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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

US Trade Barrier Tarrif as American Economic Protectionism
Investing Articles

The HSBC share price dip pushes the dividend to 6.1%. Here’s what Q1 earnings say

| Alan Oscroft

The HSBC share price has wobbled in the aftermath of the escalating US-China tariff war. Can Q1 results help settle…

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

Thinking about a Stocks and Shares ISA in 2025? Avoid this 1 big mistake

| Alan Oscroft

The new Stocks and Shares ISA year is off to a shaky start thanks to tariff wars and financial turbulence.…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

With Rolls-Royce shares moving up again, is a £10 price target back on the horizon?

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares wobbled when President Trump dropped his tariff bombshell on us. But three weeks is a short time in…

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British coins and bank notes scattered on a surface
Investing Articles

3 cheap FTSE 250 stocks with big dividends to consider buying right now

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 250's loaded with so many big dividend yields it's hard to know where to start. These three have…

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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

3 cheap FTSE 100 stocks with big dividends to consider buying right now

| Alan Oscroft

Sector weakness in some FTSE 100 industries has also left some of my long-term favourite stocks offering attractive dividend yields.

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

Up 58% in a year, the BT share price could be the FTSE 100 target to beat in 2025

| Alan Oscroft

The BT share price has been steadily climbing back since newish boss Allison Kirkby came on board. Is the new…

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Businessman hand stacking money coins with virtual percentage icons
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in Nvidia stock 5 years ago is now worth…

| Alan Oscroft

Even after the Nvidia stock falls of the past couple of months, its five-year performance remains stunning. And it could…

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

How much would we need in a Stocks and Shares ISA for £10,000-a-year passive income?

| Alan Oscroft

We're still in the first month of the new 2025/26 ISA season, and that means a lot of investors are…

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Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in Lloyds shares on 7 April is already worth…

| Alan Oscroft

After a dip in early April, Lloyds shares are back to their 30%+ year-to-date gain in 2025. And analysts are…

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Hand flipping wooden cubes for change wording" Panic" to " Calm".
Investing Articles

Warren Buffett says market chaos is great for investors who keep their heads. Time to get greedy?

| Alan Oscroft

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, you could be a poet like Rudyard…

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4 Teslas in a parking lot at a charger station
Investing Articles

With Tesla stock down 50% in tariff panic, is it time to consider buying?

| Alan Oscroft

Tesla stock’s been one of the biggest investment casualties of the market slump this year. Is this a buying opportunity?

Read more »

Low angle close up color image depicting a man holding a shopping basked filled with essential fresh groceries like bread and milk in the supermarket.
Investing Articles

As the Sainsbury share price bucks the price-war trend on FY results, I examine the dividend prospects

| Alan Oscroft

The J Sainsbury share price has been regaining ground, despite growing fears of intense competition in the supermarket sector.

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

Is it still a great time to buy cheap shares as stock market crash fears recede?

| Alan Oscroft

Fear of a stock market crash can trigger panic selling... but that surely can't be the best thing to do…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

With Nvidia stock down 30% in the tariff panic, should we buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

Nvidia stock has slumped in the new trade war, though it's still up 1,300% over the past five years. What…

Read more »

Young Asian woman with head in hands at her desk
Investing Articles

How can I protect my 2025 Stocks and Shares ISA against tariff war pain?

| Alan Oscroft

Just when we were looking forward to a new Stocks and Shares ISA allowance for 2025-26, the world is thrust…

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Business manager working at a pub doing the accountancy and some paperwork using a laptop computer
Investing Articles

With the Rolls-Royce share price still down 10%, can I resist buying?

| Alan Oscroft

The effect of US tariffs on the Rolls-Royce share price hasn't been as bad as we'd first feared. Is there…

Read more »

Road 2025 to 2032 new year direction concept
Investing Articles

Here are the latest forecasts for Lloyds shares out to 2027

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds Bank shares are looking a bit shakier than they were just a couple of weeks ago. But what might…

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Front view of a young couple walking down terraced Street in Whitley Bay in the north-east of England they are heading into the town centre and deciding which shops to go to they are also holding hands and carrying bags over their shoulders.
Investing Articles

Here’s why the B&M share price just jumped 5%

| Alan Oscroft

The B&M share price has had a tough 12 months. But the latest upbeat year-end trading update makes me think…

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

Cheap FTSE 250 shares to consider buying right now?

| Alan Oscroft

These FTSE 250 growth stocks had weak starts to 2025, and face short-term uncertainty. But their long-term valuations could be…

Read more »

Close-up image depicting a woman in her 70s taking British bank notes from her colourful leather wallet.
Investing Articles

2 cheap passive income shares to consider buying right now

| Alan Oscroft

The passive income we can earn from the UK stock market looks set to climb this year, and could even…

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British coins and bank notes scattered on a surface
Investing Articles

Cheap UK dividend shares to consider buying right now

| Alan Oscroft

We're only just past the first quarter of 2025, but it already looks like the year could be another good…

Read more »

Young woman working at modern office. Technical price graph and indicator, red and green candlestick chart and stock trading computer screen background.
Investing Articles

Is there still time to pick up Nvidia stock cheaply?

| Alan Oscroft

The Nvidia stock price has just had a scary week. But here's why I expect that should have very little…

Read more »

Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

Tariff fears send the Lloyds share price tumbling, but the dividend yield is climbing

| Alan Oscroft

Just when the Lloyds Banking Group share price had been rising steadily, along comes a global upheaval to knock it…

Read more »

Road 2025 to 2032 new year direction concept
Investing Articles

What’s happening to the Rolls-Royce share price now?

| Alan Oscroft

The Rolls-Royce share price has taken a knock from US trade tariffs, but it's still gained more than 50% in…

Read more »

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

After a 13% ‘Trump tariff’ fall, is the Barclays share price too cheap to miss?

| Alan Oscroft

Does the Barclays share price fall mean we should all panic and run screaming from the stock market? Nah, of…

Read more »

British coins and bank notes scattered on a surface
Investing Articles

These FTSE 100 dividend shares just got cheaper, thanks to President Trump!

| Alan Oscroft

Investors buying dividend shares can lock in bigger long-term yields when share prices take a tumble. These two just did…

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

Here’s how Trump tariffs could hand us some top passive income bargains

| Alan Oscroft

As tariff terror grips the stock market, it's time for passive income investors to steel our nerves and look for…

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Concept of two young professional men looking at a screen in a technological data centre
Investing Articles

Here’s why Nvidia stock fell 13% in March

| Alan Oscroft

The Nvidia stock price rise was looking unstoppable. Should investors now be wondering if the same might be true of…

Read more »

4 Teslas in a parking lot at a charger station
Investing Articles

How much further can the Tesla stock price fall? This analyst thinks 50%

| Alan Oscroft

Tesla stock has slumped since its recent highs, and the analyst outlook is a bit glum. Is it one to…

Read more »

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

Here’s why the IAG share price fell 26% in March

| Alan Oscroft

The International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) share price was soaring up to the end of February. But the party seems to…

Read more »

Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

FTSE 250 stocks to consider buying in April

| Alan Oscroft

As we move into April, I see some FTSE 250 company updates coming that I think investors could do well…

Read more »

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

What’s happening to the Lloyds share price?

| Alan Oscroft

The Lloyds Bank share price has gained 31% in the past 12 months, but it could be facing its sternest…

Read more »

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

FTSE 100 stocks to consider buying in April

| Alan Oscroft

Reports from FTSE 100 companies are few and far between in April. But I see definite potential in a couple…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

3 penny share myths busted!

| Alan Oscroft

Are penny shares the best thing since sliced bread, or are they evil things to be shunned? The truth lies…

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Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

Here’s what £10,000 in Rolls-Royce shares could be worth a year from now

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares have soared close to 85% over the past 12 months, with a huge boost from February's 2024 full-year…

Read more »

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

Here’s what £10,000 in Lloyds shares could be worth a year from now

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds Bank shares have climbed 43% in the past 12 months, and earnings forecasts are still bullish for the next…

Read more »

Handsome young non-binary androgynous guy, wearing make up, chatting on his smartphone, carrying shopping bags.
Investing Articles

Record £1bn profit gives the Next share price a boost. Is it still cheap?

| Alan Oscroft

The Next share price has been soaring ahead of sector rivals, and the latest full-year results might just give us…

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Calendar showing the date of 5th April on desk in a house
Investing Articles

3 common ISA myths busted!

| Alan Oscroft

There's a lot of mystique and mystery around the world of Stocks and Shares ISA investing. Alan Oscroft helps to…

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Bearded man writing on notepad in front of computer
Investing Articles

Here’s why I won’t touch these FTSE 100 dividend stocks with a bargepole

| Alan Oscroft

One sector, two dividend stocks, and two stories of potential share price recovery. Here's why I'm going to avoid the…

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Close-up image depicting a woman in her 70s taking British bank notes from her colourful leather wallet.
Investing Articles

Earning passive income from the stock market is plagued with myths. These 3 are busted!

| Alan Oscroft

These three bits of nonsense are often trotted out to investors aiming for passive income from an ISA. Now they're…

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