Image source: Getty Images November has traditionally proved a strong month for global stock markets. The FTSE 100 index of UK shares is no different — in fact, the 13.1% return it delivered in November 2020 represents the largest gain in any month so far this century. History isn’t always an accurate guide to future returns. But there’s a good chance in my opinion that the Footsie could put in another strong performance this month, driven by robust investor confidence and cheap valuations on British companies. With this in mind, here are three top blue-chip shares to consider in November.…
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Image source: Getty Images Lloyds Banking Group‘s (LSE:LLOY) share price has gone gangbusters in 2025. And yet on paper, it still looks like one of the FTSE 100‘s greatest value shares. But I’m not convinced. In my view, Lloyds shares are dirt cheap for a reason. Here’s why I wouldn’t touch the Black Horse bank with a bargepole today. All-round cheapness Up 62% since 1 January, the FTSE bank still trades on price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratios of below 1 for every year through to 2027: YearAnnual earnings growthPEG ratio202517%0.7202631%0.3202718%0.4 A reminder that any sub-1 reading implies a share is undervalued…
Image source: Getty Images Anyone who buys Unilever (LSE:ULVR) shares before the stock market opens on Thursday (6 November) gets a 39p per share dividend next month. Anyone who buys it after, doesn’t. That makes it seem simple — anyone thinking about buying Unilever shares should do it before Thursday, right? If only investing were so straightforward… The stock market By itself, the stock going ex-dividend on Thursday is a non-issue in terms of when to buy. Investors can expect the share price to adjust accordingly on the day. Other things being equal, Unilever shares will be worth 39p less…
There is a rarely a shortage of negative headlines when it comes to car maker Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA). But far from being in the doldrums, Tesla stock is on fire. It has gone up by 90% over the past year alone. That means it now stands 223% higher than five years ago. Thanks to that stunning performance, Tesla now has a market capitalisation of $1.5trn. Could things get even better from here? What’s driving the Tesla share price? Getting to a market cap that big is a massive achievement. What has been behind it? Part of the reason is that…
Image source: Getty Images The Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) is a powerful vehicle to build wealth for retirement. Not only is it suited to long-term investing, but the tax relief top-ups from the government can act as additional rocket fuel for the compounding process. In April 2024, the median annual salary for full-time employees in the UK was £37,430, according to the Office for National Statistics. How large would a SIPP have to be to generate this much in passive income? Breaking things down Assuming an investor used the benchmark 4% withdrawal rate, the portfolio would need to be just under…
Image source: Getty Images Beauty and nutrition retailer THG (LSE: THG) saw its share price climb 24% in October, following a return to the FTSE 250 in September. A falling stock valuation led to demotion in June, but it’s been clawing its way back. From a 12-month low, the THG share price has more than doubled. Is the tentative recovery going to stick? The back story At IPO in 2020, the company looked like it could be the next shiny growth-by-acquisition online retailer. It’s already easy to forget how much the pandemic had hurled digital commerce into the spotlight. There…
Image source: Getty Images When the market opened last Friday (31 October), the Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) share price hit fresh 52-week highs. The main driver in the short term was the release of quarterly results. Despite being a multi-trillion-dollar company, Apple has lost some swagger recently, as some feel it’s falling behind in the AI race. Here’s my take. Results snapshot Apple reported revenue of $102.5bn for its most recent quarter, an 8% year-over-year increase and slightly above expectations. The growth was driven by strong demand for new iPhone models and the Services division. This was evident as both divisions hit…
Image source: Getty Images The State Pension’s a financial lifeline for millions in retirement, but without other sources of income, life will be a struggle. Thanks to the triple lock, the new State Pension will rise to just over £12,547 from April, an increase of 4.8%, but that’s still less than half the average full-time wage. Retirement will be a lot more enticing if people can generate their own passive income on top, which I’m doing by building a portfolio of income-paying FTSE 100 shares. They offer a brilliant combination of capital growth and dividend income. Dividends can be reinvested while still…
Image source: Getty Images Greggs (LSE:GRG) shares have suffered a dramatic 49% fall from grace over the last 14 months. Since the start of 2022, the drop is 51%. And despite the odd little burst here and there in 2025, this FTSE 250 stock is showing no signs of fully recovering any time soon. In fact, it’s now languishing at the same level it was all the way back in early 2019! But surely it’s just a matter of time before the beloved baker’s shares start recovering? To get an idea of when that might happen, I turned to AI…
Image source: Getty Images Over the course of October, the Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR) share price fell 1%. This might not seem like a lot, but given the 118% rise over the past year, having four weeks without a rally is somewhat unusual. Here’s why the stock struggled to push higher and what could happen from here. Caution ahead of results The next set of financial results for the company is due out next week. After a year of stellar performance and upgraded guidance earlier in 2025, I feel investors are becoming more cautious about whether the company can sustain that momentum.…