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One of the most efficient ways to invest in shares and build a passive income portfolio is through a Stocks and Shares ISA. It’s simple and genuinely takes minutes to open. What’s more, any dividends or capital gains earned within the ISA are completely tax-free.
That means more of your returns stay invested and compound over time, without the drag of income or capital gains tax.
You can invest in individual shares, funds or ETFs, reinvest dividends automatically, and adjust your portfolio as your goals change. For long-term investors focused on growing income, a Stocks and Shares ISA is hard to beat.
Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice. Readers are responsible for carrying out their own due diligence and for obtaining professional advice before making any investment decisions.
The important question: where to invest?
Building a portfolio takes time. However, if I were starting from scratch today, I’d probably look to pick one or two stocks a month, allotting around £600 to these investments. After 20 years, and assuming a strong (but far under my average) annual return of 10%, the portfolio would be worth just shy of £460,000. That’s almost enough to generate £2k a month in passive income.
So what stocks would I consider investing in? Well, my starting point’s already the stock’s current valuation rather than long-term themes or trends. After all, a company may look well positioned to benefit from a certain trend, but it’ll be a rubbish investment if it’s already priced accordingly.
With that in mind, I typically stay away from companies like Palantir. Yes, it’s an incredibly company, but I can’t quantify its value, and that means there’s no margin of safety as it trades at 260 times forward earnings.
With that in mind, I’m more inclined to consider companies where the metrics make sense. Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP) is one such company. The firm operates in the production, marketing, and distribution of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.
It owns huge plantations including 45,509 acres in Costa Rice and 8,973 acres in Guatemala. I think this is really interesting in a world where land’s increasing competed for. It also has a solid balance sheet, with a modest $243m net debt position. It’s trading around 12.5 times forward earnings, and earnings growth is expected around 17% in 2025 and 8.5% in 2026.
These figures, combined with a healthy 3.4% dividend yield, make me confident that the stock will appreciate. Analysts agree with a price target 26% above the current price.
Of course, risks exist. The company’s highly exposed to climate change and adverse weather patterns. Still, I believe it’s very much worth considering.
What else?
There’s a world of investment opportunities out there. As we look towards 2026, companies like TBC Bank, Sanmina Corporation, SkyWest, and Modine Manufacturing are also on my watchlist. I may even be tempted back to Super Micro Computer — having sold my shares almost 18 months ago — and I continue to monitor the memory AI play, potentially adding Seagate to my memory holdings like Micron Technology.
