Image source: Getty Images Buying income stocks can be a great way to collect passive income with dividends. However, one of the biggest challenges investors face is figuring out which stocks to buy. After all, not every company is a good investment. And a poorly constructed portfolio can quickly lead to disappointing results, perhaps even the destruction of wealth. Obviously, that’s something every investor wants to avoid. So which income stocks are worth considering today for long-term passive income potential? Well, one potential candidate I’ve got my eye on right now is Hill & Smith (LSE:HILS). Here’s why. A new…
Author: user
Image source: Getty Images Following the Autumn Budget, the UK State Pension is set to increase from £230.25 per week to £241.30 as of April 2026. On an annual basis, that roughly translates into a retirement income of £12,548. But sadly, it’s not actually enough to live comfortably. The good news is, by making smart investment decisions today, investors can get much closer to this goal. In fact, with a well-constructed ISA portfolio, it’s possible (if not guaranteed) to earn another £25,096 a year – double the 2025/26 State Pension – entirely tax-free. Here’s how. Please note that tax treatment…
Image source: Getty Images Greggs (LSE: GRG) shares have taken a huge hit recently. Year to date, they’re down about 40%. Now, I was starting to think that there was some value on offer after this big fall. But then I spotted some worrying data that changed my mind. Hedge funds are aggressively betting against Greggs The data I’m referring to is the ‘short interest’ in Greggs shares. This is the percentage of the company’s shares that hedge funds and other institutional investors are selling short (betting will fall). According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Greggs has short interest…
Image source: Getty Images Many investors have a home bias when looking for stocks to buy. This is understandable, as familiarity can feel safer. But when it comes to world-class growth stocks, some of the best opportunities exist beyond these shores. Right now, my best growth share to consider buying and holding for the next 10 years is MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI). And as the name suggests, you won’t find this sandwiched somewhere between Marks & Spencer and NatWest in the FTSE 100. So why this particular stock? A typical day in Buenos Aires… MercadoLibre, which means ‘free market’ in Spanish and…
Image source: Getty Images Insurance company Aviva (LSE: AV) has a mixed record when it comes to shareholder payouts. The Aviva dividend was cut as recently as five years ago. But the company has been growing its payout per share handily in recent years and the yield now stands at 5.8%. So, if someone bought 1,000 Aviva shares today, what might they hope to earn in dividends over the coming decade? Impressive growth outlook In recent years, the Aviva dividend per share has been growing steadily. This year, for example, saw the interim dividend per share grow 10%. In fact,…
Image source: National Grid plc Power network operator National Grid (LSE: NG) is critical to lighting up the nation. The FTSE 100 company has also lit up 2025 for its investors, with National Grid shares up 19% since the turn of the year. That is only slightly better than the FTSE 100 performance so far this year, which is an 18% gain. But as many investors see utilities as a sleepy sector, I reckon that 19% gain is impressive. On top of that, National Grid has a dividend yield of 4.1% and aims to grow its payout per share annually…
Image source: Getty Images Can an ISA stuffed with dividend shares be a lucrative source of passive income? You bet it can! That is not guaranteed to happen, of course. It depends what shares the investor chooses and how they perform in future. But with careful selection of a diversified range of ISA shares, I think an investor could potentially turn an ISA into a long-term passive income machine. Getting the ball rolling Let’s imagine that someone puts the standard annual ISA contribution allowance of £20k into a Stocks and Shares ISA for each of the coming five years (presuming…
Image source: Getty Images It has been an incredible few years for shareholders in many leading British banks. Take Barclays (LSE: BARC) as an example. Barclays shares have grown 196% over the past five years. Despite that, they continue to trade on a price-to-earnings ratio of 11. The bank is not alone. In fact, rival Natwest has done even better. Its share price has risen 240% over the past five years. Yet it is still only 10 times earnings. Its yield of 4% is just over double Barclays’ dividend yield. So, have I missed out by not owning any bank…
Image source: Getty Images Go back to the start of the year and there was a lot of uncertainty about how US stock markets might do in 2025. So far this year, though, the S&P 500 is up 17%. That, incidentally, is the same growth we have seen on this side of the pond for the FTSE 100 so far this year. So, the index of leading British shares were valued lower than its US counterpart at the beginning of the year and that remains the case. The S&P 500’s performance this year is impressive, especially considering the context. We…
Image source: Getty Images Premium content from Motley Fool Hidden Winners UK Our monthly Best Buys Now are designed to highlight our team’s three favourite, most timely Buys from our growing list of small-cap recommendations, to help Fools build out their stock portfolios. “Best Buys Now” Pick #1: Tristel (LSE:TSTL) Why we like it: “Tristel (LSE: TSTL), is an innovative healthcare firm based in Cambridge. Its unique disinfectant products are high-margin, quick to deploy, and cost effective. The recent regulatory approval for its DUO ultrasound product in the US has seen it enter the world’s largest ultrasound market – a…