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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

Close-up of a woman holding modern polymer ten, twenty and fifty pound notes.
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d target a £5,900 second income by investing £50 a week

| Alan Oscroft

We don't need a huge pile of cash to earn a second income. Here's one way I'd aim for it…

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Frustrated young white male looking disconsolate while sat on his sofa holding a beer
Investing Articles

The National Grid share price just plunged another 10%. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The National Grid share price is one of the FTSE 100's most stable, and nothing much happens to it? Well,…

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

3 cheap UK shares to consider buying to hold forever

| Alan Oscroft

If I had to choose UK shares to buy now, and not be allowed to sell for at least 40…

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Midnight is celebrated along the River Thames in London with a spectacular and colourful firework display.
Investing Articles

Nvidia shares hit a new high after record earnings. Is there a lot more to come?

| Alan Oscroft

Nvidia stock smashes expectations, as quarterly profit soars 600%. It's time for a 10-for-one stock split too, as it reaches…

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

The Vodafone share price is only 75p. I think it could go much higher

| Alan Oscroft

The Vodafone share price has had a horrible five years. But if the firm's new shake-up works out well, it…

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

How I’d look for cheap shares to buy for an empty ISA, before it’s too late

| Alan Oscroft

With the Footsie rising, there are fewer dirt cheap shares around. I want to buy as many as I can…

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Investing Articles

5 FTSE 100 shares to consider buying for passive income right now

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 100 is having its best start to the year for ages, and that's pushing the top dividend yields…

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Road trip. Father and son travelling together by car
Investing Articles

If I’d put £10k into Tesla stock 2 years ago, here’s what I’d have now

| Alan Oscroft

Tesla stock has fallen in the past few years. But the valuation looks temptingly low now, as we approach a…

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British coins and bank notes scattered on a surface
Investing Articles

With £500k, here’s how I’d invest for passive income right now

| Alan Oscroft

It's nice to dream about having a big pile of cash to invest. But what's the best way to turn…

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Small cap sticky note
Investing Articles

Penny stocks to consider buying while their prices are this cheap

| Alan Oscroft

Some of the penny stocks I've been watching have already climbed above the 100p level. But I see potential in…

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

These are the most popular 2024 Stocks and Shares ISA picks so far

| Alan Oscroft

After a few tough years, it looks like the 2024 Stocks and Shares ISA season is getting off to a…

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Frustrated young white male looking disconsolate while sat on his sofa holding a beer
Investing Articles

Where will the Rolls-Royce share price end 2024, above 500p or below 400p?

| Alan Oscroft

Will the Rolls-Royce share price ride higher in 2024, or will we see a fall back to lower valuations? Either…

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Young mixed-race woman jumping for joy in a park with confetti falling around her
Investing Articles

The Lloyds share price just hit a 52-week high. Can it fly still higher?

| Alan Oscroft

The Lloyds Bank share price has followed NatWest upwards this year. Shareholder patience just might be paying off.

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

I’m looking for the FTSE 100’s best value stocks to buy now. Have I found them?

| Alan Oscroft

If the UK stock market keeps on going up in 2024, we might soon run out of cheap value shares…

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Night Takeoff Of The American Space Shuttle
Investing Articles

I’d consider buying these FTSE 100 growth stocks for 2024 and beyond

| Alan Oscroft

I've been looking for growth stocks with low PEG valuations, and I'm finding plenty. But they're not at all where…

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Exterior of BT Group head office - One Braham, London
Investing Articles

As the BT share price jumps 10% on FY results, is it time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The BT share price just got a welcome boost from what might turn out to be a transformational set of…

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British coins and bank notes scattered on a surface
Investing Articles

With an 8% dividend yield, I think this cheap FTSE 250 stock could be one not to miss

| Alan Oscroft

FTSE 250 stocks include a lot of potential passive income candidates right now, with even more 8%+ yields than the…

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

The NatWest share price is on fire! Should I buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The NatWest share price has climbed by 33% in the past five years, after a cracking start to 2024. Here's…

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

3 top FTSE 100 dividend shares to buy for a new 2024 ISA?

| Alan Oscroft

How much work does it take to pick three FTSE 100 stocks to lay down the start of a new…

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British coins and bank notes scattered on a surface
Investing Articles

With £11,000 in savings, here’s how I’d aim for £9,600 annual passive income

| Alan Oscroft

We increasingly need to build up as much as we can to provide some passive income for our retirement years.…

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Businessman use electronic pen writing rising colorful graph from 2023 to 2024 year of business planning and stock investment growth concept.
Investing Articles

After the FTSE 100 breaks records in April, can it soar even higher in May?

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 100 broke through the 8,000 point level in April, and it looks like it might stay there. Is…

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Thin line graph
Investing Articles

Can this latest news help stop the St James’s Place share price rot?

| Alan Oscroft

The St James's Place share price has collapsed since its highs of 2021. But as we hit the first quarter,…

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Portrait of pensive bearded senior looking on screen of laptop sitting at table with coffee cup.
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d target passive income from FTSE 250 stocks right now

| Alan Oscroft

Dividend stocks aren't the only ones we can use to try to build up some long-term income. No, I like…

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

As the NatWest share price closes in on a new 5-year high, will it soon be too late to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The NatWest share price has climbed strongly so far in 2024, as the whole bank sector has been enjoying a…

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2024 year number handwritten on a sandy beach at sunrise
Investing Articles

A Q1 trading update pushes the Beazley share price up a bit more. Is it still cheap?

| Alan Oscroft

The Beazley share price has been motoring up in what might turn out to be the start of a 2024…

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Tesco employee helping female customer
Investing Articles

How much passive income could I earn if I buy Tesco shares today?

| Alan Oscroft

Buying Tesco shares has rewarded investors with solid dividends for decades, and the foreacast shows more years of growth ahead.

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Businessman use electronic pen writing rising colorful graph from 2023 to 2024 year of business planning and stock investment growth concept.
Investing Articles

Could the Rolls-Royce share price surge be back on again?

| Alan Oscroft

The Rolls-Royce share price peaked in early 2024, and then started to fall back... and then picked up again. Here's…

Read more »

Young mixed-race woman jumping for joy in a park with confetti falling around her
Investing Articles

3 things that could push the Lloyds share price towards £1

| Alan Oscroft

Is it too early to think about the Lloyds share price getting up close to £1? Almost certainly. But I'm…

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Exterior of BT Group head office - One Braham, London
Investing Articles

How much passive income could I make if I buy BT shares today?

| Alan Oscroft

BT Group shares offer a very tempting dividend right now, way above the FTSE 100 average. But it's far from…

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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

With a 10%+ dividend yield, is this overlooked gem the best FTSE 100 stock to buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

Many a FTSE 100 stock offers a good yield now, although that could change as the index rises. This one…

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Close-up of a woman holding modern polymer ten, twenty and fifty pound notes.
Investing Articles

£10k in an ISA? I’d use it to aim for an annual £1k second income

| Alan Oscroft

Want a second income without having to take on a second job? With a bit of money up front, and…

Read more »

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

Barclays’ share price jumps 5% on Q1 news. Will it soon be too late to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Barclays share price has been having a great time this year, as a solid Q1 gives it another boost.…

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ISA coins
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d aim for a ton of passive income from £20k in an ISA

| Alan Oscroft

To get the best passive income from an ISA, I think we need to balance risk with the potential rewards.…

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

This new boost in assets might just get the abrdn share price moving again

| Alan Oscroft

The abrdn share price has lost half its value in the past five years. But with investor confidence returning, are…

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Bus waiting in front of the London Stock Exchange on a sunny day.
Investing Articles

The top 5 investment trusts to buy in a resurgent UK stock market?

| Alan Oscroft

These were the five most popular investment trusts at Hargreaves Lansdown in April. And they're not the ones I'd have…

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Investing Articles

The smartest dividend stocks to consider buying with £500 right now

| Alan Oscroft

In the past few years, the UK stock market’s been a great place to find dividend stocks paying top yields.…

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Investing Articles

As the FTSE 100 hits an all-time high, are the days of cheap shares coming to an end?

| Alan Oscroft

The signs suggest that confidence and optimism are finally getting the FTSE 100 back on track, as the index hits…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

The Anglo American share price dips on Q1 production update. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Anglo American share price has fallen hard in the past two years, after a very tough 2023. But I…

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

Is the Lloyds share price high enough now?

| Alan Oscroft

Fundamental measures suggest the Lloyds Banking Group share price is too low. Here are some reasons why it might stay…

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

As the Rolls-Royce share price falls, has a big correction just started?

| Alan Oscroft

Is the Rolls-Royce share price heading for a 20% fall? Or is there a new 20% rise on the cards?…

Read more »