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Alan Oscroft

Alan is a freelance writer who began writing for The Motley Fool in the late 1990s. He has been a private investor for more 30 years, and has explored a number of strategies, settling on high-yielding blue-chip shares.

Recent Articles

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Investing Articles

How to target £5,000 per year in passive income from shares

| Alan Oscroft

Aiming for passive income to help fund retirement? I want to share my secret for achieving exactly that. And it's…

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Investing Articles

How to target a million in a Stocks and Shares ISA

| Alan Oscroft

How many of us dream of becoming millionaires from our Stocks and Shares ISAs? You might be surprised how many…

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Investing Articles

How to target a million from UK dividend shares

| Alan Oscroft

Fancy the idea of making a million from stock market investing? Here's why I think going for dividend shares is…

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Investing Articles

3 stocks to buy with dividends yielding more than 3%

| Alan Oscroft

Looking for stocks to buy now for long-term income? I always start with a search for the FTSE 100's most…

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Warren Buffett at a Berkshire Hathaway AGM
Investing Articles

The latest pearls of wisdom from ace investor Warren Buffett

| Alan Oscroft

Warren Buffett's latest, and eagerly-awaited, letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders is out. What does the sage have to say this…

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Investing Articles

Will the Rolls-Royce share price crash in 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

The Rolls-Royce share price might have soared on the back of FY22 results, but that doesn't mean its problems are…

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Investing Articles

Will the Lloyds share price crash in 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

The market reacted unenthusiastically to the latest full-year results. Might that tip the Lloyds share price downwards this year?

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Investing Articles

Will FTSE 100 shares crash in 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

FTSE 100 shares pushed through the 8,000 points mark in February. But it's not holding, as investors shy away from…

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Investing Articles

Here’s what Stocks and Shares ISA millionaires are buying in 2023

| Alan Oscroft

Want to join the UK Stocks and Shares ISA millionaires club? What better way to learn than to examine what…

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Investing Articles

3 no-brainer growth shares to buy in March?

| Alan Oscroft

It looks increasingly like growth shares could be regaining their popularity in 2023, after investors shunned them in 2022.

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Investing Articles

Could Rolls-Royce become the FTSE 100 dividend share to beat?

| Alan Oscroft

Right now, investors don't really see the aero engine maker as a top dividend share. But after positive FY results,…

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Investing Articles

Scottish Mortgage shares: a once-in-a-decade opportunity to get rich?

| Alan Oscroft

Scottish Mortgage shares are on a hefty discount right now. Does that make them a no-brainer buy for long-term growth…

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Investing Articles

Is Cineworld the best UK penny stock to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

Investing in a penny stock like Cineworld can can be risky business. But sometimes, the gamble pays off and pennies…

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Investing Articles

I’d buy these cheap shares right now, to target an ISA million

| Alan Oscroft

I'm always on the lookout for cheap shares that I hope might one day get me on to the ever-growing…

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Investing Articles

How I’d invest in FTSE 100 shares to target £5,000 in passive income

| Alan Oscroft

To generate long-term passive income, I can't think of anything better than buying shares in the UK's best dividend-paying companies.

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Investing Articles

FTSE 100 stocks: a once-in-a-decade opportunity to get rich

| Alan Oscroft

Here's why 2023 might turn out to be the best year to buy FTSE 100 stocks, in a Stocks and…

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Young female couple boarding their plane at the airport to go on holiday.
Investing Articles

3 reasons to buy Rolls-Royce shares (and why I won’t)

| Alan Oscroft

With the price recovering sharply since October, I can see some good reasons for investors to finally buy Rolls-Royce shares…

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Man putting his card into an ATM machine while his son sits in a stroller beside him.
Investing Articles

3 reasons to sell Lloyds shares (and why I won’t)

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds shares were off to a good start in 2023. But a weakening outlook for the banking sector is taking…

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Investing Articles

How soon can the FTSE 100 hit 10,000 points?

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 100 finally reached 8,000 points this week, and the pundits are wondering when 9,000 will come. I'm even…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

5 discounted investment trusts to buy while they’re cheap?

| Alan Oscroft

Growth stocks have fallen, but some investment trusts have fallen further. Are they a way into some out-of-favour sectors on…

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

Earnings: is the NatWest share price cheap, after bumper profits?

| Alan Oscroft

Following higher profits than at any time since the banking crisis, I wonder if the NatWest share price is among…

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Investing Articles

Earnings: time to buy Centrica shares after bumper profits?

| Alan Oscroft

After a few years of falling profits, Centrica shares have been on an upwards run. That's now been cemented by…

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Young black woman walking in Central London for shopping
Investing Articles

Are boohoo shares a screaming buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

boohoo shares have turned from booming growth to near wipeout in just two years. Might buying now be throwing good…

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Investing Articles

Earnings: why Hargreaves Lansdown shares are falling

| Alan Oscroft

Hargreaves Lansdown shares reached overheated valuations in the past. But after a fall, and on H1 results, they just might…

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Young Black woman using a debit card at an ATM to withdraw money
Investing Articles

Earnings: why the Barclays share price just fell 10%

| Alan Oscroft

The Barclays share price had been recovering, as the FTSE 100 keeps setting new records. But it's just suffered a…

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Petrochemical engineer working at night with digital tablet inside oil and gas refinery plant
Investing Articles

3 reasons to buy Glencore shares today

| Alan Oscroft

Glencore shares have been one of the FTSE 100's success stories over the last year. But they're still on a…

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Investing Articles

3 reasons to buy Legal & General shares today

| Alan Oscroft

Here's why I think Legal & General shares could turn out to be a profitable buy for contrarian investors seeking…

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Investing Articles

Earnings: here’s what’s happening to TUI shares

| Alan Oscroft

TUI shares were hammered during the pandemic. But Q1 figures show passenger numbers growing, and we could see profit this…

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Investing Articles

After climbing 50% in 6 months, are abrdn shares a buy for 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

They're gaining in 2023, but abrdn shares are still down 50% over the past five years. I think we could…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

After renewed weakness, are Aviva shares now a no-brainer buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Aviva shares have fallen back in recent weeks, even as the FTSE 100 reaches record highs. Are we looking at…

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

The Cineworld share price jumps 20% on takeover rumours. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Is the end game finally in sight for long-suffering shareholders, after the Cineworld share price climbed in the hope of…

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Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d invest £100,000 in UK shares right now

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 100 is rising, and the Stocks and Shares ISA deadline is approaching. Investors are liking the look of…

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

The 2023 Stocks and Shares ISA countdown is on. What should we do?

| Alan Oscroft

Many investors will have avoided a Stocks and Shares ISA during the recent traumatic years on the stock market. But…

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Investing Articles

If I’d invested £10,000 in Ocado shares in 2010, I’d have this much now

| Alan Oscroft

Ocado shares disappointed growth investors in the early days after flotation. But less than 13 years later, just look at…

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One English pound placed on a graph to represent an economic down turn
Investing Articles

Here’s why 2023 could be the best year ever for FTSE 100 dividend stocks

| Alan Oscroft

With payouts from dividend stocks set to rise again in 2023, this could be a great time for investors to…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

3 FTSE 100 stocks I bought for long-term passive income

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 100 might be reaching new highs. But I still see plenty of cheap shares offering good long-term passive…

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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

Earnings: why Unilever shares just keep on going

| Alan Oscroft

Unilever shares have had a steady few years, as the company adjusts to rising costs and changing focus. 2022 results…

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Investing Articles

Earnings: why AstraZeneca shares are climbing

| Alan Oscroft

AstraZeneca shares have stormed ahead as the company's long-term rebuild is delivering revenue growth. Results for 2022 are here.

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a couple embrace in front of their new home
Investing Articles

Earnings: can Redrow shares maintain their recovery?

| Alan Oscroft

Redrow shares have been regaining ground since October. And they remain steady after an encouraging start to the second half.

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

With the FTSE 100 climbing, I’d buy these shares now

| Alan Oscroft

Choosing which shares to buy when the FTSE 100 is rising can be harder than when we're in a slump.…

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