Phil Oakley
With my help you'll learn how to identify high quality investments for your portfolio. My Step-by-Step Guide to Investment Analysis cuts through the jargon and teaches you how to do a fast but effective forensic analysis of stocks and other investment types. It's a must read for any investor. My weekly articles build on this knowledge using topical examples and introducing new techniques. I also write an exclusive weekly newsletter for subscribers which includes three stock analyses and a featured stock screen.
About Phil
Phil was a professional share analyst for 13 years working for leading City institutions. He left the City to educate private investors and spent 3 years as senior investment writer for MoneyWeek magazine before joining us.
Latest Articles
A checklist for busy investors
Phil Oakley - 07 February 2018
Phil reveals his top tips for finding great investments for the long-term. Perfect for investors with limited time or less confident of their stock picking skills.
Using SharePad's "Live" tables in your own spreadsheets
Richard Beddard - 30 January 2018
Richard uses SharePad's new Export Live table feature to automate an investment decision-making model.
Stock Watch: Avon Rubber
Phil Oakley - 30 January 2018
Avon Rubber is a good example of a profitable niche business but are its shares an attractive investment?
A better way to track changes in company performance
Phil Oakley - 24 January 2018
Financial analysis doesn't have to be difficult. Some quick and simple number crunching can reveal a lot about a company's state of health.
Stock Watch: Nichols
Phil Oakley - 16 January 2018
Soft drinks company Nichols is a very good business. But is it too dependent on Vimto and can it grow?
Your tutorials are very well written and demonstrate the "hands on" knowledge of someone who actually uses this data. They are also pitched at exactly the right level.
PR, West Glamorgan
Step-by-Step Guide to Investment Analysis
I can't believe something so succinct and insightful is available for free!
Algy Hall, Tips Editor - Investors Chronicle
Library
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| No. | Date | Author | Title | Synopsis | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 194 | 07/02/2018 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | A checklist for busy investors | Phil reveals his top tips for finding great investments for the long-term. Perfect for investors with limited time or less confident of their stock picking skills. | Read |
| 193 | 30/01/2018 | Richard Beddard | Category: Technique | Using SharePad's "Live" tables in your own spreadsheets | Richard tries out SharePad's new Export "Live" table feature to automate portfolio management. | Read |
| 192 | 30/01/2018 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Avon Rubber | Avon Rubber is a good example of a profitable niche business but are its shares an attractive investment? | Read |
| 191 | 24/01/2018 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | A better way to track changes in company performance | Financial analysis doesn't have to be difficult. Some quick and simple number crunching can reveal a lot about a company's state of health. | Read |
| 190 | 16/01/2018 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Nichols | Soft drinks company Nichols is a very good business. But is it too dependent on Vimto and can it grow? | Read |
| 189 | 15/01/2018 | Richard Beddard | Category: Technique | Buy and Build | A close look at Diploma, Richard believes, might not only lead us to a good investment but help us understand a whole category of businesses: firms that buy and build. | Read |
| 188 | 10/01/2018 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Magic Formula stocks for 2018 | Phil rolls out his version of Greenblatt's Magic formula portfolios for 2018 and adds a new momentum based portfolio as well. | Read |
| 187 | 03/01/2018 | Richard Beddard | Category: Technique | Settings for the big picture | Richard tidies SharePad to set himself up for the New Year and shares three more financial charts he's come to rely on. | Read |
| 186 | 12/12/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Simple is best - Magic Formula Investing in 2017 | Phil revisits his Magic Formula portfolios to see which strategy is generating the best returns. | Read |
| 185 | 06/12/2017 | Richard Beddard | Category: Technique | Two charts to unlock a company's finances | Richard shows us two charts he finds useful in analysing how a company is financed. | Read |
| 184 | 06/12/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Henry Boot | Phil takes a closer look at the value of the land assets in Henry Boot and whether they are reflected in the share price. | Read |
| 183 | 29/11/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Searching for companies paying out more of their profits | Stocks with scope to pay larger dividends can make great long-term investments. | Read |
| 182 | 22/11/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Fenner | Engineering firm Fenner could be subject to further profit upgrades but is it for investors or traders? | Read |
| 181 | 15/11/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Is the current ratio an outdated measure of company safety? | Phil explains how to refine your interpretation of the Current ratio. | Read |
| 180 | 14/11/2017 | Richard Beddard | Category: Sector Analysis | The elusive hire firms you can buy and hold | In Part 2 of his look at the cyclical hire sector, can Richard Beddard find any firms which perform through thick and thin? | Read |
| 10/11/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Income Opportunities From Dividends | In the last of his Investors Chronicle articles, Phil looks at companies reinstating dividends or starting to pay them for the 1st time. | Read | |
| 179 | 07/11/2017 | Richard Beddard | Category: Sector Analysis | Homing in on hire firms | When business is sluggish at construction sites and factories, tools and equipment are returned and hire companies make less profit. | Read |
| 178 | 03/11/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to steer clear of dividend traps | First published in Investors Chronicle, Phil explains how to avoid the shares that might let you down. | Read |
| 177 | 27/10/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Finding safe high-yielding shares | First published in Investors Chronicle, Phil explains how to identify which high-yielding shares are most likely to maintain or grow their dividends. | Read |
| 176 | 23/10/2017 | Richard Beddard | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Abcam | The company's share price and profits have shown stellar growth but do future growth rates justify the lofty valuation? | Read |
| 175 | 11/10/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Comment | When valuations don't matter and when they do | Valuation is an important part of the investor's toolkit but for some strategies it is less important than it is for others. Phil looks at when valuations don't seem to matter and when they do. | Read |
| 174 | 09/10/2017 | Richard Beddard | Category: Technique | Finding companies that speak your language | Richard explains how he filters news to find stocks that meet his investment strategy. | Read |
| 173 | 04/10/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Elegant Hotels Group | Barbados is a nice place to go on holiday but are shares in island hotel operator Elegant Hotels a good investment? | Read |
| 172 | 27/09/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How much is a company worth? A look at different ways to value shares | Back to basics this week looking at some simple valuation techniques and some more sophisticated methods. | Read |
| 171 | 26/09/2017 | Richard Beddard | Category: Stock Watch | Tech recruiter is statistically attractive, but is it special? | Recruitment firm Harvey Nash passes through Richard Beddard's filter but how does it stand up to further scrutiny? | Read |
| 170 | 20/09/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Redrow | After Redrow Chairman Steve Morgan's Foundation offloads 25.9m shares in the housebuilder, Phil takes an in-depth look at the company and the sector. | Read |
| 169 | 13/09/2017 | Richard Beddard | Category: Technique | How I choose my next share using filters and charts | From 2,023 shares to 1, Richard explains the metrics and tools he uses to identify quality shares to invest in. | Read |
| 168 | 13/09/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to value loss-making companies | Loss making companies are quite common on the stock market these days. Phil gives some tips on how an investor might work out how much they are worth. | Read |
| 167 | 05/09/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Scapa Group | Phil looks to see if shares in high flying Scapa Group have further to run. | Read |
| 166 | 31/08/2017 | Richard Beddard | Category: Strategies | Shares to hold to the grave, and beyond... | In his first article for us, Richard outlines his investment strategy. | Read |
| 165 | 31/08/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | A blueprint for better long term investing | It's a good time to reflect on your investment objectives and refocus your approach. | Read |
| 164 | 10/08/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Ashtead Group | Ashtead shares have been a great investment. Phil takes a look to find out why and if the good times can continue. | Read |
| 163 | 01/08/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | Investing your portfolio for retirement income | For many investors, continuing to manage their portfolio in retirement to generate income is an attractive proposition. Phil discusses the tax benefits and how to build a relatively safe portfolio. | Read |
| 162 | 25/07/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Castings | Castings is highly regarded by some investors for good reasons but can it grow? | Read |
| 161 | 18/07/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Hunting in the minefield of cheap shares | Cheap shares are often traps for the unwary, Phil shoes you how to navigate the minefield of lowly valued companies. | Read |
| 160 | 12/07/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: RPC | RPC has been buying lots of companies. This can muddy the waters and make it difficult for investors to see what's really going on. In this article, Phil shows you some things to look for when analysing acquisitive companies. | Read |
| 159 | 04/07/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | The case for dividend investing in dangerous markets | With high valuations and rising inflation Phil looks at how investors can protect themselves with high yielding shares. | Read |
| 158 | 27/06/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: James Halstead | James Halstead has many hallmarks of quality but can its profits grow? | Read |
| 157 | 21/06/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Making sense of highly priced shares | Expensive shares can be profitable investments but that doesn't mean they always will be. This article looks at how investors can weigh up highly priced shares. | Read |
| 156 | 14/06/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Watkins Jones | Phil investigates to see if shares in this student accommodation and build to rent developer have further to run. | Read |
| 155 | 06/06/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | The case for enterprise valuations | Phil looks at the case for using enterprise valuations when weighing up a company. | Read |
| 154 | 31/05/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Howden Joinery Group (Howdens) | There's a lot to like about Howdens but are the good times over for this company? | Read |
| 153 | 23/05/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | PE ratios and how to use them | Phil looks at the ins and outs of the PE ratio and how you can get the most out of them. | Read |
| 152 | 16/05/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Smart Metering Systems | Smart Metering Systems is a play on the roll out of smart energy meters in the UK. Phil takes a look at this company to see how big the opportunity could be and what is priced into the shares. | Read |
| 151 | 09/05/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Looking beyond free cash flow | Companies with low or negative free cash flow can be great investments. Phil shows you what to look for. | Read |
| 150 | 24/04/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: FW Thorpe | FW Thorpe is not covered by many analysts but you can still work out whether it's a good investment or not. Phil takes a look at this high quality small cap share. | Read |
| 149 | 19/04/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Analysing the stocks in a filter | SharePad's filtering tools combined with its financial carousel can give you a great snapshot of a share in minutes. | Read |
| 148 | 30/03/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Why depreciation matters and EBITDA doesn't | Phil explains why depreciation is a real cost for asset-intensive companies and shouldn't be ignored. | Read |
| 30/03/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | UK Dividend aristocrats | Phil's Investors Chronicle article on how to be a successful dividend investor. | View PDF | |
| 147 | 28/03/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | The end of "hidden debts" | The way companies account for operating leases is going to change. Phil explains why and how. | Read |
| 146 | 23/03/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Revolution Bars Group | Phil analyses the investment potential of this up-market bar company. | Read |
| 145 | 15/03/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: XP Power | Can XP Power maintain its impressive profitability? | Read |
| 10/03/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to avoid value traps | In this instalment, Phil explains how to spot value traps and finds some cheap shares that might bounce back. | View PDF | |
| 03/03/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Free cash flow: what it is and how to use it | In this week's Investors Chronicle, Phil explains how to use free cash flow to your advantage. | View PDF | |
| 144 | 01/03/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Treatt plc | Phil analyses high flying Treatt shares to see if it can continue to deliver for investors. | Read |
| 143 | 22/02/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Kraft-Heinz's bid for Unilever | Phil looks into Kraft's bid for Unilever and what investors can learn from it. | Read |
| 142 | 15/02/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Weighing up investment trusts | Many investors like to complement their share portfolios with investment trusts. This article shows you some of the things you need to look at in order to weigh up an IT. | Read |
| 141 | 08/02/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Riding a retail roll out | Phil takes a look at retail roll outs to find out why some retail shares soar only to crash a few years later. | Read |
| 140 | 02/02/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Does Tesco buying Booker make sense? | Phil takes a look at the Tesco takeover of Booker and how shareholders can weigh up a takeover bid. | Read |
| 139 | 26/01/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Value investing today | Value investing has lots of fans but do private investors really understand what it means and how to make it work for them? | Read |
| 138 | 18/01/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Sector Watch: Beverages | Phil takes a look at the beverages sector which is home to some very well known drinks brands. | Read |
| 137 | 18/01/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | If you want to beat the market own fewer shares not more | The best investors own relatively few shares. You should do the same. | Read |
| 136 | 13/01/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Sector Watch: FTSE 100 and AIM 100 Miners | Mining shares have been on a stellar run. Phil looks to see if the shares have gone up too far, too fast or whether the rally can continue. | Read |
| 135 | 10/01/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Paying up for quality shares - how much is too much? | Phil looks at whether long term investors should keep their hands in their pockets or pay up for high quality shares. | Read |
| 134 | 04/01/2017 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | A great year for modified magic formula investing | Phil looks at how his magic formula portfolios performed against a basket of cheap shares. He also shows what shares the magic formula is suggesting for 2017 | Read |
| 133 | 20/12/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Sector Watch: Industrial Machinery | Phil looks at the fortunes of the Industrial Machinery sector in his latest sector watch. | Read |
| 132 | 15/12/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Sector Watch: Small Cap and AIM Retailers | Phil takes a look at small cap and AIM retailers ahead of the all important Christmas trading period. | Read |
| 131 | 13/12/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Why growth matters | Phil explains why profit expectations are so important when buying and owning shares. | Read |
| 07/12/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Sector Watch: Weighing up pub stocks | Phil shows you how you can weigh up a sector in a matter of minutes with some simple SharePad tools. | Read | |
| 130 | 29/11/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: MJ Gleeson | MJ Gleeson is slightly different to most house builders. Phil takes a look at its strategy and whether it can pay off in the long run. | Read |
| 128 | 23/11/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | A different way to scrutinise a company's financial performance | A quick, simple and effective way to check out a company's financial performance. | Read |
| 127 | 16/11/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | A simple investment strategy: how to find "good" companies | Phil looks at a simple and very powerful way of identify high quality companies. | Read |
| 126 | 08/11/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to identify genuine sales growth | Good companies grow their sales but not all sales growth is the same. Learn how to spot the difference between good and bad sales growth. | Read |
| 04/11/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Sector Watch: Banks | Phil looks under the bonnet of the LSE's "big five" banks. | View PDF | |
| 125 | 03/11/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Britvic | Most of the time shares look cheap for a reason. Could Britvic shares be one of the few that break this rule? | Read |
| 28/10/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Sector Watch: Bus & Rail | Phil looks at the long-term fortunes of bus and rail operators. | View PDF | |
| 124 | 20/10/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Smarter filtering for cheap shares | Using filters can be a great way to find undervalued shares but you need to use them with caution. | Read |
| 14/10/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Sector Watch: Outsourcers | Phil looks at the once safe haven of Support Services. Can the good times return? | View PDF | |
| 07/10/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Sector Watch: Consumer goods | Phil investigates whether consumer staples really are "bond proxies". | View PDF | |
| 123 | 05/10/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Understanding a company's debt | A company with too much debt can cause its shareholders lots of problems. In this article, Phil takes you through SharePad's impressive range of debt ratios to help you stay away from trouble. | Read |
| 30/09/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Sector Watch: Grocery retail | Phil analyses the UK's supermarkets and considers whether recent share price gains represent a change in fortune. | View PDF | |
| 23/09/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Sector Watch: Housebuilders | If you didn't catch Phil's excellent analysis of the Home Construction subsector in the Investors Chronicle, here it is. | View PDF | |
| 122 | 23/09/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Simple steps for avoiding dividend traps | Analysing shares doesn't have to be complicated. Here are some simple steps to check out the safety of high yielding shares. | Read |
| 121 | 15/09/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Working capital | Working capital is an important but dry topic that can confuse people. Phil lifts the lid on this part of a company's finances. | Read |
| 120 | 09/09/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Lookers | Phil looks under the bonnet of the UK's biggest car dealership. | Read |
| 119 | 07/09/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Benjamin Graham's "net net" strategy | With the UK and US stock markets trading at high valuations, there are fewer genuine bargains about. Phil considers how to find them. | Read |
| 118 | 30/08/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: N Brown | Not your normal clothing retailer in more ways than one. Phil Oakley peeks behind the curtain. | Read |
| 117 | 25/08/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How useful a measure is net asset value (NAV)? | Net asset value (NAV) is a popular way of valuing companies, but is best used with a certain type of company and needs to used with care. | Read |
| 116 | 17/08/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to tell if dividend shares are cheap or expensive | How do you know if dividend shares are cheap or expensive? A simple, but powerful formula can help you answer this question. | Read |
| 115 | 16/08/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Sports Direct | Sports Direct has hit a rocky patch, but has the stock market been too harsh on the shares? | Read |
| 114 | 11/08/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Looking for shares to short | Shorting shares is not for the nervous but can be a way for investors to make money. Phil looks at how you can find possible shorting candidates. | Read |
| 113 | 09/08/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Sage PLC | Sage shares have been a great performer. Phil puts the company through a SharePad analysis to find out why they have been so popular and whether they will continue to be so. | Read |
| 112 | 04/08/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | Why interest rates matter | How are interest rates determined, why they matter and what they can tell investors. | Read |
| 111 | 03/08/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | A quick way to find potential stock market bargains | A quick and easy way to find bombed out stocks with bargain potential. | Read |
| 110 | 19/07/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: AG Barr | AG Barr's shares have lost some of their former fizz. Does this mean that they are a bargain or is it a case of buyer beware? | Read |
| 109 | 14/07/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Comment | Are defensive shares overvalued? | Are defensive shares overvalued? Phil uses SharePad/ShareScope to try and answer this. | Read |
| 108 | 13/07/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Marks & Spencer | M&S shares are having a tough time but are they a bargain or a value trap? | Read |
| 107 | 05/07/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Comment | EU referendum | Phil looks at the fallout from the EU referendum and what it means for stock market investors. | Read |
| 106 | 30/06/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Telecom Plus | Telecom Plus pays a big dividend but can it grow its profits? Phil takes a look at this unique utility company. | Read |
| 105 | 30/06/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Sifting for bargains amid the stock market carnage | Has the stock market over-reacted to Brexit and presented some buying opportunities? We show you how to find out with some easy SharePad filters. | Read |
| 104 | 22/06/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Lloyds | Banks are not easy to understand. Armed with some new SharePad tools, Phil takes a closer look at Lloyds Banking Group. | Read |
| 103 | 16/06/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Cash flow portfolio (update June 2016) | Phil takes another look at the strategy of investing by numbers alone. In this article he catches up with his test cash flow portfolio to see how it has been getting on so far. | Read |
| 102 | 09/06/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Apple | Are Apple shares a bargain or a value trap? Phil takes a closer look at the tech giant. | Read |
| 101 | 08/06/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Magic Formula vs EBIT yield portfolio (update June 2016) | Should you buy cheap quality shares or just cheap ones? Phil takes a look at how his test portfolios are getting on. | Read |
| 100 | 26/05/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Fevertree Drinks | Fevertree's share price and its drinks have lots of fizz. Phil takes a look at this star of the AIM market to see if it can live up to investor's high expectations. | Read |
| 99 | 24/05/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to analyse a sector in SharePad - Housebuilders | SharePad allows you to do in depth analysis of stock market sectors. Phil uses the tools to run the slide rule over the housebuilding sector. | Read |
| 98 | 19/05/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: easyJet | Phil's second article on easyJet takes a closer look under the bonnet of the airline company. | Read |
| 97 | 18/05/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Investing in the shares of cyclical companies | Weighing up cyclical shares is not easy. Here are a few things to consider when looking at them. | Read |
| 96 | 09/05/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to understand profit warnings | Profit warnings are one of the biggest risks to shareholders but can sometimes be a buying opportunity. | Read |
| 95 | 06/05/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to analyse a share quickly | Using easyJet, Phil shows how to analyse a company just using SharePad. | Read |
| 94 | 28/04/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How much debt and cash does a company really have? | Balance sheets sometimes give a misleading view of a company's finances. Phil gives you a few tips on how to find out what's really going on. | Read |
| 93 | 27/04/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Procter & Gamble (P&G) | Procter & Gamble owns some of the world's best known consumer brands. Phil puts the company through a SharePad analysis to see if great brands can make great investments. | Read |
| 92 | 22/04/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Pension fund deficits | Learn about the risk to your returns and to the company itself. | Read |
| 91 | 20/04/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Stagecoach Group | Stagecoach shares have gone off the rails in recent months. Phil takes a look at the company to see if it can get back on track. | Read |
| 90 | 18/04/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to check the condition of a company's assets | Phil shows you how to check out whether a company's assets are ship-shape or worn out. | Read |
| 89 | 13/04/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Carillion | Phil puts big dividend payer Carillion through a SharePad analysis. | Read |
| 88 | 08/04/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to analyse a results statement (Card Factory) | These invaluable press releases are your first sight of a company's results. Phil explains how to tease out the key information. | Read |
| 87 | 05/04/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Restaurant Group | Restaurant Group shares have taken a battering recently. Can they recover or is there worse to come? | Read |
| 86 | 01/04/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Cash profits | Free cash flow is a very useful number when analysing companies but might not be as useful when it comes to valuing them. Phil explains why you might want to use another estimate of cash profits instead. | Read |
| 85 | 30/03/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: A&J Mucklow | Phil explains how to analyse Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). | Read |
| 84 | 23/03/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | The Capex ratio | How a company makes money for shareholders is more important than how much it actually makes. This useful calculation can help you to find out. | Read |
| 83 | 18/03/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Greggs | Shares of bakery chain Greggs have been doing well recently. Phil takes a look at the company to see if it can keep on delivering for investors. | Read |
| 82 | 17/03/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | DuPont Analysis | A simple, quick and very powerful way to analyse a company. | Read |
| 81 | 09/03/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Connect Group | Can this high-yielder keep delivering the goods for investors? | Read |
| 80 | 09/03/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | Why putting your eggs in different baskets makes sense | How asset allocation can affect the performance and volatility of your portfolio. | Read |
| 79 | 04/03/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Reckitt Benckiser | Reckitt's shares are well-liked by investors but can it keep delivering for them? | Read |
| 78 | 03/03/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Warren Buffett's best lesson for investors | What can we learn from this investing guru and how can we adapt his methodology in these unusual times? | Read |
| 77 | 25/02/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Associated British Foods | Is the success of the Primark clothing brand key to this food manufacturer? | Read |
| 76 | 18/02/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Booker Group | Phil looks to see if cash and carry company Booker can keep on delivering for investors. | Read |
| 75 | 17/02/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Have we forgotten what investing is all about? | Phil looks at a strategy that can reduce the stress of stock market investing. | Read |
| 74 | 15/02/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: ITV | ITV shares have performed well in recent years. Phil looks under the bonnet to see if the good times can continue. | Read |
| 73 | 11/02/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | The risks of owning expensive shares in a bear market | Phil looks at the risks of owning shares with high valuations. | Read |
| 72 | 04/02/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Dividend investing - high yield or dividend growth? | Phil takes a look at two dividend investing strategies and how they fared over the past year. | Read |
| 71 | 02/02/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | Some of my favourite investment books | Want to learn more about investing? These classics are well worth a read. | Read |
| 70 | 27/01/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Dignity | Does Dignity have the hallmarks of a very good business? Phil Oakley looks behind the curtain. | Read |
| 69 | 22/01/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Filter: Cash flow portfolios | Phil uses SharePad to check out the past performance of cash flow based portfolios and uses a filter to build a test portfolio | Read |
| 68 | 20/01/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: PayPoint | Shares look cheap, the fundamentals appear sound, but is all well behind the scenes? Phil investigates. | Read |
| 67 | 15/01/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Using cash flow to find high quality companies | Phil looks at free cash flow returns as a way of finding quality companies. | Read |
| 66 | 14/01/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: BT | Phil takes a look at what's been going on at BT and whether its shares can keep on delivering for investors. | Read |
| 65 | 11/01/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Filtering: Magic Formula vs EBIT Yield | In the first of a series of articles on filtering, Phil compares Greenblatt's Magic Formula with a simple EBIT Yield screen. | Read |
| 64 | 07/01/2016 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: What's next for Next? | Phil assesses the future prospects for this blue-chip favourite. | Read |
| 63 | 22/12/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Comment | What I want to see in 2016: More dividends and less share buybacks | Phil explains why he'd like to buck the trend for share buybacks. | Read |
| 62 | 18/12/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Oil companies - survival of the fittest | Which oil companies can survive the oil price rout? | Read |
| 61 | 17/12/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Comment | There's more to SharePad than just shares | We've added a great new feature which enables you build your own market overview. | Read |
| 60 | 17/12/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | A more thoughtful approach to Magic Formula investing | A look at the drawbacks of Greenblatt's approach and some smart options we've added to SharePad. | Read |
| 59 | 10/12/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Home Retail | Can Home Retail get back on track? Phil analyses the retailer's prospects. | Read |
| 58 | 02/12/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to weigh up an executive pay scheme | Are company executives acting in the interests of shareholders or themselves? | Read |
| 57 | 30/11/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Whitbread | Has the froth been blown off Whitbread's shares? Phil Oakley investigates. | Read |
| 56 | 26/11/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | When cash flow isn't cash flow - when it's called EBITDA | Phil examines the pros & cons of this oft-quoted measure of profit. More advanced. | Read |
| 55 | 20/11/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Can Tesco recover? | Phil looks at the prospects for the ailing supermarket and what the share price is assuming about future profits. | Read |
| 54 | 18/11/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Free cash flow isn't always what it seems | Free cash flow is a great way to find good investments and avoid bad ones. Phil explains the key things to look out for. | Read |
| 53 | 13/11/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Is National Grid the ultimate safe share? | Is this the ultimate safe share? Phil takes a look under the bonnet. | Read |
| 52 | 11/11/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Not all profit growth is the same | Here Phil explains, using real company examples, why not all profit growth is what it appears to be. | Read |
| 51 | 06/11/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Staying safe with AIM shares | How to avoid the next AIM disaster. Phil analyses Globo and how you could have spotted the danger signs. | Read |
| 50 | 04/11/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Should you be a momentum investor? | Harder in practice than in theory, Phil takes a look at price momentum-based investment. | Read |
| 49 | 29/10/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Comment | New tools in SharePad | An overview of some exciting enhancements in SharePad to assist with your investing. | Read |
| 48 | 27/10/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | When to sell a share | Deciding the right time to exit a position can be tricky. Phil looks at the key factors investors should consider. | Read |
| 47 | 12/10/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Sum-of-the-parts valuation | Phil shows you how to value companies with multiple business divisions - using Greene King as an example. More advanced. | Read |
| 46 | 08/10/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Buying low and selling high - a screening approach | Buying depressed stocks is the classic way to buy low and sell high. But how do you avoid falling knives? Phil suggests a screening approach and other advice to help you minimise your risks. | Read |
| 45 | 01/10/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to weigh up a rights issue | Rights issues can be confusing for investors but aren't necessarily a bad thing. Phil Oakley explains the rights issue just announced by Entertainment One. | Read |
| 44 | 29/09/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: French Connection - a classic value trap? | Cheap doesn't necessarily mean undervalued. Phil looks at the hidden costs on this clothing retailer's balance sheet. | Read |
| 43 | 25/09/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | How you make and lose money from owning shares | Phil explains how to calculate whether the total returns from a share have been driven by profit growth, dividends or valuation. | Read |
| 42 | 18/09/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Comment | How to analyse companies with hidden debt | Hidden debt such as operating leases can make companies look better and safer than they are. Learn how to calculate your own adjusted EBIT yield and ROCE. More advanced. | Read |
| 41 | 18/09/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: B&M European Value Retail | Phil weighs up the prospects for this discount retailer and shows how to estimate your potential gains and losses. | Read |
| 40 | 11/09/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | How to analyse and value water companies | Why the dividends of water companies are safer than they look and a couple of tools used by City analysts to value their shares. | Read |
| 39 | 09/09/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | Some essential checks to do before buying any share | Checking these 7 key measures will give you a good idea of a company's value and quality. | Read |
| 38 | 04/09/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to analyse low PE shares | Using Trinity Mirror, Phil considers low PE shares and how to assess whether they are undervalued bargains or businesses to avoid | Read |
| 37 | 02/09/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | The value of your investments #2: Earnings Power Value (EPV) | How to calculate a valuation for a company using its current or past profits. | Read |
| 36 | 28/08/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: TalkTalk Telecom | Is the low-cost telecoms provider a safe income play or a risky bet? | Read |
| 35 | 24/08/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | The value of your investments #1: Why interest rates matter | How interest rates directly affect the value of bonds and how you can use this knowledge to value shares. | Read |
| 34 | 19/08/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Rotork | Rotork shares are getting cheaper but are they cheap enough? | Read |
| 33 | 12/08/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Facing up to the income challenge #2 | How to build a portfolio of shares to generate retirement income and the pitfalls to avoid. | Read |
| 32 | 12/08/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Patisserie Holdings | Phil analyses the growth credentials of the company behind popular high street cake purveyor Patisserie Valerie. | Read |
| 31 | 04/08/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Marston's | Using the example of Marston's, Phil shows how to analyse pub companies. | Read |
| 30 | 24/07/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Facing up to the income challenge #1 | Bond laddering - a strategy for generating a regular retirement income without handing your pension pot over to an annuity provider or risking it on the stock market. | Read |
| 29 | 21/07/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | Getting started with investment trusts | How to analyse investment trusts and use Z-scores to spot when they are under- or overvalued. | Read |
| 28 | 16/07/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Rolls-Royce | Another profit warning, another bout of selling - are Rolls-Royce shares a recovery play or value trap? Phil Oakley shows you what to look for. | Read |
| 27 | 15/07/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | Investing in bonds | Phil explains what bonds are, how they work, and the key metrics to use when investing in bonds or bond funds. | Read |
| 26 | 06/07/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to be a better investor using trailing 12 month (TTM) data | Trailing 12 month data gives you the most up-to-date measure of a company's performance and can help you spot opportunities before the crowd. | Read |
| 25 | 02/07/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Can investors rely on Altman Z-Scores? | Are Altman Z-Scores always a reliable indicator of financial strength or weakness? Phil explains the pros and cons. | Read |
| 24 | 25/06/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Domino's Pizza - can a great investment stay great? | Phil looks at the characteristics of this successful company and considers whether its historically high PE rating can be maintained. | Read |
| 23 | 23/06/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Should you rely on brokers' forecasts? | As an ex-City analyst himself, Phil discusses the pros and cons of analyst (broker) forecasts. | Read |
| 22 | 11/06/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Why supermarkets are the most hated shares | A look back at cumulative profits and free cash flow explains a lot. | Read |
| 21 | 10/06/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | Does Magic Formula investing still work? | Phil looks at Joel Greenblatt's Magic Formula and considers its merits as a stock selection strategy. | Read |
| 20 | 08/06/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Is a takeover of Diageo likely? | Rumours are circulating about a potential bid for drinks giant Diageo. Why would it be a target and is a takeover likely? | Read |
| 19 | 05/06/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: Taylor Wimpey - how to analyse housebuilders | Housebuilders are going great guns. I look at Taylor Wimpey to show you how to analyse the sector. | Read |
| 18 | 04/06/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Are share buybacks good for your wealth? | Share buybacks are very popular with Directors but are they good value for private investors? | Read |
| 17 | 29/05/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Stock Watch | Stock Watch: SSE - is its dividend safe? | An analysis of the utility company SSE: do the fundamentals support a continued high yield for investors? | Read |
| 16 | 28/05/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to work out a company's cash profit | Profits and cash are key for any business, but uncovering its cash profit may provide a better indication of its fortunes. | Read |
| 15 | 22/05/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | How many shares do you need to own? | How can you balance the risk in your portfolio efficiently without reducing your performance potential? | Read |
| 14 | 13/05/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Are a company's profits believable? | How can you spot companies which may be employing aggressive accounting techniques and artificially inflating their profits? | Read |
| 13 | 07/05/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Putting it all together: how to analyse a share | How to perform a thorough analysis of a share using JD Sports as an example - a must-read for every private investor. | Read |
| 12 | 07/05/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Sector Analysis | Are housebuilders' shares in a bubble? | The sector has rewarded investors handsomely over the past few years, but will the good times last? | Read |
| 11 | 01/05/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | Investing in Funds, Investment Trusts & ETFs | When are investment funds a good idea and what are the pros and cons of the different types of fund? | Read |
| 10 | 22/04/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | Lower your risks with high quality companies | What makes a "high-quality" company and how can you find them | Read |
| 9 | 13/04/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to weigh up a takeover bid | What characteristics make a company a tempting takeover target? | Read |
| 8 | 09/04/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | My 5 rules for safe dividend investing | Shares with high dividend yields can seem very tempting but can be a trap for the unwary. | Read |
| 7 | 27/03/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to calculate a target price for buying shares | The risks of buying and holding high PE shares and how you can calculate an entry price. | Read |
| 6 | 19/03/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Comment | Don't rush to invest your ISA allowance | You don't have to invest straightaway; it may pay to sit on cash until share prices are cheaper. | Read |
| 5 | 20/01/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Strategies | How to be a dividend investor | Why dividends matter and how you can use them as a strategy to build yourself a nest egg. | Read |
| 4 | 09/01/2015 | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | The difference between volatility & risk | The important role of volatility in your investment strategy and how you can manage your risk profile. | Read |
| 3 | 22/12/2014 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to look for undervalued growth shares | How value investors can use the PEG value to find bargain shares with growth potential. | Read |
| 2 | 12/12/2014 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | How to use asset values to pick shares | Here I look at how company asset values can help you avoid buying shares which appear cheap, but aren't actually bargains. | Read |
| 1 | 05/12/2014 | Phil Oakley | Category: Technique | A better way to look for very cheap shares | In this article, I cover one of the most popular ways of looking for cheap shares - low p/e investing - and how to make your approach a little more nuanced. | Read |
| Basics | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | How you can beat the professionals | Why you should be confident that you can manage your own investments. | Read | |
| Basics | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | A brief guide to tax-efficient saving | A guide to the tax breaks available using ISAs and SIPPs. | Read | |
| Basics | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | Choosing your first investments | Stock-picking needn't be complicated. Here's a guide to the characteristics to look for when buying your first shares. | Read | |
| Basics | Phil Oakley | Category: Basics | What is investing? | How investing helps you grow the buying power of your money. | Read |