[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Ocado (LSE: OCDO) shares are going gangbusters. The UK stock market is flying, but Ocado’s success is on a different scale. Is 2026 the year it finally fulfils its potential and makes investors rich? I hold Ocado shares myself, so I’m loving this moment. But I’m also wary. The FTSE 250-listed grocery tech specialist has a history of extreme volatility. It boomed during the pandemic, when the nation was locked down and food delivery orders were flying, but it’s been mostly downhill since. Until now. Five years ago, investors were crazy for its robot warehouse technology.…
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[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Value stocks can be a great addition to a portfolio. In time, oversold companies should return to a fairer valuation, with profits captured as the share price appreciates. Within the index, there are plenty of FTSE 250 shares that could be considered undervalued. I asked ChatGPT what it thought was the best option, and I was surprised with the result. Getting the details To begin with, ChatGPT didn’t understand the question. It decided to pick the index’s lowest-priced stock. This is an error, as the actual share price doesn’t correlate to cheapness. A stock can…
[ad_1] Less than a week into 2026, “affordability” is already emerging as a frontrunner for the word of the year. So why are so few people talking about the unaffordable costs of car ownership, never mind policies that could finally make it optional? For the last few months, a chorus of politicians and pundits have warned of a growing “affordability” crisis in America, and blamed their political opponents for failing to curb prices for everyday Americans. In November, New York City’s incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Trump formed a surprising bond over “the central themes of … the cost…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Most investors like the concept of compounding profit over the long term. But it can be trickier to stick to a regular monthly investment plan. In reality, the two go hand in hand. Using a Stocks and Shares ISA and adopting a sensible strategy can enable someone to speed up the process. Here’s how. Building a strong portfolio The benefit of using an ISA is that an investment portfolio can grow faster. Any dividends received aren’t subject to dividend tax, meaning the full amount can be enjoyed or reinvested. Further, when selling a growth stock…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images I did a fair bit of buying and selling towards the end of 2025 to reposition my Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) and Stocks and Shares ISA portfolios. Consequently, a new stock has become my largest holding after jumping 12% since Monday (5 January). Here, I’ll explain why I’m happy for it to occupy the top spot as we start 2026. Large opportunity The stock in question is MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI). This is Latin America’s largest company by market-cap, though it’s listed in the US on the Nasdaq. So why Latin America? Well, the region has roughly…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Tesco (LSE:TSCO) shares are up 97% over three years, 50% over two years, and 18% over one. However, some of that momentum has stalled in recent months. In fact, the stock’s now down 2.2% over three months. That’s not a big deal, but a £10,000 investment made three months ago would now be worth less than £9,800. However, the investor would have just qualified for the interim dividend at 4.8p per share. That’s a dividend yield just a little over 1% — £100 in this case. Clearly, the total return isn’t great, but it’s nothing…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images If you’re looking to use an ISA to generate a second income, understanding how your savings grow over time is key. Tiered contributions To reach a £250,000 ISA, the first step is knowing how much you need to contribute each year. Contributions typically increase gradually over time, reflecting realistic savings behaviour. The table below illustrates how you could reach your target under different return assumptions over a 20-year period. Annual ReturnTotal ContributionsAverage AnnualContributions6%£143,750£7,1887%£130,000£6,5008%£117,500£5,875 What that £250,000 could mean for your income Hitting a £250,000 ISA total is an important milestone, but it’s only the starting…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The FTSE 100 can’t stop rising. But that doesn’t mean some of our biggest companies won’t endure a nightmare 2026. The question is, which are most likely to tank in value? For a giggle, I posed this to ChatGPT. And it’s reply was… ahem… interesting. Will these FTSE 100 stunners struggle in 2026? In the matter of a few seconds, the AI bot came up with four top-tier stocks that look vulnerable to crashing this year. Banking giant NatWest Group. Dunhill and Lucky Strike owner British American Tobacco. Silver and gold miner Fresnillo. Retail bellwether…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Despite a challenging economic climate, 2025 was a bumper year for the UK stock market. Gaining 21.6%, the FTSE 100 not only had its best year since 2009 but also outperformed the S&P 500. And then, just as the year ticked over, it briefly clicked above 10,000 points for the first time in history. So all round, a fairly stellar performance from the UK’s leading blue-chip index. But before you pop open the Champagne, let’s examine three structural risks that threaten to shake things up in 2026. No time for complacency Smart investors know that…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images For much of the last decade, American tech has overshadowed UK stocks when it comes to investing. But as we enter 2026, the tables are turning. While the S&P 500 continues to trade at eye-watering valuations, the UK market looks like the world’s last great bargain. British stocks are currently trading at historic discounts, with FTSE 100 prices averaging a modest 15-18 times earnings. For UK investors planning for retirement, this ‘valuation gap’ presents a rare opportunity. It allows investors to buy quality stocks for 50%-60% below fair value, providing a critical ‘margin of safety’…