Image source: Getty Images The big event for the FTSE 100 this month is the upcoming UK Budget. And that’s something investors should have on their radars. I tried asking ChatGPT what the Chancellor’s announcement is likely to mean for UK stocks and it’s answers were fairly obvious. It described its view as “moderately negative” but there’s a lot more going on than this. ChatGPT’s view The main potential risk, according to ChatGPT, is the possibility of higher taxes, especially in oil and banking. Both of those industries are heavily represented in the FTSE 100. There’s also a broader risk,…
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Image source: Getty Images When it comes to generating passive income, real estate investment trusts (REITs) are a fantastic tool. Why? Because these businesses pay out the bulk of their profits in dividends. And while that can result in heavy reliance on debt, those with sturdy cash flows can more than afford this expense while still maintaining and expanding shareholder payouts. At the start of 2025, my income portfolio had three pure-play REITs. But with Warehouse REIT recently acquired and taken private, I now have two: LondonMetric Property (LSE:LMP) – a diversified commercial property landlord targeting the logistics, retail, healthcare,…
Image source: BT Group plc BT (LSE:BT.A) shares have enjoyed quite the rally in 2025, climbing by almost 25% since the start of the year. However, even with this momentum under its belt, the dividend yield remains quite favourable at 4.5%. So if an investor were to buy £10,000 worth of stock, they can currently expect to earn a passive income of around £450 over the next 12 months. That’s assuming, of course, that dividends don’t get cut in the meantime. Is that likely? Looking at the latest forecasts, it doesn’t seem so. In fact, income investors may still want…
For close to a decade, Tesco (LSE:TSCO) shares were a bit of a sleeper stock. In fact, between 2015 and 2022, the Tesco share price essentially didn’t move over the seven-year period. And yet, since the start of 2023, the retailer has been on a rampage, stealing market share, driving up sales, and expanding its bottom line. This trend has continued in 2025, with the stock climbing another 25.8% over the last six months. It means anyone who invested £5,000 in April now has just shy of £6,300. But as all investors know, past performance is a poor indicator of…
Image source: Getty Images Banks like Lloyds (LSE:LLOY) are popular shares with investors seeking a dependable dividend income. The fees they charge and loan interest they receive provide a steady flow of cash they can return to shareholders. Their strong capital ratios (as demanded by industry regulations) also give passive income hunters confidence that dividends are well supported. Finally, their revenue streams across product classes also help provide protection during downturns. Lloyds is a market leader across multiple segments including mortgages, personal and commercial banking and savings. Dividends at the FTSE 100 bank have risen strongly since the Bank of…
Image source: Getty Images The FTSE 100‘s near an all-time high and the stock market’s red hot in places. This performance however, has very little to do with any policy support from the UK government. UK stocks have largely benefitted from the movement of capital out of bonds, debt and savings as interest rates have fallen, and because some companies have consistently outperformed during the period. In fact, a closer look at many companies in the UK shows that last year’s Budget, coupled with a misfiring economy, led to consistent downgrades of expected earnings. Jet2, one of my favourite stocks,…
Image source: Getty Images Premium content from Motley Fool Share Advisor UK Our monthly Fire Best Buys Now are designed to highlight our team’s three favourite, most timely Buys from our growing list of growth-focused Fire recommendations, to help Fools build out their portfolios. “Best Buys Now” Pick #1: Games Workshop (LSE:GAW) Unique British business Games Workshop manufactures miniatures used for wargaming under the Warhammer brand. After a meteoric long-term rise in the share price, it was announced as a new FTSE 100 constituent late last year. The vertically integrated business has no real competitors that can match its control over the design, manufacture…
Image source: Getty Images BAE Systems’ (LSE: BA) share price has dropped 9% from its 3 October one-year traded high of £20.71. I think part of this is due to profit-taking on the extended bullish run since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. It has jumped 213% since that point. The other part is due, I believe, to the market’s view that the global security situation has eased. This follows the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that came into effect on 10 October. It also reflects ongoing efforts by US President Donald Trump to catalyse a ceasefire in…
Image source: Aston Martin UK stocks have proven surprisingly popular in 2025. But there are a few that can’t seem to catch a break. And it’s usually for good reason. Luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin (LSE: AML) is one of them. Stunning cars but… As I’ve always said, this company makes undoubtedly beautiful cars. I understand the emotional pull of owning a slice of the same business that gets James Bond from A to B. I also understand the temptation to buy this stock in the hope that — after falling 98% since listing — things simply can’t get any…
Image source: Getty Images QXO (NYSE:QXO) might not be a stock most UK investors have on their radars. But it has a market value of $12bn and the firm is targeting $50bn in annual sales within the next 10 years. If it achieves that, a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 1.5 is enough to make the share price climb 500% from its current level. As they once said in Sparta, though, the key word is ‘if’… ‘If’ Anyone who doesn’t know what QXO is at this point is probably thinking it’s some sort of artificial intelligence company. But it isn’t –…