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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

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

Down 20% in 5 years, are Centrica shares a no-brainer buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

Centrica shares have been climbing steadily since 2020, but they're still on a low fundamental valuation. And the cash is…

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Girl buying groceries in the supermarket with her father.
Investing Articles

Does the Ocado share price fall finally make it a no-brainer buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Ocado share price has crashed since its pandemic peak. And we're now facing inflation and recession. The perfect time…

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Investing Articles

Down 75%, does the Polymetal share price make it a buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

The recent Polymetal share price rise gave the Russia-based gold miner a boost. But what's in store for its stock…

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

3 FTSE 250 shares to buy before February results?

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 250 has fallen behind the FTSE 100 since summer 2022. But it's starting to catch up again, and…

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Young Asian woman holding a cup of takeaway coffee and folders containing paperwork, on her way into the office
Investing Articles

3 FTSE 100 shares to buy before February results?

| Alan Oscroft

Results season is upon us, and investors looking for FTSE 100 shares have plenty coming our way. Here are three…

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Mixed-race female couple enjoying themselves on a walk
Investing Articles

Is the ASOS share price set for explosive growth?

| Alan Oscroft

The ASOS share price collapsed in recent years. But 2023 is off to a cracking start, as the fashion firm's…

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A man with Down's syndrome serves a customer a pint of beer in a pub.
Investing Articles

Are Marston’s shares a steal based on strong forecasts?

| Alan Oscroft

Marston's shares look attractive based on their headline valuation, as forecasts suggest good earnings growth. Time to dig deeper.

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Investing Articles

Why the Kingfisher share price could make it a top buy right now

| Alan Oscroft

Despite recent gains, I think the Kingfisher share price could represent one of the stock market's best long-term buys.

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Affectionate Asian senior mother and daughter using smartphone together at home, smiling joyfully
Investing Articles

The 5% dividend makes Anglo American shares look cheap to me

| Alan Oscroft

Anglo American shares have been recovering. I think there's still plenty of time to grab a slice of those long-term…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

Earnings: Vodafone shares unmoved by big dividend prospects

| Alan Oscroft

Vodafone shares have had a weak year, despite the stock offering a dividend yield of 8%. Q3 trading sheds some…

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Female Doctor In White Coat Having Meeting With Woman Patient In Office
Investing Articles

Earnings: are GSK shares a buy after a big earnings rise?

| Alan Oscroft

Do GSK shares provide one of the FTSE 100's most reliable dividends right now? Full-year 2022 results show steady progress.

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

Earnings: why ITM Power shares are climbing

| Alan Oscroft

After a painful boom and bust, are ITM Power shares on a sustainable upwards growth run with hopes for eventual…

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Close up of manual worker's equipment at construction site without people.
Investing Articles

The CRH share price is climbing. Is it too late to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The CRH share price has grown strongly over five years. But can it continue if we face a construction sector…

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Stack of British pound coins falling on list of share prices
Investing Articles

After 888 shares crash, here’s what investors need to know

| Alan Oscroft

After seeing a 30% tumble in less than two days, anyone with 888 Holdings shares in their portfolio will want…

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

3 reasons to buy easyJet shares, and 1 reason to avoid

| Alan Oscroft

easyJet shares were hammered in 2022, but they've started on a tentative recovery. And the company is upbeat about the…

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Smiling young man sitting in cafe and checking messages, with his laptop in front of him.
Investing Articles

Are Diageo shares the FTSE 100’s best long-term buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Diageo shares have been looking strong over the past couple of years, and the company has just upped its dividend…

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Investing Articles

The BT share price is up, but there’s still a 6% dividend yield

| Alan Oscroft

BT's share price has gained 14% so far in 2023, after a dismal 2022. Is this a great time to…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

The best AIM dividend shares to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

AIM shares are all about capital growth from new firms, aren't they? It might surprise investors to see income stocks…

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Family in protective face masks in airport
Investing Articles

3 reasons to buy Rolls-Royce shares right now

| Alan Oscroft

I see some good reasons to invest in Rolls-Royce shares in early 2023. But I also see reasons to be…

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British bank notes and coins
Investing Articles

The best FTSE 250 dividend shares to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 100 is often considered an index of mature income stocks, with the FTSE 250 home to growth shares.…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

The best FTSE 100 dividend shares to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

What's the best way to screen out dividend shares to find the best stocks? One way is to start with…

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White female supervisor working at an oil rig
Investing Articles

After the Tullow Oil share price crunch, should I buy again?

| Alan Oscroft

The Tullow Oil share price is way below the levels I last bought and sold at. With debt slowly reducing,…

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Smiling young man sitting in cafe and checking messages, with his laptop in front of him.
Investing Articles

Can the NatWest share price keep on climbing?

| Alan Oscroft

The NatWest share price has been on a tear so far in 2023, with full-year results for 2022 coming our…

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

How I pick shares for passive income in retirement

| Alan Oscroft

We all have our individual strategies for building a portfolio of passive income shares. I think the successful ones share…

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Storytelling image of a multiethnic senior couple in love - Elderly married couple dating outdoors, love emotions and feelings
Investing Articles

Do soaring sales make Saga shares a no-brainer buy?

| Alan Oscroft

After trebling in a few months, Saga shares have rewarded investors with one of the year's better recoveries. How much…

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

Earnings: why Wizz Air shares are falling

| Alan Oscroft

Wizz Air shares had been climbing along with the rest of the sector. But they turned downwards after the airline's…

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

Earnings: why IG Group Holdings shares are gaining

| Alan Oscroft

IG Group Holdings shares have started 2023 weakly. But could a positive set of first-half results mark the start of…

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Affectionate Asian senior mother and daughter using smartphone together at home, smiling joyfully
Investing Articles

With a 7% dividend, are Aviva shares a no-brainer buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

Forget trying to get rich quick. I prefer investments like high-yielding Aviva shares to target some long-term dividend income.

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2023 concept with upwards-facing arrows overlaid on a hand with one finger raised, pointing up
Investing Articles

Will the BAE share price be among the top FTSE 100 winners in 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

BAE Systems share price gains gave investors a profitable 2022. I think we could be in for a strong decade…

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A Black father and daughter having breakfast at hotel restaurant
Investing Articles

Earnings: why Associated British Foods shares are climbing

| Alan Oscroft

Associated British Foods shares had a painful 2022. But a strong Primark-fuelled Christmas trading period has helped support its recent…

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Young Asian woman holding a cup of takeaway coffee and folders containing paperwork, on her way into the office
Investing Articles

3 things that could give Lloyds shares a boost in 2023

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds shares have been gaining ground over the past few months. What will it take for the price to keep…

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Young black woman in a wheelchair working online from home
Investing Articles

The Rolls-Royce share price is climbing! Could I double my money?

| Alan Oscroft

The Rolls-Royce share price has had a cracking few months. Is it the start of a sustainable bull run, or…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

These dividend shares offer today’s biggest FTSE 100 yields

| Alan Oscroft

Does it make sense to invest in the FTSE 100 shares offering the biggest dividend yields? It could be a…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

Can I make a million from a Stocks and Shares ISA?

| Alan Oscroft

Does making a million in a Stocks and Shares ISA seem out of reach? Well, a lot of UK investors…

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Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

The pros and cons of buying penny shares in 2023

| Alan Oscroft

A lot of penny shares took a hammering during 2022. Might 2023 be more profitable, or are the potential dangers…

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2023 concept with a lightbulb replacing the zero
Investing Articles

The 10 best UK dividend shares for 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

With so many share prices down and dividend yields up in 2022, could 2023 be a great year for building…

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Investing Articles

My top 10 FTSE 100 shares for 2023

| Alan Oscroft

It's hard picking from all those FTSE 100 shares. Here's a selection narrowed down to just 10, which might make…

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Glowing 2023 year among normal numbers on dark black background
Investing Articles

Where will the Tesco share price go by Christmas 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

It's that time of year when we wonder where things might go in the next 12 months. Here are some…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

How to start a Christmas Stocks and Shares ISA

| Alan Oscroft

In the Christmas holidays, many of us think about improving our finances in the coming year. How might a Stocks…

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2023 concept with upwards-facing arrows overlaid on a hand with one finger raised, pointing up
Investing Articles

Where will the Lloyds share price go by Christmas 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

It's that time of year when we wonder where things might go in the next 12 months. Here are a…

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