[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The FTSE 250 is more closely tied to the UK economy than the FTSE 100 is. So it’s no surprise the smaller index responded more strongly to the Autumn Budget this week. Within the index, though, some companies naturally stand to benefit more than others. And a couple in particular have caught my attention over the last few days. Greggs It’s hard to think of a company more exposed to UK consumer spending than Greggs (LSE:GRG). The stock has crashed in the last 12 months, but it bounced after the Budget. The hope is that…
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[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images A Stocks and Shares ISA is a valuable asset for investors looking to earn passive income. In fact, it’s become even more so after the Autumn Budget. The contribution limit stays at £20,000, but dividend taxes are going higher for investors in the basic and additional rate brackets. And the difference might be more than you might think. 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 My Stocks and Shares ISA has largely missed the recent run-up in defence stocks. But could there still be an opportunity for me in a name outside the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 250? While shares in other defence firms have surged, Cohort‘s (LSE:CHRT) trading below where it was in January. And I think the stock’s well worth considering before the end of the year. The case for the defence Cohort is actually a collection of smaller businesses. But instead of machinery or weapons, its subsidiaries specialise in things like surveillance, threat detection, and cybersecurity.…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Growth stocks with durable competitive advantages — or ‘deep moats’ — can create enormous wealth over time. Just look at Microsoft, Nvidia, Netflix, Alphabet, and dozens of other stock market examples. Of course, the deepest moat is a company that has no competition in a particular market. So out of curiosity, I asked ChatGPT what the most powerful monopoly growth stock on Earth is. Let’s unpack the AI bot’s answer. Rare European tech giant ChatGPT was pretty emphatic: Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) is the most powerful monopoly growth stock on the planet. It…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images My favourite way of earning a second income is to buy dividend shares. And there’s lots of them to choose from. For example, at the moment (28 November), the five highest-yielding stocks on the FTSE 100 offer an average return of 7.5%. StockYield (%)Legal & General8.7Phoenix Group Holdings (LSE:PHNX)7.9M&G7.4Mondi7.0Land Securities Group6.7Average7.5Source: Hargreaves Lansdown / data at 28 November This means a £20,000 investment divided equally among them could generate a return of £1,500 over the next 12 months. A long term approach But let’s assume that instead of banking this cash, it’s reinvested buying more…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images In my opinion, the ideal passive income stock should deliver steadily increasing above-average dividend payments. Fortunately, those looking to boost their earnings have a wide range of stocks to choose from. My personal favourite is Legal & General (LSE:LGEN). Why? Its dividend was last cut during the 2009 global financial crisis, maintained during the pandemic, and is now expected to rise by 2% a year from 2025-2027. If the directors keep to their pledge it will be (in cash terms) nearly six times higher in 2027 than in 2009. Based on amounts paid over the…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images I’ve been writing for The Motley Fool for 17 years or more but in all that time I’ve never once considered buying British American Tobacco (LSE: BATS) shares. Am I mad? I’ve both read and written countless pieces praising it as one of the most reliable dividend and growth machines on the FTSE 100. Yet early on I drew a line. Tobacco was a bad thing, so I wouldn’t buy cigarette makers. I never preached about it. I just didn’t want to buy a company whose core business kills people. I wouldn’t call myself an ethical investor. I…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Pershing Square is a FTSE 100 investment trust that offers exposure to the successful stock-picking strategies of Bill Ackman’s New York-based hedge fund. This makes it a very rare Footsie stock. Outspoken billionaire Ackman went viral recently after telling younger men to use the line “May I meet you?” to initiate conversations with women. This spawned a digital avalanche of memes (many not as polite as the question itself). While the quality of Ackman’s dating advice is up for debate, his investing record certainly isn’t. You don’t build a net worth of $9.3bn without skill.…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images It has been a strong year so far for many UK stocks. The FTSE 100 has had a storming 2025 so far, for example. It is up 18% since the start of the year and has repeatedly set new all-time highs along the way. The FTSE 250 is up by a more modest 7%, while the FTSE All-Share has moved up 16%. Could things keep going well – and perhaps continue that way after next month, once 2025 gives way to 2026? A strong market amid a mixed business environment I think that there could,…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Does the long-term nature of investing in a SIPP mean compounding dividends becomes even more attractive? That depends on the strategy someone takes when it comes to investing their SIPP. For a lot of SIPP investors, though, the idea of dividends building upon dividends for years or even decades is attractive. With that in mind, here are three high-yield shares I think an investor ought to consider for their SIPP in the coming month. M&G With its 7.4% dividend yield, FTSE 100 asset manager M&G (LSE: MNG) is not as lucrative as it has been…