Author: user

Image source: The Motley Fool Looking at the UK stock market’s performance so far this year, it can seem as if things are going brilliantly. After all, the FTSE 100 index of leading British companies has hit new all-time highs on repeated occasions, including over the past month. But such an environment also gives me pause for thought – and to consider some of the stock market wisdom of billionaire investor Warren Buffett. Fear and greed For example, Buffett cautions investors to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful. Just because the FTSE 100 has…

Read More

Image source: Getty Images NatWest (LSE: NWG) shares have had a blistering run. They’re up 50% over the last year and 335% over five years, with dividends on top. The other FTSE 100 banks have done well too. Barclays (LSE: BARC) is up 60% and 235% over the same periods, while Lloyds Banking Group (LSE: LLOY) has climbed 38% and 195%. Finally, they’re putting the havoc of the financial crisis behind them. Yet nothing climbs forever and lately they’ve hit a bump. It started with talk of a possible windfall tax on banks in the next Budget. That could hang over their share prices until 26…

Read More

Image source: Getty Images A Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) can provide a platform for long-term investment. But while many people talk about investing for the long term, how they think about investing does not necessarily make the most of that timeframe. Here are three things I think it makes sense for an investor to consider when deciding what shares to buy for their SIPP. 1.     Identifying cyclical opportunities – and what that means for timing Oil companies like BP and Shell operate in a cyclical industry. So, too, do miners like Rio Tinto. A cyclical industry is one where high…

Read More

Image source: Getty Images Valuing FTSE shares is often more art than science. Ratios such as the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, price-to-book value and earnings yield can provide a useful starting point. But I think shares are too often judged by headline ratios – a deeper dive into financials can reveal hidden value. Beyond the usual metrics, I also like to dig into the balance sheet. Debt levels, cash flows and margins all give a clearer view of how sustainable a company’s growth really is. With that in mind, two FTSE shares I like the look of this month are Petershill…

Read More

Image source: Getty Images With the cost of living on the rise, ensuring you have enough retirement income to live comfortably is becoming increasingly essential. And according to the National Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, individuals need to have at least £43,900 coming in each year or £60,600 for couples. That’s more than the £31,602 median income for full-time employees in 2024. So, how is the average person supposed to achieve this financial goal? The good news is that while the current British State Pension is far from sufficient, it does help cover some of the distance by providing roughly…

Read More

Image source: Getty Images Recently, there’s been quite a bit of talk about an artificial intelligence-related ‘AI bubble’ in the stock market. A bubble is where the price of an asset, or group of assets, rises rapidly and ends up well above its fundamental value. Is this an issue that investors should be concerned about? Here’s my take. The general view of those who’ve said there may be an AI bubble today is that market conditions are currently very similar to those seen in the dotcom boom of the late 1990s. Back then, technology stocks shot up spectacularly – to…

Read More

Image source: Getty Images What a year it has been for London’s flagship FTSE 100 index of leading shares! The Footsie has hit a series of all-time highs, including last month. Could this strong momentum potentially continue into the autumn and perhaps beyond? Still reasons to be cheerful I see some reasons to think that it could. Despite having gone up by 12% so far this year, the London market still looks cheaper than some other leading bourses. With geopolitical volatility leading some investors to broaden their horizons, London is attracting some money from overseas. Along with investment by locals,…

Read More

Image source: Getty Images With the FTSE 100 index having recently hit an all-time high, many people who have previously thought about getting into the stock market are likely thinking now might be a good moment to start investing. Personally, I reckon almost any time can be a good one to start buying shares. The point is which ones to buy. Whether the market is doing well or terribly, my personal approach is always to try and buy stakes in great companies at attractive prices. I cannot claim credit for such an approach as it is the one used by…

Read More