[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images I made a dreadful mistake when I bought Lloyds (LSE: LLOY) shares in 2023. I didn’t buy anywhere near enough of them. What was I thinking? I obviously liked the stock. I’d tracked it for years, as the FTSE 100 bank pieced itself together after the financial crisis. The shares flatlined for years but with the clear-up work completed, I thought their time had come. Yet the rest of the market didn’t see it my way. I thought it was a screaming buy, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just five or six, and a price-to-book (P/B)…
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[ad_1] I’d coveted Diageo (LSE: DGE) shares for years. So when they dipped after a profit warning back in November 2023, I snapped them up. Profits slipped due to troubles in just one corner of its vast global market, Latin America and the Caribbean. Cash-strapped drinkers were trading down to cheaper local brands, plus there were stocking issues. It didn’t seem lethal to me. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the start of the FTSE 100 spirit giant’s precipitous decline. The Diageo share price has now plunged 56% over three years and 33% over 12 months. Every time it falls…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The five-year price chart for Greggs (LSE:GRG) shares shows plenty of ups and downs. Despite this volatility, compared to December 2020, it’s now (12 December) virtually unchanged. After five years of going nowhere, investors are likely to be disappointed. On the other hand… But long-standing shareholders have enjoyed some reasonable dividends over this period. In fact, the group’s declared payouts of 346p a share since the pandemic forced all of its stores to temporarily close. This means a £10,000 investment made on 11 December 2020, would now have earned £2,153 in dividends. This is equivalent…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images If the forecasts of analysts prove to be correct, three of the shares in my Stocks and Shares ISA will increase in value by a combined 25% in 2026. This assumes an equal investment in each. I would certainly be happy with that. But how likely is this? Let’s take a closer look. RELX Analysts have set a 12-month price target for RELX (LSE:REL) shares that’s 43% higher than today’s (12 December) value. To try and achieve this, the provider of analytics and decision tools for professionals and businesses is investing heavily in artificial intelligence…
[ad_1] Image source: National Grid plc I know, I know. Lots of small, private investors like me love the passive income prospects of National Grid (LSE: NG). Utilities are seen as defensive businesses. National Grid aims to raise its dividend in line with inflation so, in theory, what the shares generate in passive income maintains its purchasing power over time. At the start of 2025, just as now, I had no plan to buy National Grid shares. Since then they have moved up 16% (almost in line with the 17% growth seen in the FTSE 100 so far this year).…
[ad_1] Image source: Rolls-Royce plc Three years ago, on 30 December 2022, the Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR.) share price was 93p. The shares rocketed soon after, hitting 10-bagger status (going up 10 times in value or more) in only three years. The share price now stands at over £10! Here is the breakdown of each of those years’ change in share price along with the reasons why. We’ll also take a look at why 2026 could be another terrific year for the stock. By year Rolls-Royce shares rose 222% in 2023. Soon after new CEO Tufan Erginbilgiç took the reins –…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Moonpig‘s (LSE:MOON) a FTSE 250 company I’m familiar with, but I’ve never given the stock more than a passing glance — until now. What caught my eye was the average share price target among City brokers. It sits 49% above the current level of 202p. In theory then, it’s trading well below what these experts think it could possibly reach over the next 12 months. So can Moonpig stock really fly next year? Data advantage After digging into this company, I’m actually quite bullish. It’s the UK’s leading online card and gift retailer, with a…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Having been an investor since the 1980s, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. However, in close to four decades, I don’t recall losing money on any US shares I’ve owned. Alas, one S&P 500 stock looks like breaking my winning streak, as it’s almost halved since I bought it! Missing the Target Currently, my family portfolio contains over 30 UK shares and US stocks. We own US mega-cap tech stocks for their growth potential, plus FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 value and dividend shares for passive income. Sometimes, I spot hidden value in the…
[ad_1] Rolling return charts have recently become popular among DIY investors and advisors for mutual fund analysis. However, few users understand how rolling return charts are computed and their benefits and limitations. We discuss how not to use these charts!Rolling lump sum, rolling SIP, and many other mutual fund and time series analysis and financial planning tools are available in the freefincal investor circle.There are two popular ways to compute returns for a financial instrument that fluctuates:Point-to-point returns: The effective annual compounded growth rate (CAGR) is calculated between two dates. You can calculate CAGR for your mutual fund and compare…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Have you ever dreamt of earning a passive income, watching the pounds roll in without needing to work for them? Lots of people have the same idea – and many make it a reality by stuffing a Stocks and Shares ISA with blue-chip shares that pay out dividends. That can be a lucrative approach to earning money without needing to work for it. Setting a goal that meets your circumstances The amount such an approach could earn depends on a couple of key variables – how much is invested in the ISA and at what…