Phil has over 25 years experience of investing. He started out as an investment analyst for asset managers and City stockbrokers before becoming a writer. He has worked for MoneyWeek and Investors’ Chronicle and was the CFA UK Financial Journalist of the year in 2020. He worked for ShareScope between 2014 and 2018 and helped to develop many of the investment tools in SharePad. He has written a number of educational investment articles for ShareScope and is also the author of the book How to Pick Quality Shares.
I am passionate about investor education and try and make what might seem complicated subjects easier to understand. Investing is not just about picking winners but also avoiding losers and learning from your mistakes. My aim is to make investing as simple as possible by focusing on what matters and avoiding what doesn’t.
Investing has become more global. Gone are the days when UK private investors were restricted to putting their money solely in the UK stock market. Today, many online brokers make it just as easy for a person to trade an individual share on European, US and Asian markets as it is on UK markets. Of
Phil uses SharePad to examine the impact of share buybacks on shareholder returns. Do they make shareholders better off and should investors focus on growing companies instead? Do share buybacks really make shareholders better off? Should they prefer dividends instead? Opinion is divided on this subject. The great thing about a dividend from an investor’s
If you already have an Isa or Sipp account, you’ll have access to your broker’s free website. This probably provides you with investment data about funds and shares and will also let you see how your investments are doing. Why subscribe to SharePad when you can get all that for free? Well, it is debatable
House building in the UK has experienced numerous peaks and troughs with shareholders in listed housebuilders experiencing similar fortunes. Buying housebuilder shares when they are unpopular has made investors plenty of money in the past, but is now a good time to invest? Phil takes a look at the sector through SharePad in an attempt
Why do people invest their money rather than just save? It’s not just about growing your savings so that you will have more money in the future. It’s about growing the buying power of your money. You want the £1 that you are investing today to buy more things in the future than it
If you are new to private investing, it’s very easy to think “How can I compete with professional fund managers? Surely, I am better off investing my money in their funds and letting them make the decisions”. This article from esteemed investment writer Phil Oakley shows you how. So, are you better off investing all
Bunzl shares have proven to be a very solid long-term investment but the last few years have not been very rewarding for investors. Phil takes a look at the company to see if shareholders can expect better days ahead. Source: Bunzl Stuck in a rut Bunzl is a very well-run business that has served investors
The UK stock market is undoubtedly cheap, but that doesn’t mean it won’t stay that way. Phil uses SharePad to show how you might sift this unpopular market for undervalued shares and creates 4 new SharePad stock screening filters for good measure. When I first entered the world of investing over a quarter of a
Diageo has many attractive characteristics as a business but its shares have delivered steady rather than exceptional returns to investors. Phil has a look at the company to see if it might reward investors better in the future than it has in the past. For many long-term investors, Diageo is a company that ticks a
Phil asks whether AG Barr’s recent acquisitions can turn it into a growing business again. Soft drinks companies are a long-term favourite with investors. Their products are affordable, small and regular consumer purchases which can produce a nice blend of steady growth and resilience which can make them all-weather investments. The giants of the industry
Recent attempts to turn Hornby into a consistently profitable and growing business have failed. Phil looks to see if last week’s purchase of a minority stake in Warlord Games provides the catalyst for a profit revival and a higher share price. Hornby is in a mess Whatever way you look at Hornby the company is
Phil looks at the issue of management in light of the turmoil and changes at JD Sports and asks whether the shares are too cheap despite a tough economic outlook. Business Overview JD Sports is one of the leading retailers of sports fashion wear. It has built on its UK roots to become a global