[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images It’s been a wild week for shares in defence firms like BAE Systems (LSE: BA.). In the first few days of January, we’re already seeing one-day swings that could go down as the biggest that will occur during 2026. Military contractors can be very sensitive to geopolitical events. That’s why the latest events in Venezuela have had a pretty big impact on a few prominent FTSE 100 household names. Big jump A week ago, the BAE Systems share price sat at 1,699p. As of today (7 January), the share price is 1,926p. That’s a 13%…
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[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images In 2025, the National Grid (LSE:NG) share price rose 20%. Along the way, it also posted record highs, reaching levels not seen in several decades as a listed company. So as we hit 2026, there’s a lot of pressure on the company to keep the momentum going. Here’s why the year ahead could be make-or-break for the stock. Waiting for regulators Last month, the regulator Ofgem published an updated price control framework known as RIIO-T3. It’s not the final signed-off version, which is likely going to come through in the coming months. But it still…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images In 2025, the FTSE 250 rose 8.5%. By contrast, Jupiter Fund Management (LSE:JUP) rocketed 83% higher. That’s a significant outperformance over the space of a year. However, I don’t think the party’s over, with scope for another stellar year in 2026. Here’s my detailed reasoning. Generating interest To understand why 2026 could be strong, we need to first appreciate why the company’s doing well right now. After years of net outflows in 2024, Jupiter began to see net positive flows into its funds in 2025, especially in the second and third quarters. The latest update…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The only thing stopping me from buying Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW) shares today is that I already hold a whole heap of them. I’ll admit it, they haven’t done particularly well. But that’s the attraction, because they’re cheap as a result. Every time they dip, I’ve bought more at the lower price. So is this the year they rocket back to form, and make me rich? Let’s see. The housebuilder has had a rotten five years, its shares falling 35% in that time. Last year they slipped 5%. Once in the FTSE 100, Taylor Wimpey…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Investing in a portfolio of FTSE 100 shares is a great way to target a second income in retirement. That’s because they pay some of the most generous dividends in the world, and there’s something else too. UK blue-chips are firmly back in fashion, with the index posting its fifth-best year ever in 2025. So investors get growth on top of the regular payouts most big UK companies make to reward shareholders for their loyalty. I can see another reason why dividend shares are worth considering right now. Slowly but steadily, interest rates are falling. In fact,…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Some of the best-performing UK stocks of 2025 were in the defence industry. But it looks like things might just be getting started – defence spending in the US could be set to rise sharply. US President Donald Trump has proposed increasing the country’s military budget from $900bn to $1.5trn by 2027. And the likes of BAE Systems (LSE:BA) stand to benefit. But there’s a catch. Military spending There’s no doubt a 50% increase in military spending is a very positive sign for the major defence companies that supply the US. And BAE Systems is…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Investors won’t need me to tell them that the Diageo (LSE: DGE) share price has been an absolute stinker. One of the most admired FTSE 100 blue-chips has turned into a terrifying falling knife. The shares have plummeted 35% over the last year and 55% over three years. It’s just been one thing after another since Diageo issued a shock profit warning in November 2023, after sales slowed sharply in Latin America. More followed as demand weakened elsewhere. The cost-of-living crisis squeezed drinkers, hammering the premium spirits market that Diageo specialises in. US tariffs, worries that younger consumers are…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images It’s been an encouraging 2026 so far for Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR) shares. We’re only a week in and they’re up 8.5% already! This means any brave soul who invested 10 grand in the FTSE 100 stock a week ago would now have £10,850 (or thereabouts). Of course, anyone who invested in the engine maker at the start of any year in recent times would now be sitting on market-thrashing gains. The stock’s up more than 1,000% in five years and over 3,000% since the Covid lows! YearAnnual return 2023221.6%202489.7%202595.4%2026*8.5%*up to 8 January Why is the stock…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The holy grail for dividend investors is a stock that slowly increases dividends over time. This doesn’t just boost the yield year after year, but it lets the power of compound interest create some of the best investments going. The FTSE 250 has a bunch of companies that fit the bill in this regard. London’s second index has 19 stocks that have increased the dividend for 20 years or more on the trot! Here are three such stocks that might be worth considering. In a row The first dividend stock is Primary Health Properties (LSE:…
[ad_1] Image source: Rolls-Royce plc Over the past year, the share price of Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) has more than doubled. Rolls-Royce shares have moved up by an impressive 117% during those 12 months. Might the same happen in coming months? Could the Rolls-Royce share price double by the end of 2025? A very impressive track record At first mention, that notion might seem fanciful. After all, this is a long-established company in a mature industry. Over the decades the industry has proven to be cyclical and Rolls’ profit and loss account has moved around substantially. Sudden unexpected drops in civil…