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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

Young female analyst working at her desk in the office
Investing Articles

BHP Group shares are down 20% in six months. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Mining stocks are dropping as metals and minerals prices fall, and BHP Group shares have dipped in 2023. Here's what…

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Black father and two young daughters dancing at home
Investing Articles

£10k invested in Rolls-Royce in the Covid crash would be worth this much now

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares tell one of the biggest recovery stories since the early days of the pandemic. Investors will want more.

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

3 dirt cheap FTSE 100 shares to buy near 52-week lows?

| Alan Oscroft

It's not a good idea to try timing the market. But when FTSE 100 shares reach new lows, it has…

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Happy couple showing relief at news
Investing Articles

£10k in Barclays shares in the stock market crash would be worth this much now

| Alan Oscroft

The banks have suffered pain in 2023, but Barclays shares would have been a great buy back in 2020. Are…

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

Here’s why this could be the best FTSE 250 income stock to buy right now

| Alan Oscroft

This income stock offers a bumper dividend yeld of 10%, and it looks like it could be near the bottom…

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Young black colleagues high-fiving each other at work
Investing Articles

If I’d bought £10k of Lloyds shares in the stock market crash, I’d have this much now

| Alan Oscroft

With hindsight, buying Lloyds shares when the stock market crashed would have been a winning decision. But what comes next?

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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 dirt cheap LSE stocks to buy near 52-week lows?

| Alan Oscroft

A good few LSE stocks have recovered from the pain of the past few years. But plenty are still down,…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

2 cheap FTSE 100 stocks to buy for the next stock market crash?

| Alan Oscroft

Are stock markets set for a new fall? Some financial headlines seem to say so. But these FTSE 100 stocks…

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

Dirt cheap UK dividend shares to buy before it’s too late?

| Alan Oscroft

I see a lot of cheap dividend shares in all sorts of market sectors. Here are some I think might…

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

5 stocks to buy for a second income before it’s too late?

| Alan Oscroft

Looking for a second income from investing in UK shares? I reckon there are so many top value choices now,…

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

Who’d bet $1.6bn on a stock market crash?

| Alan Oscroft

The headlines are full of stock market crash fears right now. And one big US investor just put a lot…

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Investing Articles

Is there a FTSE 100 crash coming? Here’s why I say no

| Alan Oscroft

It seems like we read a new headline talking up the chances of a FTSE 100 crash almost every day.…

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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

Here’s why I think Aviva shares could be the FTSE 100’s best buy

| Alan Oscroft

Aviva shares rise on expectation-busting first-half results. But if the firm's refocus pays off, I could see a lot more…

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British bank notes and coins
Investing Articles

3 penny stocks to buy now, before it’s too late?

| Alan Oscroft

Some penny stocks look like they might not be penny stocks for much longer. Here are three that I think…

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

Learn the passive income secrets of the UK’s ISA millionaires

| Alan Oscroft

What's the best way to build up a passive income pot in an ISA? Well, who better to ask than…

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

Here’s why Persimmon shares could be the FTSE 100’s best buy

| Alan Oscroft

Persimmon shares are down 50% in five years. But on the back of H1 results, it looks like 2023 could…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

A once-in-a-decade opportunity to buy dividend shares this cheap

| Alan Oscroft

Should we stock up on all those big high-yield dividend shares on offer now? Well, I'd take a bit of…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

How to turn a £20k ISA into a £21,260 second income

| Alan Oscroft

I dream of putting my feet up and living on a second income from dividend shares. With a bit of…

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

Here’s why abrdn shares could be the FTSE 100’s best buy after a 10% drop

| Alan Oscroft

I say long-term investors should shun the trend and buy shares when others are selling. And they're selling abrdn shares…

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Group of young friends toasting each other with beers in a pub
Investing Articles

Learn the secrets of the newest Stocks and Shares ISA millionaires

| Alan Oscroft

The number of Stocks and Shares ISA millionaires in the UK has soared in the past few years. I reckon…

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

Are these really the best stocks to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

What do most people think are the best stocks to buy in today's market? After 2022 tech stock falls, the…

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

Can I still make a million from RC365 shares?

| Alan Oscroft

The chance to make a quick million doesn't come along very often. After soaring, could RC365 shares be the way…

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Investing Articles

Here’s why LSE shares could be no-brainer buys right now

| Alan Oscroft

What's the best investment in 2023? A number of things point me towards LSE shares, and many of them are…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Here’s why Rolls-Royce shares could be the FTSE 100’s best growth buy

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares have doubled in the past year, and results have only gone and beaten expectations again! Is there more…

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

Here’s why Taylor Wimpey shares could be the FTSE 100’s best buy

| Alan Oscroft

Taylor Wimpey shares got a boost from a first half that beat expectations. But the price is still way down…

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Investing Articles

Here’s why I think the FTSE 100 could easily hit 10,000 points

| Alan Oscroft

Is the FTSE 100 eternally doomed to stay stuck below 8,000 points? Surely not even the gloomiest pessimist thinks that,…

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

Looking for passive income? Here are 3 mistakes I’d avoid

| Alan Oscroft

Building some passive income for later in life's a great idea. But when folks start out, it's easy to fall…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

My 5 top FTSE 100 stocks to buy in 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

We're more than halfway through 2023, and I still see far more cheap FTSE 100 stocks than I could ever…

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

The Pearson share price is down in 2023. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Pearson share price has been up and down quite a bit. But the latest H1 results make me think…

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

What might Warren Buffett buy in a Stocks and Shares ISA?

| Alan Oscroft

Who's the best investor for us to learn from today? I think it's still Warren Buffett, who's made average annual…

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

A once-in-a-decade opportunity to buy dirt-cheap shares

| Alan Oscroft

How often do we have chances to fill our boots with cheap shares? Maybe once a decade? I think this…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

3 cheap penny stocks I’d buy and hold for 10 years

| Alan Oscroft

I don't buy penny stocks very often. But when I do, I go for those I think should rise above…

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

Are these the 5 best value FTSE stocks to buy in August?

| Alan Oscroft

Results can help us decide on the best stocks to buy, and we have H1 figures coming thick and fast…

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British bank notes and coins
Investing Articles

The 5 best FTSE dividend stocks to buy in August?

| Alan Oscroft

We have results from a number of UK dividend stocks coming our way in August, some with forecast dividend yields…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

5 stocks I’d buy right now to build a second income

| Alan Oscroft

There are many ways to seek a second income and earn some extra cash. A Stocks and Shares ISA, held…

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

If I’d invested £11k in this growth stock at IPO, I’d be a millionaire now

| Alan Oscroft

I like a nice growth stock from time to time. But I've turned my nose up at this one a…

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

With a big H1 profit boost, is the NatWest share price set to climb?

| Alan Oscroft

After a dramatic week for NatWest, H1 results helped calm the share price. The chief executive is down, but the…

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Young Caucasian woman with pink her studying from her laptop screen
Investing Articles

An investing lesson to heed following the RC365 share price rise

| Alan Oscroft

Is it up 500%? Or 1,000%? Can it still soar even higher? The massive climb in the RC365 share price…

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Young brown woman delighted with what she sees on her screen
Investing Articles

The super-cheap Barclays share price just got cheaper!

| Alan Oscroft

Can the Barclays share price get any lower? Well, yes, it could. But here's why I think we're looking at…

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

After a 45% fall in 5 years, is the BT share price a no-brainer buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

Since privatisation back in 1984, the BT share price has been through some scary booms and busts. Right now, it's…

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