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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

A stunning 9% dividend yield but down 11%, do Legal & General shares look like an unmissable bargain to me?

| Simon Watkins

£11,000 invested in Legal & General shares could make me an annual dividend income of £14,583 on the current 9%…

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Investing Articles

Up 18% since its H1 trading update, it’s surprising how much value is left in this high-flying FTSE 250 retailer

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 electrical goods retailer recently released very strong H1 results and upgraded its full-year forecasts. But is there…

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Investing Articles

Down 25% from last October, is Barratt’s share price too cheap for investors to ignore?

| Simon Watkins

Barratt’s share price is down this year, but it recently released strong results, has great earnings growth prospects, and looks…

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Investing Articles

Just under £15 now, GSK’s share price looks cheap to me anywhere below £48.13

| Simon Watkins

GSK’s share price has regained some ground recently from the drags of legal and tariff concerns, but I think it's…

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Investing Articles

Here’s how I could turn £9,000 in this 7.7%-yielding FTSE dividend star into £6,930 a year of passive income over time!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE financial stock generates one of the highest dividend yields in any of its major indexes and it looks…

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Investing Articles

HSBC’s share price is around an all-time high, so why am I buying more of the stock now?

| Simon Watkins

HSBC’s share price has soared over the past year alone, but there could still be enormous value left in the…

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Investing Articles

Should I buy more of this passive income star, with a 6.5% projected dividend yield and 15.8% annual forecast earnings growth?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 giant pays a high dividend yield that can generate big passive income over time, and it looks…

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Investing Articles

A 6.7% yield and 41% underpriced to ‘fair value’, should I buy more of this FTSE 100 gem after a major organisational streamlining?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 commodities giant has reorganised to focus on its most profitable assets to unlock additional shareholder value. And…

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Investing Articles

Down 8% following good H1 results, does Next’s share price look cheap to me?

| Simon Watkins

Next’s share price has dropped, despite good recent results, so this could signal a bargain to be had. I ran…

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Investing Articles

Is now just the right time to consider Wizz Air that’s 74% below fair value with its share price down 30% from March?

| Simon Watkins

Wizz Air’s share price is still down from the continued grounding of some of its planes, but a ratings upgrade…

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Investing Articles

With a pivot to Europe away from the UK, are shares in this FTSE 250 smart travel tech firm about to soar?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 AI-driven travel giant is refocusing on the huge, liberalised European market as the UK centralises its own,…

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Investing Articles

This is how much dividend income I could make from another £10,000 invested in Aviva shares

| Simon Watkins

Aviva shares have consistently paid high dividends in the past few years that generate significant passive income – and they…

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Investing Articles

Down 15% despite solid results, is this 7.5%-dividend-yielding FTSE stock in irresistible bargain territory for me?

| Simon Watkins

Despite posting solid annual results, this FTSE stock was penalised for accurately commenting on the UK’s economic outlook, leaving it…

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Investing Articles

Around a 5-year high, IAG’s share price still looks 66% under its fair value to me!

| Simon Watkins

IAG’s share price has risen a lot this year, but this doesn’t mean it can’t rise further. In fact, the…

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Investing Articles

Following solid H1 results, is it time for me to buy this 10.4%-yielding passive income star?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE firm pays very high dividends that can generate an enormous passive income over time and looks significantly underpriced…

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Investing Articles

Marks and Spencer is fully back in business after its cyberattack. Does its sub-£4 share price look an unmissable bargain to me?

| Simon Watkins

Marks and Spencer’s share price is still being penalised for a cyberattack with which it has already dealt. Consequently, it…

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Investing Articles

Time for me to buy more of this superb 7.9%-dividend yield FTSE gem after H1 results?

| Simon Watkins

This perennial FTSE 100 dividend gem is still delivering a terrific yield, with strong earnings growth prospects and a very…

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Investing Articles

Around 87p now, Vodafone’s share price looks a bargain to me anywhere under £2.02

| Simon Watkins

Vodafone’s share price has risen strongly this year but looks set to rise even more to me, powered by its…

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Investing Articles

After a strong H1, this FTSE 250 gem forecasts annual earnings growth of 16% and looks 32% underpriced to fair value!

| Simon Watkins

This relatively overlooked FTSE 250 stock released strong H1 results, leaving its earnings growth prospects looking strong and its share…

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Investing Articles

Down 12%, this FTSE utilities provider is 31% under its ‘fair value’ and has a forecast dividend yield of 6.5%!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE utilities firm has gradually lost ground since June for no good reason I can see, leaving it looking…

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Investing Articles

Forecast annual earnings growth of 28%, 52% undervalued and with a projected 6.3% dividend yield, are BP shares set to soar?

| Simon Watkins

BP shares are set to see very strong profit growth in the coming years, which should ultimately power their price…

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Investing Articles

Why am I increasing my investment in 8.7%-yielding Phoenix after its share price fell 6.5% on H1 results?

| Simon Watkins

Phoenix’s share price fell significantly after the release of its H1 results. Despite one accounting-related adjustment, I thought they were…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

£10,000 in savings? Here’s how investors can target £9,126 a year in passive income from this 8.1%-yielding FTSE financial giant

| Simon Watkins

My passive income portfolio is key to my early retirement and has enhanced my quality of life as well. I…

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Investing Articles

Down 7% to just over £26, are Shell shares worth me buying right now?

| Simon Watkins

Shell shares have fallen from their March one-year high, which might mean they're in bargain territory. I ran the key…

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Investing Articles

Is FTSE 100 distribution giant Bunzl worth me taking seriously after H1 results?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 distribution heavyweight has never been top of my watchlist, but following its H1 results I took another…

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Investing Articles

Down 18% from June, is it time for me to buy this FTSE 250 world-leading hi-tech defence stock?

| Simon Watkins

Shares in this FTSE 250 leader in high-technology testing and evaluation systems for the defence sector are significantly down, leaving…

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Investing Articles

Is Lloyds’ share price cheap after a 6% dip from its August 1-year high?

| Simon Watkins

Lloyds’ share price has dropped from its recent 12-month high, but this doesn't necessarily mean it's cheap now. I ran…

Read more »

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Investing Articles

Just over £119 now, AstraZeneca’s share price looks cheap to me anywhere under £220.91

| Simon Watkins

AstraZeneca’s share price has fallen since its September one-year high, which indicates that it could be a bargain. I ran…

Read more »

DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

This superb FTSE dividend star’s yield is forecast to rise to 8.6% by 2027, so should I buy more right now?

| Simon Watkins

This high-yield financial stock already pays one of the highest dividends in any major FTSE index, but analysts forecast that…

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Rolls-Royce engineer working on an engine
Investing Articles

Around a record high of £11, why does Rolls-Royce’s share price still look an irresistible buy to me?

| Simon Watkins

Rolls-Royce’s share price has made huge gains over the past three years, and I think a lot more are to…

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

A whopping 9.9% dividend yield and 74% underpriced to fair value, is it time for me to buy this FTSE 100 passive income gem?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 homebuilder now offers one of the highest dividend yields in any of the major UK indexes, which…

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Investing Articles

805 shares in this FTSE 100 dividend gem could allow investors to target £4,612 a year in passive income!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 financial giant pays one of the highest dividend yields in any major FTSE index, and this is…

Read more »

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

Down 12%, is now exactly the right time for me to buy more BAE Systems’ shares?

| Simon Watkins

BAE Systems’ shares have dropped 12% from their 12-month high, so they could be even more undervalued than previously assessed.…

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

Down 7% from June, are Next shares a bargain?

| Simon Watkins

Next shares have fallen since June, which may signal that the firm is fundamentally worth less than before. Or it…

Read more »

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

This 6.3%-yielding FTSE 250 media giant looks 64% undervalued to me, with forecast earnings growth of 9.3% a year!

| Simon Watkins

This high-yielding FTSE 250 terrestrial and digital media giant has fallen 9% in price, leaving it looking even more under…

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Investing Articles

33% down from its 7 October high, is Glencore’s share price set to soar on stunning earnings growth forecasts?

| Simon Watkins

Glencore’s share price has fallen a lot this year, but analysts forecast that earnings growth will be supercharged this year…

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Investing Articles

Here’s how investors could target £2,338 in dividend income from 353 shares in this FTSE giant…

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 heavyweight delivers a good dividend yield that's forecast to rise substantially, and it also looks very underpriced…

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Dividend Shares

Trading around a record high, this 5.2%-yielding passive income gem still looks packed with value to me!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 financial gem generates a high passive income stream and also looks very undervalued to me, especially after…

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Investing Articles

Is it worth investors now considering National Grid, with its share price down 5% from April?

| Simon Watkins

National Grid’s share price has dipped from its 12-month traded high, which could mean a bargain to be had. I…

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

Down 11% since June, is this FTSE 250 high-tech defence firm a huge bargain now?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 firm looks well placed to benefit from big rises in NATO spending, given its leadership in advanced-tech…

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