Putting money into shares is one way to earn passive income that millions of people are using successfully. I like the approach because it means that I can benefit from the hard work of thousands of employees in companies with proven business models. Cutting my cloth That can be a lucrative passive income idea and also tailored to one’s own financial circumstances. For example, if I has a spare £8,000, here is how I would use it to try and earn almost £6,000 in income annually over the long term (the same approach could work with much less money too, but my passive income would be proportiona ..read more

Last year was a stellar one for investors in Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR), as the aeronautical engineer was the best performing among all FTSE 100 shares. This year too, the Rolls-Royce share price has performed strongly. The share has soared 39% in a matter of months. Over the past month however, the momentum seems to have flagged somewhat. The share has been flirting with prices around £4 and for now at least seems to be in a holding pattern close to that marker. What might it mean? Time to grow into the valuation I think the Rolls-Royce share price is taking a breather, waiting for business perfo ..read more

After a 39% increase since the start of the year, NatWest shares have justifiably been getting a lot of attention. But there are a few FTSE 250 stocks that have been doing even better. They aren’t attracting the same levels of attention, but this might be a mistake. I think investors should look carefully at the UK shares that have been showing impressive momentum. The magnificent… six Never mind the S&P 500 and its magnificent seven – here are the six FTSE 250 stocks that have outperformed NatWest shares since the start of the year: Stock Return YTD CMC Markets 143% Darktrace 6 ..read more

It’s not often that a large FTSE 100 company has some surprising news to tell investors. Of course, financial performance can swing higher or lower. But changes in key senior managers is usually well documented in advance, to ensure a smooth transition and to not worry shareholders. Yet that doesn’t always go to plan. The long story short I’m referring to the news surrounding current CEO Noel Quinn at HSBC (LSE:HSBA). Having reportedly told senior leaders in December that he wasn’t planning to go anywhere, he recently announced that he would be stepping down. Not only stepping down, but leavi ..read more

Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR) shares are up 172% over the past 12 months, but the stock fell 3% in April, marking one of its worst months over the year. However, April was a better period for GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE), one of Rolls-Royce’s peers in the aerospace engine segment. The US-listed stock jumped 16.5%. No news April was a quiet month for Rolls-Royce and the company didn’t publish any earnings updates. The last one we had from Rolls was its 2023 results in February. Back then, the aerospace, power systems, and defence manufacturer raised investor sentiment with a stellar report and strong guida ..read more

Aston Martin (LSE:AML) stock slumped on Wednesday (1 May) after the FTSE 250 company revealed a larger-than-expected loss during Q1. The luxury car manufacturer’s really down in the dumps. The stock’s at an all-time low, debt’s high, and revenues aren’t picking up. But could a Rolls-Royce-esque recovery be on the cards? The blue-chip FTSE 100 stock has surged more than 500% from its pandemic-era low. Aston’s Q1 disappointment Aston Martin was supposed to be on the road to recovery, but its Q1 earnings surprised investors for all the wrong reasons. Revenue declined 10% to £267.7m versus the fi ..read more

As we enter the new tax year, I’m on the hunt for the next addition to my ISA. A few candidates stand out. Two FTSE 100 stocks made the final shortlist, but I’ve opted with Marks & Spencer (LSE: MKS). Let me explain why. A remarkable recovery I was initially drawn to the stock by its incredible share price performance. Last year, it rose by 98%. That made it one of the best performers on the Footsie. For context, the index rose by less than 1%. As I write, a share in the high street stalwart will set investors back 255.7p. That’s 10.7% higher than its price five years ago and 18.9% up fro ..read more

Lots of us dream of having a passive income. That might mean a couple of hundred pounds a month to pay for dinners out, or it might be thousands of pounds a year that could, in theory, allow us to retire early. However, many of us might think investing is reserved for people with lots of money. And that’s simply not true. That’s why I’m here to show you how I’d create a passive income stream worth £15,313 a year, by investing just £10 a week. A tried and tested strategy If we don’t have a lot of money to invest, the key is time and patience. We can’t expect to turn our £10 a week into a huge ..read more

I want to keep maximising my income, even in retirement. One way I plan to do it is by buying the finest dividend shares. I think it’s a necessity. Life expectancies are rising. As such, we’re spending more time in retirement than ever before. I’d want to target income I could rely on, given that dividends are never guaranteed. Some dividend yields look enticing, such as Vodafone’s, but they’re not reliable. Instead, I’d focus on high-quality FTSE 100 companies that offer stable cash flows and the potential for rising yields. If I were entering retirement tomorrow, these two shares would be a ..read more

Lloyds (LSE:LLOY) shares rebounded in February and March, but stayed just about flat in April. Why was this? Results disappoint Lloyds, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, whose subsidiaries include Halifax and Bank of Scotland, reported earnings on 24 April. Analysts had forecast profits of £1.7bn for the quarter, but earnings came in a little lighter. Profit before tax for the first three months of 2024 was £1.63bn, down considerably from the £2.2bn recorded a year earlier. The main reason for this change was lower net interest income, amid increasing competition in the mortgage market, and ..read more