[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The Autumn Budget, a fiscal policy update from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, was delivered earlier today (26 November). The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) actually published key details early in an unexpected twist. But the full speech highlighted changes to taxation and spending that will impact stocks. In my initial take, here’s one stock that could do well, with one that could struggle from the changes. More careful spending A stock that could do well is Unilever (LSE:ULVR). The consumer staples giant owns many household brands we all shop for weekly. Over the past…
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[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images At 644p, Aviva‘s (LSE:AV.) share price has been one of the FTSE 100 star performers in 2025. It’s lost some ground in recent sessions, but remains roughly 36% higher than it was on 1 January. The financial services company faces significant challenges, like persistently weak market conditions in the UK and intense competition. Yet City analysts are confident Aviva shares will rebound. Today 13 analysts have ratings on the financial services provider, providing a healthy range of opinions. Encouragingly, the average 12-month share price target among this grouping is 678.4p per share. One particular fan…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The Stocks and Shares ISA is the best financial product in the world for growing long-term wealth. And after Wednesday’s Autumn Budget, they’ve become even more essential, in my view. With an ISA, individuals don’t pay a penny in capital gains or dividend taxes to HMRC. What’s more, unlike other tax-efficient products like Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), Brits don’t face income tax when making withdrawals. In an era of alarming tax rises, protecting oneself with an ISA is becoming essential in my view. The latest Autumn Budget has made the huge cost of not using…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Ahead of today’s (26 November) Autumn Budget, I was reminded of a Ronald Reagan quote. In 1986, the former US President said the nine scariest words in the English language were: “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” And in my opinion, all the leaks and speculation in the run up to the Chancellor’s speech were far from helpful. Indeed, Andy Haldane, the former chief economist at the Bank of England recently said that the government’s approach to the Budget has been “sucking all life” out of the economy. Not good. But now…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images When the market opened today (26 November), Pets at Home (LSE:PETS) was the biggest advancer in the FTSE 250. At one point, it jumped over 6%, before falling back to a more modest 3.3% gain. Still, at 214p, it remains a long way back for investors who bought shares at 425p five years ago. What are the chances this FTSE 250 stock can reclaim its former glories? Let’s take a closer look. Tale of two businesses Pets at Home has two parts to its business: retail (pet food, accessories, toys, grooming services, etc) and vets.…
[ad_1] Markets move up and down — that’s a fact. Emotional reactions to those movements, however, are optional. But even the most analytical, financially literate clients are not immune to anxiety, fear, or regret. When emotions take hold, investors tend to lose perspective. They start zeroing in on recent losses, alarming headlines, or isolated data points rather than the big-picture goal or why they started initially investing. To appease clients, financial advisors often respond with more information like additional charts, statistics, and explanations. Yet when a client is emotionally activated, more detail fuels the fire, further pushing the client toward…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images It’s great to have cash in the bank account today. But for patient investors, having less today can mean more tomorrow. This is true when focusing on FTSE 100 stocks that pay generous dividends. Here’s how someone could build up a robust portfolio that could (in theory) pay out income for life. Ignoring the highest options In my opinion, the trick to generating dividend income year after year from stocks is to focus not on the highest-yielding ones. Of course, a high dividend yield is very attractive. But this might only be the case for…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Earnings season is in full swing, with some of the UK’s biggest stocks having already reported this month. But I often find the best opportunities are in those stocks that seldom make the news. With that in mind, I noticed two lesser-known FTSE 250 stocks with earnings due this week. One presents a compelling income opportunity while the other hints at recovery potential. But are they worth considering? Mitchells & Butlers Pub group Mitchells & Butlers (LSE: MAB) is set to release its full-year results for the 52 weeks ended 27 September on Friday (28…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images At the start of 2025, the Aston Martin (LSE:AML) share price wasn’t in great shape at 106p. Now at 59p as we move towards 2026, it’s in a complete mess. This means the FTSE 250 stock is down 98% since early 2019! Yet Rolls-Royce serves as a reminder of what can happen if an iconic British company’s turnaround proves successful. Shares of the FTSE 100 engine maker are up more than 1,000% in the past three years. So, like James Bond limping out of a burning building, might the Aston Martin share price also stage…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images News broke late last week that International Consolidated Airlines Group (LSE:IAG) – or IAG as it’s known — is interested in acquiring another airline as part of a formal bidding process. This came as a surprise to me, but once I did some more research, it made a lot of sense. The stock is up 58% in the past year, but if it wins, I think there’s serious potential for the IAG share price to keep going. What we know so far It’s targeting TAP Air Portugal that was nationalised back in 2020 due to…