[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images So far, 2026 has been a good one for the stock market. The FTSE 100 index of leading British companies has hit a new all-time high. Some people like the idea of what is known as passive investing. That means that they buy shares in a fund that broadly mirrors or ‘tracks’ the performance of an index like the FTSE 100. Hence the name ‘index tracker‘. Given the strong performance of the FTSE 100 over the past year, that could have been a lucrative approach. Strong price gains In the past 12 months, the FTSE…
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[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Looking at the BAE Systems (LSE:BA.) share price in 2026, I’m reminded of investor Ray Dalio’s quote: “He who lives by the crystal ball will eat shattered glass“. That’s because at the end of last year, I peered into my crystal ball and predicted that defence stocks in 2026 would have a quieter year. This came when BAE stock was on course for a 52% return in 2025, with Babcock International performing even better (up almost 150%!). I based my prediction on the fact that a Ukraine peace settlement seemed to be inching closer, while…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images US oil major Chevron (NYSE: CVX) has been having a good run of it lately. Not only is Chevron stock up 82% over the past five years, it has jumped 13% in the past month alone. Ongoing geopolitical uncertainty has raised questions about what might happen to energy prices, feeding investor appetites. On top of that, the share yields 4.1%. On this side of the pond that is already attractive, as it is well above the current FTSE 100 average. For a US stock, it is notably high, as the current yield of the S&P…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Right now, one FTSE 100 dividend share overshadows all the rest. Its name? Legal & General Group (LSE: LGEN). The reason? Its mighty 8.1% yield is the biggest on the entire blue-chip index. That’s a whopping rate of income. Roughly double what savers can bag on a best buy savings account. Better still, while saving rates are likely to fall further this year as the Bank of England cuts base rates, that yield should rise by around 2%. And continue to rise by that amount every year. Legal & General shares struggle No dividend is…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Ever wondered about the passive income potential of stuffing a Stocks and Shares ISA full of dividend payers? Lots of blue-chip companies with well-proven business models are generous dividend payers. That strikes me as an opportunity. Thousands upon thousands of pounds in potential How much a Stocks and Shares ISA could earn in passive income over time would depend on how much is in it and what dividend yield it earns. Dividend yield is not a complicated concept. It basically means how much someone expects to earn in dividends each year, expressed as a percentage…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The FTSE 100 rose an impressive 22% over the course of 2025. But many of the UK’s blue-chip shares endured a far bumpier ride. Barratt Redrow (LSE:BTRW) and Sage Group (LSE:SGE) saw their share prices fall by double-digit percentages last year. Risks remain in the New Year. But I’m confident that improving trading conditions — combined with their ultra-low valuations — could see them outperform the FTSE index in 2026. Want to know why? Read on. Building momentum Fears of a slow recovery in UK home sales caused Barratt Redrow shares to slump in 2025.…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Looking for the best UK shares to think about buying and holding for the long-term in a Stocks and Shares ISA? Here are two I think could supercharge a well-balanced portfolio over the next 10 years. Copper giant There seems to be little doubt about it. A massive supply deficit in copper is looming that could supercharge prices of the red metal over the next decade — it recently hit new peaks above $13,000 a tonne. Source: S&P Global Investing in copper stocks could be a great way for investors to monetise this. As one…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Sage (LSE: SGE) remains a high‑quality, high‑margin FTSE 100 software business with strong recurring revenue and consistent growth. But the cloud-based financial tools provider is down 22% from its 6 February 12-month traded high of £13.48. The key question for me as a shareholder is how this translates into value, which is different from price (value reflects the underlying business fundamentals, whereas price is simply the amount the market will pay at any given moment). So does Sage look an unmissable bargain to me right now? The fundamentals Any company’s share price is ultimately driven…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Developments over the weekend show just how quickly trade policies around the world can impact companies. Fresh tariff measures could negatively impact some UK growth stocks, both through trade with the US and by straining supply chains. Here are two on my watchlist to monitor in the coming weeks as things pan out. Utility costs abroad I’m referring to the announcement on Saturday (17 January) by President Trump to impose new import tariffs on several key European allies, including the UK. This comes in response to opposition to US efforts to gain control of Greenland.…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The prices of FTSE 100 shares are falling as investors digest fresh trade tariff threats from the US. When I last checked, the UK’s premier share index was last 0.5% lower in start-of-week trading. The intensifying tug-of-war over Greenland took a new turn over the weekend. US President Trump threatened to slap tariffs of 10% on several European countries (including the UK) that oppose his planned takeover of the territory. These will come in on 1 February, and rise to 25% in June, he said. Tariff uncertainty rocked global stock markets in 2025. Yet it…