Image source: Getty Images The FTSE 100 rose above 9,500 for the first time earlier this month. Yet despite reaching this milestone, many dividend stocks continue to sport bumper dividend yields. One such Footsie stock is Aviva (LSE:AV.). Based on current fiscal 2026 forecasts, the insurer is tipped to pay out 41.5p per share. At today’s share price of 659p, that equates to a forward yield of 6.32%. Considering the Aviva share price is up 40% year to date, that’s still a hearty offering. And 41.5p would represent year-on-year dividend growth of 7.2%, thereby outpacing UK inflation by a decent…
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Image source: Getty Images Shares in FTSE 100 pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) have climbed an impressive 22% in the three months to 20 October 2025. That means the stock has outpaced the broader Footsie over that period. Is it still one for investors to consider buying? Recent share price moves The share price recovery began after AstraZeneca reached a deal with the Trump administration in late September, effectively removing the threat of steep US import tariffs on foreign-made medicines. Under the agreement, the company will expand its US manufacturing footprint with a new $4.5bn (£3.4bn) facility in Virginia and…
Image source: The Motley Fool The investor Warren Buffett famously said that investors ought to be greedy when others are fearful – and fearful when others are greedy. With the FTSE 100 index of blue-chip UK shares repeatedly hitting new all-time highs this year, some investors may look greedy. But there is also some palpable fear in markets right now, too. So, as an investor, does it make sense to be fearful, greedy — or both — right now? Not always black and white The answer, as far as I can see, is: perhaps both. In some ways, I see…
Image source: Getty Images I first began taking charge of my investments roughly 16 years ago, in the midst of one of the biggest stock market meltdowns of all time. And as much as it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience, I’d be willing to go through the same thing today for one very good reason. Let me explain. The bad ol’ days Back in 2009, markets were already well on their way to hell in a handcart. Financial apocalypse was upon us. Of course, we now know that 2009 was a wonderful time to begin investing. In the 16 years…
Image source: Getty Images If there’s an AI bubble waiting to burst, I can’t see UK stocks escaping unscathed. Not the way companies are multinational, and global stock indexes are interconnected. But I also don’t see any need to panic. Nobody can have failed to see the headlines voicing fears of an impending AI sector crash. After all, AI-related stocks make up close to 80% of all US stock market gains this year. The unpredictable The problem with predicting a stock market crash is… even though they fear one coming, the experts have no idea when it might be. JP…
Image source: Getty Images B&M European Value (LSE:BME) stock fell 22.7% in the FTSE 250 yesterday (20 October). Shockingly, this means the discount retailer is trading around its lowest level since listing in 2014. At the start of 2022, B&M shares were changing hands for 634p a pop. Now, they cost just 173p — a calamitous 73% collapse! Yet, the retailer remains profitable, is opening stores, and embarking on a ‘Back to B&M Basics’ strategy to kickstart growth. It’s still offering a dividend too. And after the share price slump, the yield looks enormous at nearly 9%. So, is this…
Image source: Getty Images When some people look at the Rolls-Royce Holdings (LSE: RR.) share price, they see a bubble waiting to burst. A stock that’s climbed more than 1,300% in five years must be overvalued, right? Not necessarily. Despite that tremendous rise, I don’t see forecast valuations as obviously over-inflated. I’m not saying I think the Rolls-Royce share price is going to keep on climbing at its current rate, because I don’t. I’ve said that and been wrong before, mind. But the pace surely has to slow some time, right? Valuation check A look at valuation forecasts shows Rolls-Royce…
Image source: Getty Images FTSE 100 stock Mondi (LSE: MNDI) is now paying one of the highest dividend yields on the index. Based on the current share price, an investment of 10,000 shares in the packaging and paper company would have paid out around £6,110 in the last year. The dividend yield of 7.40% is the fifth highest on London’s leading index. At only £3.2bn market cap, Mondi is one of the smallest Footsie firms. It’s also a company many might be unaware of. But it’s trading near a 52-week low and offering some of the highest dividends doing. Is…
Image source: Getty Images In 2022, when a certain Elizabeth Truss was drawing unfavourable comparisons with a wilting head of lettuce, Rolls-Royce shares sank to near a 20-year low. What happened next was breathtaking. The stock started surging. A combination of new leadership, higher defence spending, and flights resuming post-pandemic brought about a spectacular turnaround. A £62,500 stake invested at that low point would now be worth £1m and change. Turning that much cash into a million so quickly is rare, but it won’t come as that much of a surprise to anyone who’s spent a few years watching stock…
Image source: Getty Images I originally bought Aviva (LSE: AV) shares as a key part of my passive income portfolio. It was designed to deliver an annual dividend yield of 7%+. This figure is currently more than double the average FTSE 100 rate of 3.2%. It is also significantly higher than the 4.7% ‘risk-free rate’ (the 10-year UK government bond yield). This is an important benchmark to me, as I want compensation for taking the extra risk involved in share investing. However, although averaging over 7% from 2022-2024, Aviva shares now yield 5.4%. This is because a stock’s yield moves…