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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

Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

I asked ChatGPT for the 3 best FTSE stocks for retirement income, and here’s what it said…

| Simon Watkins

Since HAL from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, I've avoided AI. But in the interests of humanity, I asked ChatGPT for…

Read more »

piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Down 21% this year, is BT’s share price an unmissable bargain after H1 results?

| Simon Watkins

BT’s share price edged lower after its H1 results, marking a 21% decline from its July high. But this may…

Read more »

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

Is the FTSE 100’s most valuable company still worth me buying after Q3 results?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 giant has become the index's most valuable share again. But Simon Watkins still believes there may be…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

I couldn’t resist this 8.8%-yielding FTSE gem – here’s why

| Simon Watkins

Harbour Energy’s yield is more than double the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 average. With earnings set to soar, I…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

This superb passive income gem now has a forecast yield of 8.1%!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 financial giant has long been a star performer in Simon Watkins’ passive income portfolio, and the forecasts…

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Bronze bull and bear figurines
Investing Articles

Strong Q3 results — but is £145+ too much for Next’s share price?

| Simon Watkins

Next’s share price is near an all-time high as it continues to deliver excellent results, but has its latest rise…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Is £6.51 where Marks and Spencer’s sub-£4 share price ‘should’ be priced?

| Simon Watkins

Marks and Spencer’s H1 results were its first since this year’s cyber hack, but they were solid, leaving its share…

Read more »

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

This FTSE 250 AI travel stock looks 51% undervalued after strong H1 results — should I buy now?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 firm uses AI to optimise routes and ticket sales, and its recent results show huge success in…

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GSK scientist holding lab syringe
Investing Articles

Why does GSK’s share price look cheap to me anywhere under £47.78?

| Simon Watkins

GSK’s share price has risen a lot this year, boosted by its strong Q3 results, but huge value could remain,…

Read more »

DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Here’s what I’d need to invest in BP shares to get £6,898 a year in dividends

| Simon Watkins

Despite a recent bullish price run, BP shares’ dividend yield is forecast to hit 5.9% by 2027, which could provide…

Read more »

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

This FTSE 100 bank is up 63% — why am I still buying?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 bank has soared over the year, boosted recently by its Q3 results, but Simon Watkins believes there’s…

Read more »

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

Investors can target £17,497 in yearly passive income from 2,958 shares in this 8%-yielding FTSE 100 dividend star — here’s how

| Simon Watkins

The UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement group offers one of the highest yields in the FTSE index, generating significant…

Read more »

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

Around a 10-year high, despite poor Q3 results and the motor finance scandal, what’s going on with Lloyds’ share price?

| Simon Watkins

Lloyds’ share price has reached levels not seen since July 2015, although recent results were poor and it remains mired…

Read more »

Hydrogen testing at DLR Cologne
Investing Articles

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

| Simon Watkins

Simon Watkins believes Rolls-Royce is underpromising in its forecasts to overdeliver, so there may be a lot more value in…

Read more »

Satellite on planet background
Investing Articles

Down 9% in a month, is BAE Systems’ share price an unmissable bargain for me now?

| Simon Watkins

BAE Systems’ share price has gone lower since October, but this could indicate a bargain. I re-examined the price-to-value gap…

Read more »

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

Shell’s share price looks a bargain to me anywhere under £64.63 following Q3 results

| Simon Watkins

Shell’s share price has jumped 25% from April, and rose again on its Q3 results. But price and value are…

Read more »

DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

This superb FTSE passive income gem now generates a stunning 9% dividend yield!

| Simon Watkins

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

Read more »

Businessman hand stacking money coins with virtual percentage icons
Investing Articles

£20,000 invested in this FTSE 250 financial gem could make me £12,406 in annual dividend income over time!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 investment star has delivered consistently high dividend yields over the past five years, which can lead to…

Read more »

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

Here’s why this FTSE 100 star still looks a bargain to me, despite trading at a 12-year high of £15+

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 financial gem is trading around a 12-year high, but price and value are different. And Simon Watkins…

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

Here’s why Wizz Air’s £11+ share price now looks 75% undervalued after a 35% fall since June

| Simon Watkins

Wizz Air’s share price has tanked since the release of its Q1 results, but this could mean a huge bargain…

Read more »

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

My £20,000 invested in this passive income star could make me £5,421 a year in dividend income over time!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 heavyweight has been a core holding in my passive income portfolio, designed to maximise my income from…

Read more »

Trader on video call from his home office
Investing Articles

Around a 4-year high at £3.40+, is there any value left in Sainsbury’s share price?

| Simon Watkins

Sainsbury’s share price has risen a lot this year, but could there still be enormous value left in it? I…

Read more »

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

Up 163%, what’s going on with this FTSE 250 biotech innovator’s share price?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 biotech pioneer has soared in price since April, but Simon Watkins believes spectacular earnings growth prospects could…

Read more »

piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Is Glencore’s share price set to surge further on booming commodities prices?

| Simon Watkins

Glencore’s share price has risen by nearly 50% since April on rising prices for some of its key commodities, but…

Read more »

Array of piggy banks in saturated colours on high colour contrast background
Investing Articles

Down 5% after H1 results, does this FTSE 100 hospitality giant look a huge bargain now?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 hospitality giant dropped 9% on he day of its H1 results but has recovered slightly. So how…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Here’s how investors could aim for £12,406 a year from £20,000 in this high-flying FTSE financial star

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE financial star has risen in price since its strong Q3 trading update, which pushed its yield down. But…

Read more »

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

Despite trading near a 15-year high after yesterday’s Q3 results, Barclays’ share price could still have this much value left in it…

| Simon Watkins

Barclays’ share price jumped on three key announcements in yesterday’s Q3 numbers release, but there could still be a surprising…

Read more »

Businessman hand stacking money coins with virtual percentage icons
Investing Articles

£20,000 of Aviva shares could make me £10,390 a year in dividend income, given its 6.7% forecast yield!

| Simon Watkins

Analysts forecast Aviva’s earnings will grow 18.8% a year, and this is the key driver that pushes any firm’s share…

Read more »

Satellite on planet background
Investing Articles

A 67% forecast annual earnings growth but down 19%, is this FTSE 250 defence stock a great short-term risk/long-term reward play?

| Simon Watkins

Analysts’ consensus is that this FTSE 250 defence stock’s earnings will grow by a stunning 67% a year, and this…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Around 87p now, Vodafone’s share price looks cheap to me anywhere under £2.13

| Simon Watkins

Vodafone’s share price has soared since April, but enormous value could still be left in the stock. I ran the…

Read more »

Chalkboard representation of risk versus reward on a pair of scales
Investing Articles

Down 20% but with 17% forecast annual earnings growth, is it time to consider this FTSE construction high-flyer?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE stock has lost a lot of ground over the year, but its recent results looked good, and analysts…

Read more »

Road trip. Father and son travelling together by car
Investing Articles

Here’s how investors could target £41,282 of annual passive income from £20,000 in this dividend gem

| Simon Watkins

This ultra-high-yielding FTSE dividend star could deliver significant streams of passive income over time, and it also looks very undervalued…

Read more »

piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Is a turnaround coming in Persimmon’s £11+ share price after a 29% fall this year?

| Simon Watkins

Persimmon’s share price has dropped a long way this year, but recent results underpin strong growth forecasts to leave it…

Read more »

Little girl helping her Grandad plant tomatoes in a greenhouse in his garden.
Investing Articles

Down 13% but a near-7% yield forecast! Should I buy more shares of this FTSE 100 gem at around £38?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 perennial high-dividend-yield gem also looks very undervalued at its current price and is set to see very…

Read more »

Young female analyst working at her desk in the office
Investing Articles

Prudential’s share price is 45% under its ‘fair value’ so is it time for me to buy?

| Simon Watkins

The Prudential share price has dipped recently on a couple of key factors, but I think neither will endure, leaving…

Read more »

Stacks of coins
Growth Shares

A forecast dividend yield of 6.4% and 44% undervalued, is it time for me to buy more of this FTSE powerhouse?

| Simon Watkins

Analysts project this top-flight FTSE heavyweight will raise its dividends significantly to end-2027, and it looks very underpriced to ‘fair…

Read more »

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

How much do you need in a Stocks and Shares ISA to aim for a £3,658 monthly passive income in retirement?

| Simon Watkins

A Stocks and Shares ISA's the best way I've found to plan for the future in a tax-efficient way, and…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Dividend Shares

A 6.7% yield but down 15%, is it time for investors to consider this FTSE 250 media star?

| Simon Watkins

Shares in this FTSE 250 broadcasting giant have dropped in the past three months, but its dividend yield remains very…

Read more »

Rolls-Royce engineer working on an engine
Investing Articles

Is Rolls-Royce’s £11+ share price worth it on a rare dip?

| Simon Watkins

Rolls-Royce share price has soared since January 2023, but there could still be enormous value left in the stock. I…

Read more »

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

How does the price-to-value proposition look in National Grid’s share price after its pre-H1 results update?

| Simon Watkins

National Grid’s share price has risen a lot since January on solid results, but how does it look now following…

Read more »