Image source: Getty Images I bought Phoenix (LSE: PHNX) shares 18 months ago when the dividend yield was close to 10%. That was a remarkable level of income, and I’m glad I took the plunge. I’ve already received three bumper payouts, while the Phoenix share price has climbed 20% in the last year. It’s not climbing today (2 September), though. FTSE 100 income star Shares in Phoenix Group Holdings, to use its full name, are down 3.74% to 656p today, as concerns over rising UK bond yields rattle markets. Phoenix manages around £280bn of assets, so falling stock markets can reduce…
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RIP, carbon-neutral. Just a decade ago, the term was a byword for climate ambition. Its credibility has since been wrecked by court cases — including a defeat for Apple last week — and negative press coverage. Next year, new European Union regulations threaten to kill it off altogether. Retiring the language has opened the door for more rigorous approaches to capturing corporate action. But any assessment of the carbon-neutral movement needs to recognize that by ditching the term, companies have also lost a valuable method for communicating sustainability goals. The rise … The claim’s appeal lies partly with its simplicity:…
Image source: Getty Images I always remember a friend telling me that the time to buy defensive stocks is when the market is doing really well. Even though this might seem the wrong way around, it’s better to buy these UK stocks before any potential correction, as that’s the time when everyone else will be rushing to buy them as well. Given the recent all-time highs on the UK stock market, here are two ideas I’m looking at. Staying plugged in First up is National Grid (LSE:NG). The stock is up 2% over the past year, with a dividend yield…
Image source: Britvic (copyright Evan Doherty) If I didn’t know anything about JD Sports (LSE: JD) shares, I would have thought they’d enjoyed a blinding few years. The athleisure trend seems to go from strength to strength. People these days wear trainers, leggings, football jerseys and all manner of sports-based clothing that JD is known for. This once-youth-only attire seems to have resulted in it becoming perfectly normal to wear jogging bottoms to the office and socialising. The £5bn sports goods seller must be reaping the rewards, mustn’t it? Well, I do know a couple of things about JD Shares…
Image source: Getty Images If I had a passive income stream of £2,500 a month, it would easily cover all my bills. Even though I’m a hard worker, if I could reach the stage of earning that level of income from the stock market, it would allow me to take my foot off the pedal regarding work. Yet is it realistic to think that stocks could provide such a high level of cash flow? Here’s what I found out. Estimating potential returns Before I can determine the ideal size of my portfolio, I need to figure out what kind of…
Image source: Getty Images Gold prices are surging again, hitting new record highs above $3,509 per ounce earlier on Tuesday (2 September). After falling in the wake of gold’s previous peak in April, gold stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are back on the charge. The yellow metal’s latest upswing is being driven by speculation over Federal Reserve interest rate cuts and the future independence of the US central bank. Further gains are widely expected — JPMorgan has tipped gold prices to average $3,675 by the fourth quarter, and $4,000 by the middle of 2026. Source: The Royal Mint The omens…
Image source: Getty Images IAG (LSE: IAG) shares have been on a tear lately. I’m happy because I hold them in my Self-Invested Personal Pension alongside BP (LSE: BP), which has also been doing well. Both are relatively recent buys and have delivered decent gains, jumping 20% in the last three months. But their longer-term stories could hardly be more different. Over the past year, International Consolidated Airlines Group, to use its full name, is up 115%, while BP grew just 0.38%. The two companies respond very differently to oil price movements. When Brent crude is strong, BP benefits as revenues…
Image source: Getty Images In a market where AI remains the hottest topic on people’s lips, gaining exposure to this theme could be a smart move. One of the companies at the forefront of AI is Meta (NASDAQ:META). Given the likely growth in AI adoption over the coming year, as well as other factors, here’s how much I think a £2k investment in Meta stock could be worth this time next year. Positive forces at play Let’s start with the AI factor. Meta is leaning heavily into AI to improve content recommendations, boost advertiser targeting, and reduce costs across its…
It’s been more than 100 days since Prime Minister Mark Carney named a new cabinet for what he called a generational challenge. But a lot of promises haven’t been kept yet, while the government says there is more to come. Today we’ll break down what that means for your personal finances, so far, and what’s still in the pipeline that’s worth keeping an eye on.Up firstIn the newsTrade: As Trump’s tariffs face legal setback, America’s trade partners face further chaos affecting trillions of dollars AI: For the new director of AI institute Mila in Montreal, scientific discovery is the primary…
Image source: Getty Images Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR) are probably the two most popular artificial intelligence (AI) stocks today. And for good reason – both are at the heart of the AI revolution and generating prolific growth. Over the next 12 months, however, I see more potential in another AI stock. Here’s why I reckon it will outperform these shares over this timeframe. A top AI stock The stock I want to highlight today is Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW). It helps organisations store and structure their data and then apply AI solutions to it. This company came to…