[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Since a 52-week peak above 114p in February, Lloyds Banking Group (LSE: LLOY) shares have fallen 15%. Shareholders are still sitting on a five-year gain of 130% — plus dividends. We’ve done pretty well, really. When I first bought Lloyds shares they were on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of only about six. Now that’s up to 14, so I’m really not complaining. But when everything seemed to be going swimmingly well, we now have this. So what’s happening? Middle-East fallout? It’s easy to point the finger at the ongoing war in Iran. And, well, there…
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[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Just when I thought BAE Systems (LSE: BA) shares might finally slow after their extraordinary run, the US struck Iran. Can the turmoil drive the BAE Systems share price even higher? The FTSE 100 giant has been flying ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. It’s shares are up 350% over five years and almost 45% in the last 12 months. Even that doesn’t make it the strongest defence performer. Fellow FTSE 100 contractor Babcock International Group has surged 486% over five years and 103% in the last year. It’s been a terrific time to hold defence stocks, which sadly means…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Stock market volatility provides an opportunity for investors to buy top stocks on the cheap. Given that UK shares already looked undervalued, recent choppiness on equity markets makes many companies even more tantalising value wise. Take the following three dividend stocks. Each trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of below 10 times. They also carry an enormous dividend yield above 5%. Here’s why I think they deserve serious consideration today. Investec Shares with low P/Es and sky-high yields are often signs of companies that are experiencing dividend problems (or are tipped to). This isn’t…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images When a dividend stock’s yield rises above 10%, I tend to get a bit nervous. It suggests the market is pricing in bad news to come and a probable dividend cut. Before today (11 March), NextEnergy Solar Fund (LSE:NESF) sported a mammoth 15% yield. But that level of income proved to be a shimmering desert mirage as the solar energy investment trust just announced a massive cut to its payout. As I write, the share price is down 13%, so investors haven’t reacted well to the news. It leaves the stock, which was relegated from…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images In recent years, investors have grown accustomed to strong performance by the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares. It has repeatedly hit new highs, including so far this year. But with war in the Middle East, elevated geopolitical concerns, and uncertainty about what international developments may end up meaning for the economy, the FTSE 100 has been heading downwards over the past couple of weeks. Could this be a sign of worse to come? UK listed, globally active The FTSE 100 contains 100 shares listed on the London market. But while it has its…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images After trading above 10,900 points at the end of February, the FTSE 100 index has experienced a sharp decline in recent weeks. Granted, there’s a lot of ongoing uncertainty with the situation in the Middle East. Yet I don’t believe I’m the only investor who sees the dip in the index as a buying opportunity right now. Here’s why. Noting the outlook The first factor is the premise that the conflict in the Middle East could end sooner rather than later. This has been the primary reason behind the short-term correction in the FTSE 100.…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images When I bought my favourite FTSE 250 stock a couple of years ago, it wasn’t even in the index. It is now. Infrastructure solutions specialist Costain Group (LSE: COST) stormed back into the FTSE 250 on 2 March after a 20-year absence. It marks a remarkable turnaround for a business that took a right old beating. Happily, I got in relatively early, buying the shares in November 2023. Is it too late to hop on board? Costain was caught up in the outsourcing crisis that sank Carillion in 2018. The pandemic made things worse. In 2020 the shares crashed more than…
[ad_1] On Feb 26th 2026, SEBI updated its Categorisation and Rationalisation of Mutual Fund Schemes, introducing a new category -life cycle funds. We discuss whether it makes sense for investors to consider these funds.The formal definition of life cycle funds is, “An open-ended fund with attributes of predetermined maturity and glide path for goal-based investing”. The equity allocation of these funds will decrease as the fund’s maturity date nears. Such a feature is already in place in the NPS.Salient points about these funds from the circular.They will invest across a diversified mix of asset classes, specifically Equity, Debt, InvITs, Exchange…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Among FTSE 100 firms, Legal & General (LSE: LGEN) offers the highest dividend yield. At 8.9%, it is well over triple the index’s average. But markets have not reacted well to the financial service’s full-year results published today (11 March), with the share price being marked down sharply. A lower share price has helped to push up the yield – and Legal & General also delivered as expected when it came to raising the annual dividend yet again. So, what’s going on? After all, a high yield can be a red flag when it comes…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images There are lots of ways to earn passive income, but top of my list is collecting dividends from companies. And a stock market crash could be a huge opportunity. Falling share prices mean higher dividend yields and this can create incredible opportunities. But which stocks should investors have on their radars right now? Dividend yields The maths behind why a stock market crash can be a huge opportunity is straightforward enough. An investment return is what you get back as a percentage of what you pay out. In terms of passive income, that’s the amount…