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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

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

Here’s why British American Tobacco shares could be the FTSE 100’s best buy

| Alan Oscroft

British American Tobacco shares have been in a decline. But the latest first-half results have given them a modest boost.

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Investing Articles

Lloyds profit surges, but will the share price ever follow?

| Alan Oscroft

So profits rise again, but the Lloyds share price falls. Business as usual, then. But banking sector gloom must end…

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Investing Articles

Are Games Workshop shares still the FTSE’s best growth buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Games Workshop shares have made a few investors into millionaires, after a superb run. But how much further growth is…

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Investing Articles

How to pick the best FTSE dividend shares

| Alan Oscroft

After the UK stock market has had such an awful decade, I'm seeing a lot of attractive dividend shares out…

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Investing Articles

Down 80% in 5 years, does the Capita share price make it a no-brainer buy?

| Alan Oscroft

We've had some great recovery opportunities since the pandemic crash of 2020. Might the low Capita share price make it…

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Investing Articles

Turning a brand new ISA into a passive income of £20k a year

| Alan Oscroft

We all invest in the hope of one day being able to put our feet up and enjoy a bit…

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Investing Articles

Forget a Cash ISA, it’s the stock market for me every time

| Alan Oscroft

When the stock market is weak, and Cash ISAs are offering their best interest rates in years, then it's surely…

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Mature Caucasian woman sat at a table with coffee and laptop while making notes on paper
Investing Articles

Which is better value, the Aviva or Legal & General share price?

| Alan Oscroft

We've seen a big fall in the Aviva share price in the past five years, and Legal & General isn't…

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Long-term vs short-term investing concept on a staircase
Investing Articles

A once-in-a-decade opportunity to aim for a million in a Stocks and Shares ISA!

| Alan Oscroft

What's the secret to building Stocks and Shares ISA wealth? Invest the most we can each year, and start early.…

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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 are the 10 top FTSE 100 shares I’d buy right now

| Alan Oscroft

As valuations keep changing, I keep looking at FTSE 100 shares and thinking "What if I could start all over…

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Investing Articles

The 10 stocks on the FTSE with the biggest dividend forecasts

| Alan Oscroft

Whether we go for growth stocks, or income, I don't think we've ever had so much choice of cheap FTSE…

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Investing Articles

Is the Persimmon share price set to soar from here?

| Alan Oscroft

The Persimmon share price has responded well to lower-than-expected June inflation figures. But the pain might not be over yet.

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

Why buying dividend stocks could be a no-brainer for passive income

| Alan Oscroft

We all have our own ideas on how to invest to generate some long-term income. Here, I explain why I…

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Investing Articles

Is this a once-in-a-decade opportunity for FTSE 100 investors?

| Alan Oscroft

Dividends and share buybacks look strong, and inflation has slowed more than expected. That's got to be good for the…

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

The Scottish Mortgage share price looks like a no-brainer buy for me

| Alan Oscroft

The Scottish Mortgage share price is on the up a bit now, but the discount is still huge. I probably…

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

Are Rolls-Royce shares a steal at 150p?

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares have been stuck for months, but could they be poised to take off again when we get August's…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

Which is better value, the Persimmon or Barratt share price?

| Alan Oscroft

Barratt Developments has fallen, and the Persimmon share price has suffered even more. I put the two head to head…

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

The Darktrace share price just surged 20%. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Darktrace share price is way down from its early soaring peaks, as the cybersecurity firm has faced plenty of…

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

The BAE share price is down 11% in 3 months. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

I kicked myself when I saw the BAE share price soar in 2022, having watched the stock for years. Is…

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Young Black man sat in front of laptop while wearing headphones
Investing Articles

Which is better value, the BT or Vodafone share price?

| Alan Oscroft

I've found the both the Vodafone and the BT share price to be frustrating over the years. Today, I put…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

Are National Grid shares a no-brainer buy for dividend investors?

| Alan Oscroft

Investors often rate National Grid shares very highly for building up a long-term passive income portfolio. Are they right to…

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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 LSE shares?

| Alan Oscroft

Since investors dumped LSE shares in the wake of the Covid crisis, the London stock market has looked very sick…

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Investing Articles

Are Oxford Nanopore shares set to soar?

| Alan Oscroft

Oxford Nanopore shares have fallen since IPO just a couple of years ago. But this medical tech pioneer might have…

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Young Caucasian woman at the street withdrawing money at the ATM
Investing Articles

5 reasons why dividend shares can be good for our wealth

| Alan Oscroft

Does it matter whether we invest in dividend shares or growth shares? I buy both, but I've come to like…

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

Are Tullow Oil shares a no-brainer buy at 30p?

| Alan Oscroft

Tullow Oil shares have crashed heavily since late 2019, but oil prices, profits and cash flow have been rising. Is…

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

Is Barratt Developments still my top UK stock for 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

How have the past six months affected the choice of my favourite UK stock in 2023? Halfway through the year,…

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Investing Articles

5 reasons why I think stocks and shares are best for passive income

| Alan Oscroft

More and more of us are realising that building up a bit of passive income for retirement is a very…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

What might it take for the easyJet share price to fly again?

| Alan Oscroft

The easyJet share price has stalled since its big take-off in early 2023. But could it be preparing to climb…

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

I’d buy cheap dividend stocks now, for a lifetime of passive income

| Alan Oscroft

You can forget Cash ISAs as far as I'm concerned. My retirement cash is going into top UK dividend stocks…

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Cheerful young businesspeople with laptop working in office
Investing Articles

Does the Aviva share price make it the FTSE 100’s best value buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The economy shrank in May, and the Aviva share price is down with the rest of the insurance sector. Time…

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

How quickly could I become a Stocks and Shares ISA millionaire?

| Alan Oscroft

Does anyone dream of joining the ranks of Britain's Stocks and Shares ISA millionaires? Here's how we might be able…

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Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

Will H1 results send Rolls-Royce shares flying higher?

| Alan Oscroft

Full-year results for 2022 gave Rolls-Royce shares a big boost. As we approach the end of the first half in…

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

3 reasons to buy cheap Lloyds shares today

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds Banking Group shares look cheap to me right now. But I reckon it takes a lot more than that…

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

How to pocket a share of £120bn from FTSE 100 stocks

| Alan Oscroft

Think FTSE 100 stocks are set for a tough year with dividends under pressure in 2023? It might just be…

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

My top FTSE 100 stocks to buy in July

| Alan Oscroft

We're heading into first-half results season for top FTSE 100 stocks. Here's a couple of my top picks, plus a…

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Tanker coming in to dock in calm waters and a clear sunset
Investing Articles

Why the Glencore share price could be set for a new bull run

| Alan Oscroft

Cyclical trends have helped push the Glencore share price down in 2023. Here's why I think that's a good thing…

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

Why the Taylor Wimpey share price could be set for a second-half surge

| Alan Oscroft

The Taylor Wimpey share price has headed down again as interest rates are soaring higher than we'd feared. I say…

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British bank notes and coins
Investing Articles

The Legal & General share price makes it one of my top buys for big dividends

| Alan Oscroft

How can the Legal & General share price possibly stay so low, when the FTSE 100 insurer offers a big…

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

Does the Ocado share price make it too cheap to ignore?

| Alan Oscroft

The Ocado share price is staying up, despite no further word on any possible buyout approach. Is there a big…

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2023 concept with upwards-facing arrows overlaid on a hand with one finger raised, pointing up
Investing Articles

3 reasons why the FTSE could be set for a second-half surge

| Alan Oscroft

Despite the global 2023 gloom, the FTSE is actually holding up pretty well. What might it take to turn back…

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