play offers a yield some investors won’t believe -- and the maths reveals a compounding story…

Read more »

Investing Articles

My £20,000 holding in this FTSE star could make me £12,406 a year in passive income over time!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 high-yield gem is forecast to see strong earnings growth that should power its share price and passive…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Down 9%, here’s why BP’s share price could soar in 2026

| Simon Watkins

Analysts forecast strong growth for BP based on its strategic reset, and a dividend yield rising to 6.2%, leaving its…

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Investing Articles

Is Rolls-Royce’s share price gearing up for another big jump in 2026?

| Simon Watkins

Rolls Royce’s share price has rocketed over the past two years, but with earnings momentum still building, there may be…

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Investing Articles

I’m targeting £42,949 in dividend income for my retirement from £20,000 in this 10.2%-yielding FTSE 250 gem!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 income play yielding over 10% is powering my long term retirement plan. Here’s why I think it…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Down 15%, here’s what the markets are missing about BAE Systems’ share price and how high it could go in 2026…

| Simon Watkins

BAE Systems’ results, order book and guidance point to accelerating growth -- yet the market still prices in a slowdown.…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Around £1, why does the Lloyds share price still looks cheap to me up to £1.43?

| Simon Watkins

Lloyds has been dogged by negative publicity surrounding motor insurance mis-selling, but has this left its share price seriously undervalued…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

How I’m targeting £12,959 a year in dividend income from £20,000 in this FTSE 100 dividend gem

| Simon Watkins

This financial giant delivers one of the highest dividend yields in the FTSE 100, with analysts forecasting this will rise…

Read more »

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

This superb passive income star now has a dividend yield of 10.4%!

| Simon Watkins

This standout passive income gem now generates an annual dividend return higher than the ‘magic’ 10% figure, and consensus forecasts…

Read more »

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

With 55% earnings growth forecast, here’s where Vodafone’s share price ‘should’ be trading…

| Simon Watkins

Consensus forecasts point to 55% annual earnings growth to 2028. With a strategic shift ongoing, how undervalued is Vodafone’s share…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’m targeting £12,959 a year in my retirement from £20,000 in this ultra-high yielding FTSE 100 income share…

| Simon Watkins

Analysts forecast this high-yield FTSE 100 income share will deliver rising dividends and capital gains, making it a powerful long-term…

Read more »

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

Tesco’s share price: is boring brilliant?

| Simon Watkins

Tesco delivers steady profits, dividends, and market share gains. So is its share price undervaluing the resilience of Britain’s biggest…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

With its 16% dividend yield, is it time for me to buy this FTSE 250 passive income star?

| Simon Watkins

Ithaca Energy’s 16% dividend yield looks irresistible -- but with tax headwinds still blowing strong, can this FTSE 250 passive…

Read more »

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

Under £27 now, Shell’s share price looks a huge bargain – here’s why

| Simon Watkins

Shell’s share price is at a major discount to its peers, but Simon Watkins believes it won’t do so for…

Read more »

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Growth Shares

Down 60% since 2022: can Diageo’s share price ever stage a turnaround?

| Simon Watkins

Diageo’s share price has plunged, but with its premium brands, strong cash flows, and a solid dividend yield, can it…

Read more »

DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

This superb FTSE dividend gem has a forecast yield of 7.5%!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE insurer has a high dividend yield that is projected to rise and looks extremely undervalued -- a rare…

Read more »

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

44% under ‘fair value’, should investors consider this overlooked FTSE 100 defence gem right now?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 defence and aerospace stock trades 44% below fair value, yet analysts’ forecasts are for 7.8% annual earnings…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Investors can target £22,491 in passive income from £20,000 in this FTSE dividend gem

| Simon Watkins

This ultra-high-yielding FTSE gem’s dividend is forecast to rise even higher in the coming years, driving high passive income flows…

Read more »

Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

After Qatar cuts its stake in Sainsbury’s, is its share price now a great short-term risk/long-term reward play?

| Simon Watkins

Sainsbury’s share price slid after Qatar cut its stake, but with a new activist investor at the helm, does it…

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

I’m targeting £11,363 a year in retirement from £20,000 in Aviva shares!

| Simon Watkins

£20,000 invested in Aviva shares could make me £11,363 in annual retirement income from this FTSE 100 passive income investment…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Down 20% but 15% annual earnings growth forecast — is BT’s share price a bargain or a bust going into 2026?

| Simon Watkins

BT’s share price has fallen a long way since July, but analysts forecast strong earnings growth in the coming years,…

Read more »

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

Why this FTSE banking gem may hold a lot more value than we think

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE banking giant may be hiding more value than investors expect -- with rising dividends, buybacks, and growth potential…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

I’ve made this much from 417 shares in this FTSE 100 dividend income gem since 2020…

| Simon Watkins

My £10k investment in this FTSE 100 heavyweight has grown hugely since 2020. With dividends up and the shares still…

Read more »

Departure & Arrival sign, representing selling and buying in a portfolio
Investing Articles

Is easyJet a steal at its near-£5 share price after strong 2025 results?

| Simon Watkins

easyJet’s share price has slipped 16% from its peak -- but is this turbulence masking a hidden value gap investors…

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