[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images FTSE shares have been on fire in 2025, with the UK’s flagship index (the FTSE 100), climbing by a jaw-dropping 22.4% since January. But for some intelligent stock pickers, the story’s been even more exceptional: Fresnillo – up 362%. Pan African Resources – up 215%. Goodwin – up 144%. Rolls-Royce – up 88%. Lloyds Banking Group – up 74%. Of course, past performance doesn’t guarantee future returns. And in 2026, these businesses could actually struggle to maintain their momentum. So if these aren’t the best anymore, which stocks are? Here’s what the experts are telling…
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[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Investors often need to be wary of shares with 9% dividend yields. Taylor Wimpey (LSE:TW), however, has an unusual policy that makes its distributions unusually resilient. As a result, the firm has largely managed to maintain its returns to shareholders in a weak housing market. But even for passive income, there’s more to a stock than its dividend. Durable dividends Higher interest rates have caused dividends from UK housebuilders to fall sharply. Bellway (-58%), Berkeley Group (-83%), and Persimmon (-74%) have all made big cuts since 2022. By contrast, Taylor Wimpey’s dividend is almost exactly…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images According to Goldman Sachs, the US is still the place to find stocks to buy. The firm’s co-head of Global Banking & Markets, Ashok Varadhan, set out the case for this in a recent interview. While I’m mostly focused on UK stocks at the moment, I do think there are some interesting opportunities across the Atlantic. And there are a couple I’m looking to buy for my portfolio. The case for the US Looking ahead to 2026, Varadhan’s view is that interest rates might well have further to fall. And the case for this comes…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images In recent years, Cash ISAs have been a viable choice for UK investors looking to turn £20,000 in excess savings into a second income. But that looks set to change. The contribution limit for Cash ISAs is set to fall and an interest rate cut means lower forward returns. Fortunately, though, there might be better opportunities available elsewhere. 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…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Shareholders in Playtech (LSE:PTEC), the FTSE 250 provider of software, content, and other technology to the gambling industry, have seen the value of their shares fall by around 60% since December 2024. But all’s not what it seems. Although the company’s share price looks to have fallen off a cliff in May, this resulted from the payment of a special dividend of $5.73 a share following the sale of one of its businesses. But this is the only payout made in the past five years. Income investors will therefore probably need to look elsewhere for…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images In 2025, the S&P 500‘s gone from strength to strength. Supported by the stellar performance of tech giants, America’s flagship index has climbed another 14.5% since January, or 15.9% when counting dividends. But after generating a 26.3% gain in 2023, followed by a 26.9% boost in 2024, is the market momentum slowing? And could 2026 see yet another stock market correction, or even full blown crash? Three warning signs vs three bull signs According to institutional analysts, there are a variety of forces at work that could indeed trigger a market downturn. But three of…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images 2025’s been a spectacular year for many FTSE 100 stocks, including Lloyds. The British banking giant has surged more than 75% since January, and is on the verge of surpassing the long-anticipated £1 share price threshold for the first time since 2008. However, with interest rates starting to fall, and future growth already seemingly baked into its valuation, 2026 may prove to be far less impressive. Even more so, considering the other FTSE 100 bargains that remain on offer. And one cheap growth stock I’ve got my eye on right now is Rightmove (LSE:RMV). Higher…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Thinking of setting up some passive income streams by investing in dividends shares? Lots of people use their ISA that way – and the income streams can be substantial. Let’s get into what sort of funds someone would need in an ISA to target a monthly passive income of £3k-£5k. The maths of income shares That equates to £36k-£60k per year in passive income. Those are not small numbers. The amount of money required to target that amount would depend on what average dividend yield is achieved. At a 10% yield, it would be £360k–£600k.…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Owning shares in real estate investment trusts (REITs) can be a remarkable source of passive income. Even more so right now, with most of these stocks trading at a significant discount with chunky dividend yields. Just looking across the FTSE 350, there are a lot of options to explore and diversify across, including: Supermarket Income REIT (LSE:SUPR) – 7.8% Primary Health Properties – 7.4% Workspace Group – 7.4% Land Securities Group – 7% LondonMetric Property – 6.8% So is now the time to add REITs to a passive income portfolio? Why are REITs so cheap?…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images With the cost of living on the rise, having even a small second income can make an enormous difference. And by investing in dividend-paying stocks, this can even be achieved almost overnight. But how much money can an investor realistically earn with £5,000? Crunching the numbers On average, the UK stock market offers a dividend yield of 4%. At this rate, a £5,000 lump sum investment would earn £200. Of course, there are plenty of stocks offering more impressive yields. And a portfolio could realistically generate up to 6%, or £300, without taking on too…