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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

Here’s why this FTSE 100 gem still looks a huge bargain to me despite a 94% rise this year

| Simon Watkins

A stock can still have huge value even after a substantial rise in price. To find out if this is…

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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

Is it worth me buying Lloyds shares for 61p after a 49% rise?

| Simon Watkins

Lloyds shares have risen significantly from their one-year traded low seen last February, which could mean no value is left…

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Investing Articles

Down 13%, this FTSE gem delivers a 9.4% yield and looks 57% undervalued to me!

| Simon Watkins

This is one of very few FTSE 100 stocks with a combination of a 9%+ yield, forecast earnings growth of…

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Investing Articles

At £26.46 Shell’s share price is down 10% from its 12-month traded high, so should I buy more now?

| Simon Watkins

Shell is looking to close the longstanding valuation gap between its share price and its peers by aggressively targeting more…

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

With major new agreements now signed, does BAE Systems’ share price look an unmissable bargain to me at £12.08?

| Simon Watkins

I think BAE Systems’ share price is down on the false assumption that the global security threat will fall in…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Investors considering a £10,000 holding in this FTSE 250 gem could make £17,599 a year in passive income over time!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 ultra-high-yield stock can generate huge dividend income over time, and it also looks undervalued to me against…

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

As the Bank of England says it’s open to pro-growth bank reforms, does Barclays’ £2.94 share price look a bargain to me?

| Simon Watkins

Barclays’ share price is up over the year, but a lot of value may remain, especially after pro-bank growth comments…

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

At £2.57, is now the time for me to buy shares in this major FTSE retailer after a 15% drop?

| Simon Watkins

This big UK FTSE 100 retailer has seen its share price slide in recent months, so does this mean now…

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

£11,000 in savings? Here’s how investors could use that to target £2,991 in annual passive income!

| Simon Watkins

Investing in high-dividend-paying stocks with the returns used to buy more of those shares can generate potentially life-changing passive income…

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

Down 15% to just 67p, does Vodafone’s share price look a bargain to me?

| Simon Watkins

Vodafone’s share price is down a long way from its 12-month high, which may signal a bargain to be had.…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

If a 20-year-old invested £5,500 in Legal and General shares now, they could make £6,446 a year in dividend income aged 50!

| Simon Watkins

Legal and General shares generate one of the highest yields in any FTSE index, so investing now could lead to…

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

With 3 major new deals signed in under a month, does Rolls-Royce’s £6.05 share price look a bargain to me?

| Simon Watkins

Rolls-Royce’s share price has risen a lot in 12 months, but it could still go much higher on multiple new…

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

Under £5 now, is this FTSE 100 high-flyer set to soar after new airport deal and strong growth forecasts?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 airline stock is down substantially from its one-year high, but such a decline might mean it's a…

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Investing Articles

At £1.42 now, BT’s share price looks cheap to me anywhere under £3.64

| Simon Watkins

BT’s shares have dropped 12% from their 12-month traded high of £1.61, leaving them looking undervalued to me, and yielding…

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

Down 37% despite hitting £2bn+ in sales, does this FTSE 250 firm look an unmissable buy to me?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 fast-food retailer just hit the £2bn sales level, but its shares have tumbled. So what’s behind it…

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Renewable energies concept collage
Investing Articles

Is this the best FTSE commodity stock for me to buy to profit from the energy transition?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 100 commodity giant looks to me to be in a prime position to benefit from the energy transition,…

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Businessman using pen drawing line for increasing arrow from 2024 to 2025
Investing Articles

Anywhere under £45.27, GSK’s share price looks cheap to me

| Simon Watkins

GSK’s share price has been pressured recently from several negative events, but this may leave a bargain to be had.…

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

Here’s how investors could consider aiming for £3,449 in annual passive income from £10,000 of HSBC shares

| Simon Watkins

Relatively small investments in high-yielding shares can grow into big passive income, especially if the dividends are reinvested in the…

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Front view of aircraft in flight.
Investing Articles

Above £3 now, IAG’s share price looks cheap to me anywhere below £8.97

| Simon Watkins

Although IAG’s share price has risen a long way over the past year, there could still be a lot of…

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

Tesco’s share price is down 3% from its one-year high despite a strong Christmas. Should I buy on the dip?

| Simon Watkins

Tesco’s share price is up over the year, but there could still be a lot of value left in it.…

Read more »

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

Is it time for me to buy more shares around £4 in this FTSE 100 banking giant after the government reduced its stake?

| Simon Watkins

Underlining the bright prospects for this FTSE 100 bank, the government has again reduced its stake, so is now a…

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

Down 15% despite strong recent results, is it time for me to buy shares in FTSE retail institution Marks and Spencer?

| Simon Watkins

FTSE retailer M&S saw its share price drop despite a very strong Christmas trading update, which means a bargain may…

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

Down 16% since August, this FTSE 250 defence firm looks cheap to me anywhere under £8.04

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 firm's a leader in its field and should benefit from massive increases in European defence spending. At…

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Young Caucasian girl showing and pointing up with fingers number three against yellow background
Investing Articles

3 key reasons why AstraZeneca’s share price looks a steal to me right now

| Simon Watkins

AstraZeneca’s share price has fallen a long way from its record-breaking level last year, which indicates that I may be…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Here’s how investors could aim for a £6,531 annual passive income from £11,000 of Aviva shares

| Simon Watkins

As a stock’s yield rises when its price falls, I'm not bothered by Aviva shares’ apparent inability to break the…

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

£11,000 in savings? Here’s how investors could consider aiming for £3,975 a year of passive income!

| Simon Watkins

Relatively small investments in this FTSE 100 high-yield star could generate much higher passive income over time, especially using dividend…

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Aerial view of York downtown at night
Investing Articles

Is it worth me buying National Grid shares for around £9 after a 14% drop?

| Simon Watkins

National Grid shares have fallen significantly from their post-rights issue high seen in September, which indicates to me a possible…

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Businessman using pen drawing line for increasing arrow from 2024 to 2025
Investing Articles

Is Shell’s bargain-basement share price too good an opportunity for me to miss?

| Simon Watkins

Shell’s share price has dropped in line with the benchmark oil price on factors that I don't believe will endure,…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Investors considering a £9,000 investment in this 7.9%-yielding unfashionable FTSE 100 giant could make £7,547 a year in dividend income!

| Simon Watkins

This very-high-yielding FTSE 100 heavyweight has fallen a long way since its 2017 peak, which has left it looking extremely…

Read more »

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

As NATO eyes a spending surge in Trump’s second term, is it time for me to buy this FTSE defence technology gem?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE firm is at the cutting edge of defence technology so looks perfectly placed to benefit from big, planned…

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

Time for me to increase my holding in this 11.1%-yielding FTSE 250 gem to target £45,811 in annual passive income?

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 firm offers one of the highest yields in any major FTSE index, which could one day generate…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Here’s how investors could consider trying to turn £11,000 of Legal & General shares into £13,998 a year of dividend income

| Simon Watkins

Legal and General shares generate one of the highest yields in any of the major FTSE indexes, which can generate…

Read more »

Road 2025 to 2032 new year direction concept
Investing Articles

Down 4% and still trading under £6, is it time for me to buy the dip in Rolls-Royce’s share price?

| Simon Watkins

Rolls-Royce’s share price has risen a long way since 2023, yet I think there could still be value left in…

Read more »

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

£9,000 in savings? Here’s how investors could try to turn that into £1,430 a month of passive income

| Simon Watkins

Very high passive income can be made over time from smaller initial investments in high-yielding stocks, especially if dividend compounding…

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Businessman hand stacking up arrow on wooden block cubes
Investing Articles

Down 19% to a near 12-month low, does BAE Systems’ share price look an unmissable bargain to me?

| Simon Watkins

BAE Systems’ share price has fallen considerably in recent weeks for no good reason, in my view, leaving them looking…

Read more »

DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

A 10.3% yield but down 12%! Time for me to buy more of this hidden FTSE 100 gem?

| Simon Watkins

The FTSE 100 giant savings and retirement business delivers one of the highest yields in the index, which can generate…

Read more »

Businessman using pen drawing line for increasing arrow from 2024 to 2025
Investing Articles

Down 25% from its one-year traded high, is BP’s share price set to soar on new oil field developments?

| Simon Watkins

BP’s share price has tracked the oil price lower this year, but I think giant new oil deals hold the…

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

Trading around an 11-year high, is Tesco’s share price still significantly undervalued?

| Simon Watkins

Although Tesco’s share price has risen a lot in the past few years, it could still have significant value left…

Read more »

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

£11,000 in savings? Investors could consider targeting £5,979 a year of passive income with this FTSE 250 high-yield gem!

| Simon Watkins

This FTSE 250 firm currently delivers a yield of more than double the index’s average, which could generate very sizeable…

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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

£5,000 in savings? Here’s how investors can consider using that to target £2,272 a year of passive income from HSBC shares!

| Simon Watkins

HSBC shares deliver an excellent yield, look undervalued on key measures I trust most, and the banking business seems set…

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