[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Broker forecasts… love them or hate them, we can’t ignore them. And a couple of big names have raised their Vodafone (LSE: VOD) share price targets in December. On 8 December, Barclays lifted its target to 120p. And with the price at 95p at the time of writing (17 December), that would mean a 26% rise. Then on 11 December, Deutsche Bank came in with a 140p target — suggesting a 47% jump. We head towards 2026 with the shares up 39% year to date. They’ve still, however, fallen 28% over the past five years.…
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[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Using money to earn more money is not exactly a new idea. But when it comes to earning a second income, many people fixate on the idea of taking on more working hours rather than exploring possible alternative ways to boost their earnings. Buying dividend shares can be a lucrative way to generate some extra income without working for it – especially if someone is willing to take the long-term approach. Here’s why thinking for the long term can help build wealth That long-term approach can be powerful because of a concept known as compounding.…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images 2025 has been a strong year for the FTSE 100 and wider UK stock market. Investors who piled into UK shares a year ago have been well rewarded. I’ve been sent research by Fidelity International, which shows UK equities rising 19.96% this year. That’s almost double the return from the US stock market, which rose just 10.32%. The UK market isn’t quite the world’s top performer. That crown belongs to emerging market equities, which surged 24.9%. Still, the result is impressive, and builds on last year’s 10.93% gain. Too many have written off the UK market.…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images My favourite FTSE 100 value stock used to be one of the most boring. I saw that as a virtue. It grew steadily, lifted dividends year after year, and over time the total return compounded into something special. Its name? International distribution group Bunzl (LSE: BNZL). I saw it as the classic unsung hero, rolling up its sleeves and quietly getting on with the unglamorous task of building a business and creating long-term wealth for investors. Bunzl sells everyday items businesses can’t do without, from cleaning products to disposable coffee cups and rubber gloves. Like I said, it’s dull.…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The Stocks and Shares ISA’s an excellent tool for generating a second income stream for retirement. Investors can do that by holding a mix of FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 shares that pay solid dividends and offer steady growth potential. The average yield across the FTSE 100 is about 3.25%, but it’s possible to find shares paying 6%, 7% or even 8%. Investors shouldn’t blindly chase the highest yields, but check if the dividend looks sustainable. Companies need to generate enough revenues and cash to raise shareholder payouts year after year. That way, income can…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Investors looking to build a passive income for retirement have two tax-efficient ways of doing it, either an ISA or a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP). Both offer complementary tax benefits and can work nicely in tandem. Money invested in a Stocks and Shares ISA rolls up free of income tax, dividend tax and capital gains tax, and can be withdrawn entirely tax free. SIPPs offer upfront tax relief on contributions, which means every £100 paid in only costs a higher-rate taxpayer £60. Inside the wrapper, dividend income and capital gains are sheltered, while 25% of…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Lloyds Banking Group (LSE: LLOY) has been my go-to bank sector choice for years, but could Barclays (LSE: BARC) shares be the new growth champions in 2026? Barclays might not have much to shout about in the way of dividends, not with a forecast yield of just 1.9%. But I see a few key reasons why it might have the potential to beat its competitor. One is valuation, with Barclays on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 10.8 — even after the price gains of the past couple of years. That might not be screaming…
[ad_1] Anti-car pranksters have struck again, this time hacking variable roadside sign in Denver with a simple but memorable message: “Cars Ruin Cities.” Last Friday, an anonymous vandal hijacked two billboards in the Mile-High City that are usually devoted to announcing things like traffic delays, reminding state lawmakers and the traveling public alike that they are the traffic so many of them keep complaining about – but they could be a part of the solution, if just they got out of their cars and took another mode instead. The Denver Gazette pointed out that one of those messages was stationed near…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The FTSE 100 is having a remarkable year. By yesterday’s close (16 December), the usually-pedestrian index was up over 17% in value. That’s an even better performance than the tech-heavy S&P 500 across the pond! But this solid showing pales in comparison to the return generated by one of its companies. I’m talking about silver and gold miner Fresnillo (LSE: FRES). All that glitters… Even the most laid back of investors can’t have failed to notice that precious metals prices have been galloping upwards in 2025. Silver has hit new highs due to huge industrial…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The UK stock market has enjoyed a fabulous 2025, with the FTSE 100 outperforming the S&P 500 for the first time in years. Delivering a year-to-date total return of almost 23% including dividends, it’s the index’s seventh-best year since records began. The financial, mining and healthcare sectors have done particularly well, making up around 40% of the growth. But with interest rate cuts looming, banking stocks could lose their edge and gold growth could taper off, hurting mining stocks. So what can an investor look towards in 2026 and how much is needed to target…