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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

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Investing Articles

2 hot FTSE 100 shares brokers are tipping for June

| Alan Oscroft

One of these FTSE 100 stocks has had a storming run, while the other’s suffered a weak 12 months. Analysts…

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

How can brokers still be tipping Rolls-Royce shares for even more growth?

| Alan Oscroft

Analysts keep raising their targets for Rolls-Royce shares... and they seem to keep getting it right. But Rolls might be…

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Close-up image depicting a woman in her 70s taking British bank notes from her colourful leather wallet.
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in Aviva shares 5 years ago is now worth this much…

| Alan Oscroft

The Aviva shares juggernaut of the past five years has slowed in 2026, though first-quarter financials show no signs of…

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Front view of aircraft in flight.
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in IAG shares 5 years ago has now climbed this high…

| Alan Oscroft

While smaller airlines have seen their stock prices falter, International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) shares have just stormed ahead.

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Close-up image depicting a woman in her 70s taking British bank notes from her colourful leather wallet.
Investing Articles

How much passive income could £10,000 invested in the FTSE 100’s top dividend stock target?

| Alan Oscroft

Forecasters predict £88bn in dividends from FTSE 100 companies this year, and a bit of that could provide some nice…

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Investing Articles

With a +20% price target, are Barclays shares the best buy in the FTSE 100?

| Alan Oscroft

FTSE 100 bank shares have had a brilliant run, though they're being held back by fears of Iran conflict fallout.…

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Investing Articles

Why did this skyrocketing FTSE 250 growth stock just jump another 15%?

| Alan Oscroft

Growth stock investors wanting to capitalise on the potential demand for power by AI data centres might do well to…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

After BT shares dipped on full-year results, are they a top FTSE 100 dividend buy?

| Alan Oscroft

BT shares have had a good run, and the dividend was just raised again. But are shareholders growing tired of…

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

After a tough first half, is it time to buy easyJet shares while they’re down?

| Alan Oscroft

Buy easyJet shares after such a horrible few years? That's definitely not a low-risk move right now, but it might…

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Investing Articles

After a 15% jump in a single day, is this one of the hottest UK stocks to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

With UK stocks hit by global trading pressures, this FTSE 250 company has released results that might just mark its…

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Middle-aged white man wearing glasses, staring into space over the top of his laptop in a coffee shop
Investing Articles

After this FTSE 250 stock just crashed 21%, is it a must-buy bargain now?

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 250 is home to a lot of smaller companies with tempting growth potential. But this one shows how…

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Two female adult friends walking through the city streets at Christmas. They are talking and smiling as they do some Christmas shopping.
Investing Articles

As Marks & Spencer storms back from its 2025 cyberattack, is it time to buy the shares?

| Alan Oscroft

Marks & Spencer has just wound up a traumatic financial year, yet its shares have shown remarkable resilience. I see…

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Young mixed-race couple sat on the beach looking out over the sea
Investing Articles

How much passive income do you need from an ISA to pay for holidays for life?

| Alan Oscroft

How easy is it to build up passive income to pay for some nice things in life using a dividend…

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Rolls-Royce engineer working on an engine
Investing Articles

Where next for Rolls-Royce shares, over £15 or back below £10?

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares have been a stunning success for growth investors, but the upwards climb is, well, maybe having a brief…

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Investing Articles

As Dr Martens bounces back to profit growth, is it time to buy the shares?

| Alan Oscroft

After a tough start to life as a public company, are Dr Martens shares on the verge of a stunning…

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Investing Articles

Is this 34p penny stock set to storm back as turnaround makes progress?

| Alan Oscroft

Shares in this penny stock are still depressed after a few years of tough trading conditions. But underlying performance is…

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Investing Articles

At under £1, are Lloyds shares a brilliant buy today?

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds shares have fallen back from their 52-week high, as inflation is back on the near horizon. It could be…

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

How much do you need in a Stocks and Shares ISA to beat the UK minimum wage?

| Alan Oscroft

Alan Oscroft examines the idea of using a Stocks and Shares ISA to provide long-term income, and picks a FTSE…

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Santa Clara offices of NVIDIA
Investing Articles

Is the biggest stock market crash since the dot com bubble coming?

| Alan Oscroft

Are AI investors partying like it's 1999 all over again? Here's why there's no reason to panic over fears of…

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Investing Articles

Here’s why Watches of Switzerland shares just jumped 15%!

| Alan Oscroft

After Watches of Switzerland shares have fallen back from their peaks, does the latest trading update signal the start of…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

This UK dividend stock is rising, but still offers a stunning 10.3% yield!

| Alan Oscroft

Shares in this dividend stock have had a poor five years, despite a great dividend track record. But might that…

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Tree lined "tunnel" in the English countryside of West Sussex in autumn
Investing Articles

How much do you need in an ISA for a £1,525 monthly second income?

| Alan Oscroft

Alan Oscroft takes a look at how long-term investors can use a Stocks and Shares ISA to target a welcome…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

£8,580 invested in Rolls-Royce shares shares 5 years ago is now worth…

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares have been suffering from Middle East strife fallout, but analysts aren't being dissuaded from their rosy outlook.

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Investing Articles

Could this FTSE 100 company, down 54% in 5 years, be a perfect Stocks and Shares ISA buy?

| Alan Oscroft

With its shares in a spin, this might not be an obvious Stocks and Shares ISA choice. Here's how writing…

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

How much is needed in an ISA to target a £2,091 monthly passive income?

| Alan Oscroft

Here's how an ISA can be combined with a long-term investing strategy to target passive income aimed at easily beating…

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Investing Articles

As Endeavour Mining shares jump 7% on Q1 results, is this a way into the gold rush?

| Alan Oscroft

Endeavour Mining shares have more than doubled over the past 12 months as gold has soared. But how much risk…

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Investing Articles

As Standard Chartered shares jump on impressive Q1, is this a FTSE 100 banking bargain?

| Alan Oscroft

It's a record quarter for Standard Chartered, with FTSE 100 bank shares under Q1 scrutiny at a time of unusual…

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

Are Unilever shares the perfect ISA buy for troubled times after Q1 impresses?

| Alan Oscroft

Unilever shares have been wobbling as restructuring plans make profitability hard to get a handle on. But the cash is…

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

As the Lloyds share price falls while profits rise, is it time to dump?

| Alan Oscroft

Investors might be getting cold feet over the Lloyds share price, as a better-than-expected quarter still resulted in a decline.

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Investing Articles

As GSK shares fall 5% on Q1 news, is this a buying opportunity?

| Alan Oscroft

GSK reinforced its upbeat guidance for the year ahead in a Q1 update, after an impressive 2025, but the shares…

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

What next for AstraZeneca shares, after another cracking quarter?

| Alan Oscroft

AstraZeneca shares have made storming gains since Pascal Soriot became the boss. The latest outlook suggests it could be far…

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Investing Articles

Where next for the Barclays share price, after Q1 fails to inspire?

| Alan Oscroft

I've been eagerly awaiting first-quarter bank results season. But judging by the Barclays share price reaction, sentiment appears lukewarm.

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Light bulb with growing tree.
Investing Articles

Here’s how this overlooked 6.5p penny stock could turn £5,000 in an ISA into £11,077

| Alan Oscroft

City analysts have been carefully scrutinising this depressed UK penny stock, and their price target suggests they like what they…

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Investing Articles

With BP shares boosted by Q1 results, how much higher can they go?

| Alan Oscroft

A big jump in profit in the first quarter put BP shares among the FTSE 100's upwards movers, with the…

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

Here’s how long-term investors can benefit from a stock market crash

| Alan Oscroft

Does the Bank of England really think there's a stock market crash coming? Even if they do, they still have…

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

How much does an investor need in an ISA to target a £2,400 monthly passive income?

| Alan Oscroft

Investors really can hope to generate passive income from a Stock and Shares ISA to compete against working in a…

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Mindful young woman breathing out with closed eyes, calming down in stressful situation, working on computer in modern kitchen.
Investing Articles

Here’s how Rolls-Royce shares could climb another 50%… or fall 20%!

| Alan Oscroft

After Rolls-Royce shares have soared over 1,000% in five years, future expectations might be cooling, right? It doesn't look like…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

Here’s how Barclays shares could climb another 40%

| Alan Oscroft

Stock markets are clouded by geopolitical threats at the moment, but Barclays' shares could be heading for a further upwards…

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A beach at sunset where there is an inscription on the sand "Breathe Deeeply".
Investing Articles

Here’s how Lloyds shares could climb another 50%… or crash 50%!

| Alan Oscroft

After a shaky few weeks, where might Lloyds shares go next? Today's analyst opinions diverge more widely than we might…

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Investing Articles

Down 45% in 5 years, this UK stock now offers a stunning 11% dividend yield!

| Alan Oscroft

Among the highest UK dividend yields, one immediately begs for closer inspection. Can this double-digit marvel really pull it off?

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