Author: user

Supermarkets are often seen as reliable but fairly unexciting companies. Yes, shopper demand is resilient. But for the likes of Tesco (LSE: TSCO) – already the leading grocer in its key UK market – where are the growth prospects? The overall grocery market size is unlikely to explode. And being market leader can make it difficult to take market shares from rivals. Despite that, the Tesco share price has gone up 31% over the past year. What is going on – and could this be a buying opportunity for my portfolio? Why I’m happy to invest in supermarkets To be…

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Image source: National Grid plc I understand the appeal that energy infrastructure operator National Grid (LSE: NG) has for many investors. Its business model ought to generate sizeable cash flows on a regular basis. Meanwhile, the company effectively aims to maintain the value of its dividend per share in real terms, by growing it annually in line with a leading measure of consumer inflation. Given the emphasis on the dividend, is the National Grid share price relevant for an investor considering the FTSE 100 company? Price always matters! My answer is a resounding “yes”, for multiple reasons. When investing, I…

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Image source: Getty Images UK dividend stocks can be a great way to target a long-term passive income. Data from Computershare shows total dividends from London-listed stocks dropped 1.4% in the second quarter, reflecting lower special dividends and exchange rate pressures. But stripping out these factors, dividends grew a robust 6.8% year on year to £33.1bn, higher than forecast. Computershare now expects underlying dividends to rise 2.8% over the course of 2025, up from a previous forecast of 2.1%. Yet the rate of growth is still below the likely rate of inflation for 2025 (3.2%, according to the Office for…

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Image source: Getty Images 2025 is turning into a “wonderful” year for FTSE 100 stocks as they outperform the US, with a total return of 14.3% so far, according to Dan Coatsworth at AJ Bell. “That’s an attractive return and we’re only a little over halfway through the year.” Two companies have raced ahead of the pack, more than doubling in value since January. Investors who picked these out early would be sitting on eye-popping returns today. Fresnillo shines The first is Mexico-focused gold and silver miner Fresnillo (LSE: FRES). It has soared 134% in 2025, powered by the resurgence in gold, which hit…

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Image source: The Motley Fool When looking at the incredible stock market career of billionaire Warren Buffett, it is easy to imagine him as operating in a different league from the rest of us. In fact, though, much of Buffett’s success has been built on a few fairly simple investment principles that can be applied even by a small private investor with limited funds. Here are three of them that I am using. Know what you’re buying into Some people spend ages doing research for even fairly minor purchases. Yet they will put hundreds or even thousands of pounds into…

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It is pretty fashionable to knock Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA). The stock has fallen 24% already this year and there are increasing reasons many investors feel bearish about the tech giant. Still, Tesla has a long history of share price volatility. It has defied critics on many occasions before to bounce back. Indeed, while the share has tumbled lately, it is still 39% higher than it was a year ago – and up 223% over a five-year period. Even after its recent price tumble, Tesla commands a market capitalisation of $957bn. So could it yet make a stunning comeback? Or might…

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The Fool’s TakeWhen food manufacturer Kraft merged with condiments titan Heinz in 2015, it created Kraft Heinz, one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies. The new company started off with a strong dividend plan, and payouts increased in each of the first three years — but then Kraft Heinz slashed them to the bone.Some of its splashy food-brand buyouts turned out to be less profitable than expected, forcing the company to conserve cash with a stricter dividend policy. Its quarterly payouts have been stuck at $0.40 per share since the start of 2019. Yet Kraft Heinz’s yield has surged…

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Image source: Getty Images Shares in Rentokil Initial (LSE:RTO) are up 11% in the last two weeks. The FTSE 100 company’s been going through a tough couple of years, but things seem to be looking up for investors. The firm’s set to report earnings in less than a week and it’s fair to say there’s a lot at stake. But could the recent rise be the start of an epic comeback for the stock? Mistakes On the face of it, Rentokil’s a pretty straightforward business. Pests show up fairly regularly – even more so as global temperatures rise – and…

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Image source: Vodafone Group plc Since 25 June, the Vodafone (LSE:VOD) share price has been the 12th-best performer on the FTSE 100, rising by just over 12%. “So what?”, I hear investors in JD Sports Fashion cry. After all, shares in the British ‘trainers and tracksuits’ retailer have increased by more than 21% over the same period. But Vodafone’s shareholders (like me) have suffered for a long time. It was during the first half of 2023 when the group’s shares were last regularly changing hands for more than 80p. I’m particularly excited by the recent rally because I’m close to…

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The White House’s recent criticism of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters renovation project has highlighted the central bank’s sources of funding. Unlike federal departments that receive taxpayer dollars via appropriations from Congress, the Fed is self-funded, largely via interest income from government securities it holds. The Federal Reserve’s funding has come under scrutiny as the White House attacks the $2.5 billion headquarters renovation for cost overruns. That controversy was underscored on Thursday, when President Donald Trump and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell disagreed over the cost during a visit to the central bank. Trump’s allies have suggested the project could be grounds…

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