1. Legal & General Group
2. Rolls-Royce
3. Barclays
4. Taylor Wimpey
5. Aviva

But according to the pros, there could be even better under-the-radar opportunities to capitalise on.

Peel Hunt: 4imprint Group

Among the favourite stock picks from the analysts at Peel Hunt, 4imprint Group (LSE:FOUR) stands out for its fairly aggressive price target of 5,300p.

Compared to where the shares are trading today, this forecast suggests buying shares right now could generate a roughly 55% return by this time next year. And digging a little deeper, it’s not hard to see why the experts are getting excited.

Apart from having a debt-free, fortress-like balance sheet, the company was able to essentially maintain sales and profit margins throughout a tough cyclical downturn within the promotional merchandise market.

Flat revenue and earnings are obviously disappointing compared to the firm’s earlier track record of delivering double-digit growth. And it’s why 4imprint shares have subsequently suffered, falling close to 30% since the start of 2025.

However, with the challenges surrounding this business ultimately being cyclical, the door seems to be open for a powerful recovery once market conditions improve.

Of course, the exact recovery timeline remains a mystery. The outlook for 2026 remains fairly subdued courtesy of continued uncertainty within the business environment both in the UK and, critically, 4imprint’s core US market.

Nevertheless, with such a substantial discount on offer, investors may be well-served to take a closer look.

Mark Rogers: Shopify

Another top pick comes from our very own Director of Investing, Mark Rogers.

Earlier this month, he highlighted three shares to consider buying, which included Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP) in a move to capitalise on all the recent US stock market volatility.

The e-commerce giant was hit hard during the recent tech sell-off and is down close to 22% since the start of 2026.

Yet the underlying business remains largely intact, giving investors a potentially far more attractive entry point into a business that’s still growing revenue by 31% in its latest quarterly results.

And with AI seemingly acting as a tailwind, the firm’s already impressive 30% US market share could just be the tip of the iceberg, especially as management begins executing a more aggressive international expansion strategy.

Obviously, Shopify is far from a risk-free investment.

An economic downturn will likely result in lower online spending, creating an unwanted headwind for this business. Even more so, considering most Shopify merchants are small and medium-sized enterprises that are far more sensitive to the macroeconomic landscape — a risk that investors must seriously consider.

But with a long-term-focused management team with an impressive knack for execution, Shopify could be worth mulling over. And it’s not the only company on Mark’s buy list this month…

The post Just opened an ISA? Here are the best shares to buy in March according to the pros appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Our monthly Fire ‘Best Buys Now‘ are designed to highlight our team’s three favourite, most timely Buys from our growing list of growth-focused Fire recommendations, to help investors build out their portfolios.

Here are the latest three picks from our team of experts.

• While Shopify derives most of its revenue from taking slices of transactions processed on its platform, the true value is in the ecosystem it creates.
• Payment processing, point-of-sale systems, and marketing are only a few of the value-added options that merchants have when it comes to using it as a commerce platform, and each of these is a vital piece of its increasingly sticky pie.
• Its third-quarter results showed it’s currently operating from a position of strength, with sales and profitability beating analyst expectations. Sales grew by 32% to $2.8bn while gross profit grew by 24%.
• The company benefited from a growing merchant base, international expansion (most prominently in Europe) and growth in offline business-to-business sales. There has been no notable change in business from tariffs.
• In our view, the business remains well-positioned to continue growing through continued merchant growth, greater Shopify Payments penetration, international expansion, and larger retailers joining the platform (potentially helped by wins in the offline business).

The post Up 329%! 3 Top Growth Stocks For March 2026 [PREMIUM PICKS] appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Since I first bought its shares back in September 2017, the e-commerce fintech platform has expanded its market-cap by just shy of 2,700% – and that’s even after crashing by 85% a few years ago.

While the volatility in 2022 was certainly unpleasant, the underlying company and its long-term potential remained perfectly intact. So while everyone else was selling, I was busy buying. And those more recent investments have also generated superb returns ranging 220%-360% over roughly the last three years.

Needless to say, Shopify’s been a huge money-maker and market-beater for my ISA. But the question now is, can it do it all again?

More untapped growth potential

With a market-cap now sitting close to $214bn, I’m not expecting another 2,700% surge anytime soon. Even a 300% boost would be quite a challenging feat since it would require Shopify to grow to a roughly $850bn enterprise.

However, that doesn’t mean to say it still can’t deliver robust wealth-building gains that outpace the US stock market’s 10% annualised average return.

The bulk of the company’s cash flow stems from charging small transaction fees from each purchase made through a Shopify-powered website. In the US, that’s roughly 30% of all online stores today. But internationally, that figure drops to around 10%, revealing plenty of long-term growth potential.

Combine that with free cash flow margins sitting in double-digit territory even after scaling operations rapidly, and the business is a self-sustaining, cash-generating machine.

What’s more, that cash is most recently being put to work delivering new AI tools to help merchants reduce sales friction and improve customer experience – a technological advantage that many of its rivals are struggling to replicate.

There are always risks

Despite my bullish outlook, even I have to admit Shopify’s valuation is definitely getting a bit stretched at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 88.5. In fact, this extreme valuation, combined with its dominance in my Stocks and Shares ISA, is why I’ve actually been trimming down my position.

The vast gloomy predictions of a US recession prove accurate, its core customer base could suffer a rapid decline in shopping activity, directly impacting Shopify’s all-important transaction fee revenue stream.

But the damage could spread even further. While a smaller part of the business, Shopify’s Buy Now Pay Later credits losses could expand as consumers fail to keep up with payments in a tough recessionary environment.

The group’s financial strength means Shopify’s well prepared for a cyclical downturn. But at such a lofty valuation, it seems the market isn’t. And if the worse does come to pass, Shopify’s share price could see yet another 2022-style pullback.

Bottom line: while I’m still bullish and intent on holding my shares, I think there are far better and more reasonably-priced growth opportunities for investors to consider for their Stocks and Shares ISAs today.

The post The BIGGEST holding in my stocks and shares ISA in 2026 is… appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

While short-term dips are unpleasant, as a long-term investor they can create phenomenal buying opportunities. In fact, some of my best investments have been made during market meltdowns like in March 2020, the whole of 2022 and, more recently, in April, unlocking some triple-digit returns in the process.

So with prospects of another potential downturn on the horizon, I’ve been getting my ISA ready for another shopping spree. Here’s what I’m doing right now.

Capitalising on volatility

Firstly, I’m not panic-selling any of my positions. Rising unemployment, stubborn inflation, and weaker consumer spending across the UK and US are all troubling early signs of a looming recession. But they’re not guarantees. And, so far, both economies, especially the US, have proven to be far more resilient than most expected.

Therefore, despite the rising pessimism from industry experts, a stock market tumble isn’t set in stone for 2026. And outright selling my stocks could backfire spectacularly if the high-quality shares in my portfolio continue to outperform next year.

Having said that, I nonetheless think a more selective and cautious approach is warranted. As such, I’ve been trimming some of my more aggressive positions to build some cash. This includes Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP) which, thanks to the phenomenal outperformance of my 2022 investments (up 350%!), had grown to almost 30% of my entire portfolio.

By doing a bit of rebalancing, this concentration risk has been drastically reduced. I’ve now got a chunky 20% cash position, giving my ISA a nice hedge against potential stock market volatility next year. But it also means I can continue enjoying gains if shares continue to climb.

But let’s assume the worst and stocks suddenly freefall. What’s my next move?

Buy, buy, buy!

When almost everyone else is panic-selling, I’ll be busy buying and enjoying the marvellous discounts being offered. And Shopify’s already on my volatility shopping list.

Even with free alternatives, Shopify’s technological advantages have lured millions of merchants worldwide. In fact, close to 10% of all online stores are now powered by Shopify.

Beyond enabling merchants to quickly set up an online store, the platform also handles inventory management, financial reporting, tax filings, payment processing, logistics, analytics, digital marketing, and even financing.

The company’s transformed itself into a one-stop shop for merchants. And with it taking a small fee on each transaction moving through its platform, the business is a cash-generating machine.

However, even with a cheaper valuation, there are still some prominent risks to consider. The platform’s recent outage during Cyber Monday this year proved quite disruptive to the merchants that rely on its system. And unreliability only creates opportunities for rivals to take market share.

What’s more, the platform’s predominantly used by small- and medium-sized businesses. These companies are far more sensitive to a recession than large-scale enterprises. And subsequently, Shopify’s financials could suffer significantly if economic conditions, particularly in North America, suddenly take a turn for the worse.

Nevertheless, for the right price, Shopify’s long-term potential makes these risks worth me taking, in my opinion.

The post My ISA’s ready for a 2026 stock market crash! appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Since my initial investment in 2017, the e-commerce giant has climbed more than 2,400%. And after drip feeding in more capital along the way, Shopify grew to almost 30% of my entire ISA portfolio earlier this year.

Today, it remains my largest ISA position (followed by Arista Networks, Intuitive Surgical, and MercadoLibre). Yet as a proportion of my overall portfolio, it’s now closer to 14%. That’s because since August, I’ve been steadily trimming shares and building cash. Here’s why.

Growth at a not-so-reasonable price

Looking at Shopify’s latest results, the business continues to impress. Ignoring Amazon, Shopify’s dominating the e-commerce space, particularly in the US, where roughly 29% of all online transactions now flow through its platform.

Even in 2025, with rising economic uncertainty putting pressure on discretionary consumer spending, e-commerce sales are proving far more resilient than many expect.

So much so that Shopify’s latest third-quarter results saw gross merchandise volumes jump 32% to $92bn, with revenue up 32% as well to $2.8bn. Operating profits also climbed by double-digits, along with free cash flow. And management remains confident that this impressive growth will continue throughout the fourth quarter, courtesy of the Christmas shopping spree.

Combining all this with continued AI innovations and global expansion, Shopify remains an exceptional business, in my eyes. However, as all experienced investors know, a high-quality business can still be a terrible investment if the wrong price is paid. And right now, Shopify shares are trading at a rather frothy valuation.

Price matters

Even on a forward basis, Shopify’s price-to-earnings ratio sits at a staggering 78. At the same time, its price-to-sales ratio’s just shy of 18. For reference, the stock market average for these figures has historically been closer to 15 and three respectively.

In other words, the stock’s trading at a massive premium. It’s not the only stock to have an overstretched valuation today. And sometimes, paying a premium can still be immensely rewarding. But in the current economic landscape, where inflation remains hot and job cuts are ramping up, things are looking increasingly unsustainable.

As a reminder, in the 2022 market correction, the S&P 500 dropped by 20%. Meanwhile, Shopify collapsed by 75% even though the underlying business was still performing strongly. And if my hunch is correct, we might soon see another market dip.

What I’m doing now

With my Stocks and Shares ISA now braced for potential volatility, I’m hunting for promising growth stocks to buy at a better price. And Shopify’s on that list.

Weakness in US consumer spending is a prominent risk, given that the company thrives on transaction volumes. And at the same time, rivals like Amazon and other niche e-commerce platforms remain a significant threat, applying pressure to margins and pricing.

Nevertheless, Shopify’s tremendous track record and scale advantage make me believe it could still be a long-term winner. That’s why I haven’t sold all my shares and why I’ll be using my newly-built cash position to buy more if a better price emerges. But it’s not the only growth stock I’ve got my eye on right now.

The post The biggest holding in my Stocks and Shares ISA is… appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

However, with concerns brewing of an artificial intelligence (AI)-fuelled tech bubble and a weakening economic environment with stubborn inflation, analysts have begun warning of a looming correction… perhaps even a full-blown crash.

While most see that as a scary forecast, the intelligent investors see it for what it actually is – a massive opportunity to grow wealth.

Stock market corrections and crashes create some of the best buying opportunities investors can ask for. And with the right strategy, investors can potentially unlock jaw-dropping returns in the years that follow. Here’s how.

Profiting from market panic

When investors panic, stocks can freefall. Top-tier companies can see their market-caps evaporate even if their financials remain in tip-top shape and their long-term trajectory remains perfectly intact.

Perhaps a perfect example of this from recent years would be Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP). The e-commerce platform was decimated in early 2022 as rising inflation and interest rates spooked the markets, resulting in a painful 85% drop from its November 2021 high to October 2022 low.

With inflation driving up the cost of living, investors feared a sharp slowdown in consumer spending would adversely impact Shopify’s revenue and cash flow. And to be fair, that did happen with growth decelerating and gross margins shrinking.

However, panicking investors who were only focused on the short-term ignored the longer-term trends of e-commerce spending. They also seemingly forgot that Shopify powers close to one-third of all US online stores, making it perfectly positioned to bounce back once economic conditions stabilised.

That’s why when everyone else was selling, I was busy snapping up shares at a major discount. And over the next three years, my opportunistic investments enjoyed a near 400% return.

Ready for round two

With valuations reaching record highs and the US consumer spending environment once again looking shaky, Shopify appears exposed to another potential price correction. Perhaps it won’t be as severe as 2022, but if the suspected AI bubble bursts simultaneously, the stock market could once again be dragged into extreme volatility.

There’s no guarantee that disaster will strike. But if the bears are right in their predictions and Shopify gets caught in the crossfire once again, I’ll likely be buying once more.

The firm’s technological ecosystem continues to expand, offering new solutions far beyond payment processing and website hosting.

The Shopify platform allows businesses to synchronise both their online and brick & mortar operations, secure financing, automate tax filings, execute marketing strategies, as well as provide a fully-fledged fulfilment solution for merchants to handle shipping and lower deliver costs.

Of course, even at a discount, Shopify shares still have their risks. Amazon’s expanding into creator-owned stores, resulting in direct competition. And with most of the group’s merchants being small- and medium-sized businesses, Shopify remains highly exposed to economic slowdowns, particularly in the US.

Nevertheless, with a track record of navigating uncertain market conditions at the right price, I think the risk is worth the reward for me. And it’s not the only growth stock I’ve got my eye on if the stock market decides to throw another tantrum.

The post Stock market correction: a golden opportunity to supercharge retirement wealth! appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

The flip side, however, is that some of my existing holdings have been quietly building wealth. Here are five shares in my portfolio that have recently hit fresh highs.

AI stocks

Let’s start with a couple of AI stocks: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM) and Nvidia. Shares of leading chip foundry TSMC are up 31% since the start of September, finishing yesterday (6 October) at an all-time record of $302.

This comes after ChatGPT maker OpenAI struck chip supply deals with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Nvidia to build out massive GPU infrastructure over the next few years. 

All these chips need manufacturing somewhere — and that’s where TSMC comes in. As the contract chipmaker behind Nvidia’s and AMD’s GPUs, these huge new AI deals should translate into higher sales and profits for the Taiwanese giant. 

As for Nvidia, it has also been buoyed by this ongoing AI spending spree. The stock is up 10% in the past month, taking the tech giant’s market cap a touch above $4.5trn (yes, trillions).

Agentic commerce

Next, we have e-commerce enabler Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP), whose share price has surged 55% year to date to reach $164. Recently, Shopify surpassed its previous split-adjusted high of $167 set back in 2021.

Shareholders have also benefitted from ChatGPT-related news here. Specifically, Shopify is being integrated into ChatGPT’s new commerce features, meaning users will be able to buy products from its merchants through AI conversations.  

Therefore, when someone asks something like “show me designer trainers under £200”, ChatGPT can surface real products from Shopify-powered stores. “No links or redirects, just seamless commerce,” as Shopify puts it.

This moves us closer to a future where chatbots like ChatGPT also become AI-driven shopping assistants. Sensibly, Shopify is positioning its millions of merchants to be part of that AI-agentic future.

But now trading at 83 times forward earnings, this is a very expensive stock. Were the company’s growth to disappoint, due to tariffs or weak consumer spending, there could be a lot of valuation risk buying in at today’s price.

Two more

The fourth stock hitting a new peak in my portfolio is Uber. Now at $100, it’s up 66% so far in 2025.

Why are investors bullish on Uber? One key reason is that the company’s profitability continues to improve rapidly. But it’s also signing dozens of new partnerships, both in food delivery and the autonomous driving space.

Finally, we have HSBC, which is up 34% year to date. This puts the bank stock just under a record high, along with the FTSE 100 index.

Any value left?

Do any of these surging stocks still offer value? Yes, I think HSBC and TSMC do.

Trading at just 10 times forward earnings and offering a near-5% dividend yield, I think HSBC is worth considering. But Asia remains the bank’s main growth engine, so any setback in US-China trade talks could weigh on near-term growth.

Meanwhile, TSMC is worthy of further research, trading at 25 times forward earnings. That’s not outrageous for the world’s leading chip manufacturer, notwithstanding the geopolitical risk associated with ongoing China-Taiwan tensions.

The post 5 stocks smashing new highs in my ISA and SIPP appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Our monthly Fire Best Buys Now are designed to highlight our team’s three favourite, most timely Buys from our growing list of growth-focused Fire recommendations, to help Fools build out their portfolios.

• While Shopify derives most of its revenue from taking slices of transactions processed on its platform, the true value is in the ecosystem it creates.
• Payment processing, point-of-sale systems, and marketing are only a few of the value-added options that merchants have when it comes to using Shopify as a commerce platform, and each of these is a vital piece of its increasingly sticky pie.
• Its second quarter results showed it’s currently operating from a position of strength, with sales and profitability beating analyst expectations. Sales grew by 31% to $2.7bn while gross profit grew by 25% to $1.3bn.
• The company benefited from a growing merchant base, international expansion and growth in the offline business.
• In our view, the company remains well positioned to continue growing, through continued merchant growth, greater Shopify Payments penetration, international expansion, and larger retailers joining the platform (potentially helped by wins in the offline business).

The post Just released: the 3 best growth-focused stocks to consider buying in September [PREMIUM PICKS] appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Today, I remain bullish on the shares (and think they’re worth considering for those who don’t own them). Here’s why I continue to believe they’re a good long-term investment.

Exposure to growth industries

Let’s start with the fact that the investment trust provides exposure to growth industries. With this product, I get exposure to industries such as online shopping, semiconductors, electric and self-driving vehicles, financial technology (FinTech), artificial intelligence (AI), and more.

These kinds of industries are driving the technology revolution we’re experiencing today. And they’re creating a lot of lucrative opportunities for investors in the process.

I expect this trend to continue. Looking ahead, the world is only going to become more digital.

Investments in scalable companies

The next thing I like is that the trust offers exposure to a lot of really scalable companies. This is valuable – history shows that scalable companies often turn out to be excellent investments.

An example of such a company in the portfolio today is Shopify (NASDAQ: SHOP). It operates a powerful e-commerce shopping platform that allows retail brands to easily sell their products online (without having to worry about things like website development, cybersecurity, payments, etc).

In theory, the growth potential here is limitless. That’s because Shopify’s platform can accommodate a vast number of merchants – from small start-ups to large enterprises – without a proportional increase in its own operational costs.

Of course, a consumer spending slowdown is a risk, as is competition from other internet companies such as GoDaddy. In the long run. However, I expect the company to get much bigger (it could also be worth considering as a long-term investment).

It’s worth noting that Shopify has been landing some big-name clients recently. Some examples here are Gymshark, SKIMS (Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand), and Alo Yoga.

Trading at a discount

Finally, I like the fact that the trust is trading at a near-11% discount to its net asset value (NAV). This essentially means that I’m getting exposure to a lot of great tech companies at a double-digit discount.

That’s appealing to me. With this trust, I’m actually getting growth and value.

A higher-risk investment trust

Now, I’ll point out that Scottish Mortgage is higher up on the risk spectrum within the investment trust universe. This is due to the fact that it has a strong focus on innovative growth businesses, which tend to be riskier investments.

On its website, it says: “The returns we aim to produce for shareholders will appeal to many, but the road travelled in achieving them may not.” In other words, this product – with its high level of volatility – is not for everyone.

I’m comfortable with the risk level here, however, as I have kept my position quite small at about 3% of my overall portfolio. With a position of that size, I can benefit from any potential share price gains without having to worry too much about downward share price volatility.

The post 3 reasons I’m bullish on Scottish Mortgage shares appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Our monthly Fire Best Buys Now are designed to highlight our team’s three favourite, most timely Buys from our growing list of growth-focused Fire recommendations, to help Fools build out their portfolios.

• While Shopify derives most of its revenue from taking slices of transactions processed on its platform, the true value is in the ecosystem it creates.
• Core ecommerce functions such as payment processing, point-of-sale systems, and marketing are only a few of the value-added options that merchants have when it comes to using Shopify as a commerce platform, and each of these is a vital piece of its increasingly sticky pie.
• For small business customers possibly lacking IT expertise, it’s perhaps unlikely that they’d switch e-commerce platforms. For enterprise accounts, they’re likely drawn to competitive pricing (despite price increases), quick implementation and ease of use.
• In its first quarter, sales growth was 27% taking sales to $2.9bn. Sales growth was driven by growth in the merchant base, same-store sales of existing merchants and international expansion.
• In our view, the company remains well positioned to continue growing, including continued merchant growth, greater Shopify Payments penetration, impressive international sales, and larger retailers joining the platform. As the company scales we believe the operating margin might tick up from the current 13.9%.
• While tariffs might complicate cross border trade, the company is making handling tariffs easier for merchants after building tools for handling duties calculations, as well as filters to view products made in a particular country. While not immune from tariffs, the impact should be manageable, given cross-border trade makes up 15% of gross merchandise value.

The post Just released: the 3 best growth-focused stocks to consider buying in June [PREMIUM PICKS] appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.