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1 week ago | 
fool.co.uk | Stephen Wright
Shares in Spirax Group (LSE:SPX) have fallen 35% in the last 12 months. But that puts the FTSE 100 stock in unusually attractive territory and there are some familiar themes emerging. A combination of increased debt, higher interest costs, and a cyclical downturn have been weighing on the business.
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1 week ago | 
fool.co.uk | Stephen Wright
I was anticipating a relatively quiet month in my Stocks and Shares ISA in May. But as is so often the case, things were busier than I expected them to be. In the end, I bought three stocks – including a new one. And I also ended up selling one stock entirely, which I didn’t expect to do at the start of the month. The big new addition to my portfolio is 3i (LSE:III).
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1 week ago | 
fool.co.uk | Stephen Wright
The ongoing tariff developments in the US are creating more uncertainty for businesses and the stock market. But a number of UK shares are relatively well-protected from the ongoing developments. Beyond the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 250, investors don’t have to look far to find some companies with strong competition that have almost no exposure to the US. Two in particular stand out to me. JD Wetherspoon (LSE:JDW) runs a chain of pubs in the UK.
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1 week ago | 
fool.co.uk | Stephen Wright
When it comes to investing, one of my top rules is never to bet against Warren Buffett. I did this five years ago (sort of) and it worked out very badly. A £10,000 investment in Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.B) shares from May 2020 has a market value of around £27,436 today. So what was I thinking when I sold my shares back then? For context, five years ago saw the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic. And at the annual shareholder meeting, Buffett said two things that I thought were concerning.
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1 week ago | 
fool.co.uk | Stephen Wright
Healthcare is one of the worst-performing S&P 500 sectors over the last 12 months. And while the sector in general is a tough one, there’s one name that stands out to me right now. Shares in Danaher (NYSE:DHR) have fallen 29% in the last year. But I think the underlying business is very attractive and a discounted share price has put it firmly on my radar at the moment. Danaher is a leader in supplying products and services to the life sciences, diagnostics, and biotechnology industries.
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1 week ago | 
fool.co.uk | Stephen Wright
Games Workshop (LSE:GAW) is one of my top passive income stocks. The dividend yield might only be 3%, but the company has increased its distribution by an average of 23% per year since 2014. Despite this, the share price fell 5% in a day on Friday (23 May) when the firm issued its preliminary results for the year 2024/25. I thought the report looked good, so should I buy more for my portfolio? Over the last 10 years, Games Workshop has achieved some eye-catching growth numbers.
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2 weeks ago | 
fool.co.uk | Stephen Wright
The FTSE 100 currently trades at an average price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 16. But I think investors should take a close look at a stock that’s trading at a much higher multiple. Informa (LSE:INF) isn’t exactly a household name and its shares don’t exactly look cheap at first sight. But I think there’s a lot to like about the business from an investment perspective right now. The largest part of Informa’s business is its events division.
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2 weeks ago | 
fool.co.uk | Stephen Wright
Bloomsbury Publishing (LSE:BMY) is a relatively recent addition to the FTSE 250. But the stock fell almost 20% after the firm’s full-year results before going on to finish the week 20% down. While the last year was a difficult one for the company in terms of its financial performance, I think there are a number of reasons to be positive. And investors might not have to wait around too long. In the 12 months leading up to the end of February 2025, Bloomsbury’s revenues climbed 5%.
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2 weeks ago | 
fool.co.uk | Stephen Wright
The stock market’s managed to recover from its big decline after the US made its big tariff announcement on 2 April. But there’s still plenty for investors to keep an eye on. Inflation, the Russia/Ukraine war, and the possibility of an artificial intelligence (AI) bubble bursting are all genuine concerns. But the biggest threat might be none of these. According to the latest Bank of America survey of fund managers, there’s one major risk that stands above the rest.
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2 weeks ago | 
fool.co.uk | Stephen Wright
When I asked ChatGPT what the best UK shares to buy right now are, Rolls-Royce, BP, and Greggs all got honourable mentions. But its top pick was FTSE 100 firm AstraZeneca (LSE:AZN). That surprised me a bit – the stock has slightly outperformed the FTSE 100 this year, but it’s still a lot cheaper than it was a year ago. Nonetheless, I have to admit the chatbot made a pretty good case. AstraZeneca’s recent half-year results were pretty impressive.
