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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

Investing Articles

Why 3 March could be a crucial date for Greggs shares

| Alan Oscroft

Greggs shares have been on a ride nobody could foresee just five years ago. Alan Oscroft is hoping March might…

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

Urgent! there’s not much ISA time left to boost our passive income plans

| Alan Oscroft

It's never too early to make sure we're not missing out on the chance to build the best passive income…

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

Is £5,000 invested in Rolls-Royce shares 5 years ago really worth this much? Wow!

| Alan Oscroft

What's still in store for Rolls-Royce shares after the company smashed it out of the park yet again? Let's see…

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British pound data
Investing Articles

Attention: hot FTSE 100 dates to mark in our March investing diaries

| Alan Oscroft

Companies in two of my favourite FTSE 100 sectors will report full-year results in March, and I reckon they're ones…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Mark your March diaries with these key dates for red-hot UK dividend shares

| Alan Oscroft

Never mind those high-flying AI stocks making investors nervous, I'm eyeing these dividend shares as long-term cash cows.

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Investing Articles

Forget Lloyds shares, this bank’s earnings could treble by 2027!

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds shares have rewarded patient shareholders well in the past few years, so is it now time for challenger banks…

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Departure & Arrival sign, representing selling and buying in a portfolio
Investing Articles

What next for International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) shares after record 2025 results?

| Alan Oscroft

A strong set of 2025 figures has helped cement an impressive recovery for IAG shares. But we had a worrying…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snap up this 11% UK dividend yield?

| Alan Oscroft

Like the idea of a double-digit dividend? Reliable ones don't show up too often, but this one comes with a…

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British pound data
Investing Articles

Falling further on results day, surely WPP shares can’t go much lower?

| Alan Oscroft

It was once the world's biggest advertising agency, but WPP has since been kicked out of the FTSE 100 after…

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Rolls-Royce's Pearl 10X engine series
Investing Articles

The Rolls-Royce share price has just done it again on results day

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce has a habit of under-promising and over-delivering on results, and the share price has skyrocketed over five years.

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UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

Could this really be the turning point for Aston Martin shares?

| Alan Oscroft

Investors holding Aston Martin shares have been waiting for a key financial goal. It's only a modest one, and it…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

What next for HSBC shares after expectations-busting results?

| Alan Oscroft

Investors have piled into HSBC shares over the past few years, and the bank has rewarded them with growing profits.…

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

Attention! these FTSE 100 shares are growing in Stocks and Shares ISA popularity

| Alan Oscroft

Is AI the friend or enemy of the UK's Stocks and Shares ISA favourites? Here are two that have suffered,…

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Businessman hand stacking money coins with virtual percentage icons
Investing Articles

Standard Chartered shares are tops in FTSE 100 bank growth. These results show why

| Alan Oscroft

After a storming five-year performance, is there still any long-term value left in Standard Chartered shares? Here's why I think…

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Investing Articles

Is the mother of all stock market crashes coming in 2026?

| Alan Oscroft

The headlines are focusing on stock market crash fears again, and after a few years of huge gains some analysts…

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Investing Articles

Why 26 February could be crucial for this UK share trading near 10-year lows

| Alan Oscroft

After a decade of underperformance from this UK share, the company has grasped the painful task and is working hard…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Why 26 February could be critical for Rolls-Royce shares

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares have certainly not disappointed investors bold enough to buy when they were down. But what does the future…

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

Is this one of the hottest UK stocks to buy for an ISA in March?

| Alan Oscroft

Looking for good-value stocks to buy, this favourite -- with results due in early March -- looks like it could…

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Close-up of children holding a planet at the beach
Investing Articles

Is the only way up for Anglo American shares, after potentially pivotal results?

| Alan Oscroft

Anglo American shares have had a storming 12 months, in anticipation of transformation plans bearing fruit. So what do FY…

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

How much do I need in an ISA for a £1,000 monthly passive income?

| Alan Oscroft

Investing in dividend-paying UK shares can help investors build up a healthy passive income stream in less time than we…

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

Here’s how much £5,000 invested in Lloyds shares two years ago is now worth

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds' shares got a lift from profit gains in 2025, boosted by healthy net interest income. And forecasts suggest there's…

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Black woman using smartphone at home, watching stock charts.
Investing Articles

Centrica shares plunge on results morning. What should investors do now?

| Alan Oscroft

A fall in UK energy profits gave Centrica shares a bit of a kicking after 2025 results, though the company…

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UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

Can Rio Tinto shares climb further after top-end cash payout for 2025?

| Alan Oscroft

After a storming price rise since last summer, Rio Tinto shares just wobbled a bit now 2025 results are out.…

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Investing Articles

Here’s how much £5,000 invested in NatWest shares 2 years ago is now worth

| Alan Oscroft

What does the future look like for NatWest shares after the high street bank beat expectations with its 2025 results…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

What next for the NatWest share price after a stunning 2025 performance?

| Alan Oscroft

NatWest just ramped up its 2025 dividend and announced a new buyback - but an unimpressed market pushed the share…

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Investing Articles

Attention! These are among the most popular UK passive income stocks right now

| Alan Oscroft

The list of popular passive income stocks is currently well diversified across stock market sectors, but here are a couple…

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Investing Articles

Are high-flying British American Tobacco (BATS) shares still good value on upbeat 2025 results?

| Alan Oscroft

British American (BATS) shares have barely moved despite talk of "full-year delivery at the top end of our guidance" in…

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Lady taking a bottle of Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise from a supermarket shelf
Investing Articles

What next for Unilever shares after positive 2025 results?

| Alan Oscroft

Unilever shares are a popular pick with today's Stocks and Shares ISA investors who are looking for decades-long profit potential.

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Investing Articles

Here’s how much £10,000 invested in Rolls-Royce shares could soon be worth

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls Royce shares are on P/E ratios above 30 for the next couple of years, and that could be good…

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Investing Articles

Attention! Stocks and Shares ISA investors are buying these UK shares right now

| Alan Oscroft

Investors are going for a diverse range for their Stocks and Shares ISA choices as we get close to 5…

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UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

After crashing 65% in a year, is this one of the best UK stocks to buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

Looking for stocks to buy, some investors seek out the pack leaders. But undervalued turnaround stocks can bring home the…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

What does the Q4 profit surge mean for Barclays shares now?

| Alan Oscroft

Eyes are on Barclays shares as the FTSE 100 bank announces a new £1bn buyback on the back of its…

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Older couple walking in park
Investing Articles

How much do I need in my ISA for a £1,000 monthly passive income?

| Alan Oscroft

Picking high-income stocks in an ISA can be a route to securing long-term passive income. And here's one with a…

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

As the Vodafone share price falls 5% on Q3 update, is it time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The latest news from Vodafone has brought the recent share price spike to an end. Here's why it might be…

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

Is the Shell share price still cheap after strong FY results?

| Alan Oscroft

The Shell share price has held up in a year of cheap oil, which brought a progressive dividend rise and…

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Investing Articles

Are these 2 of the best UK stocks to buy in February 2026?

| Alan Oscroft

Investors looking for stocks to buy have a run of important full-year results coming in February. Here are two that…

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Investing Articles

Can this UK growth share really soar 50% or more in 2026? Some experts think so

| Alan Oscroft

Smaller-cap growth shares could be set for a new bull run this year, and analysts have high hopes for this…

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

This FTSE 100 stock could be poised for a whopping 40% growth in 2026, or more

| Alan Oscroft

This potential growth stock has one of the most bullish share price outlooks among analysts out of the entire FTSE…

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Close-up as a woman counts out modern British banknotes.
Investing Articles

Here’s how much passive income £10,000 in Legal & General shares could generate

| Alan Oscroft

For passive income investors, a well-diversified selection of stocks can even out the risks from individual companies or sectors.

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Young Black woman looking concerned while in front of her laptop
Investing Articles

Here are 3 signs the stock market might crash in 2026, and what we can do

| Alan Oscroft

How should investors prepare for the chance of a stock market crash in the year ahead? Let's take a look…

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