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The stock markets fell last week after a new variant of the Covid virus was announced. It seemed a bit like history was repeating itself in miniature from back in March 2020 when the pandemic started and markets crashed. But as an investor, I was watching to see if there were any stocks to buy that are now better value.

Here are two that I think are dirt-cheap buys for my portfolio for 2022 and beyond.

The first stock to buy

The first company I’m looking at is ITV (LSE: ITV). It’s a member of the prestigious FTSE 100 index with a market value of £4.4bn as I write.

I’m sure most will know ITV given that it takes up the prime channel three spot on UK TV. It generates the majority of its revenue from advertising and subscriptions in its Broadcast division. But the company also produces its … Read more

Friday was a gruesome day for UK shareholders, after the FTSE 100 index dived 3.6% on the day. Earlier in the week, the Footsie had pulled ahead by 1.2%, only to end the week 2.5% down. As a result of this mini-meltdown, the Footsie is now only 9% up in 2021. Meanwhile, the US S&P 500 index has shot up by 22.3% this calendar year.

FTSE 100: weekly winners and losers

Of course, few of the FTSE 100’s total of 101 stocks (one company is dual-listed) move exactly in line with the wider index. Indeed, several stocks made decent gains this week. For the record, a total of 21 Footsie shares rose over the past five trading days. These weekly gains ranged from a high of 6.1% to a mere 0.1%. The average rise  across all 21 winners was 2.4%.

At the other end of the scale lie the FTSE … Read more

I believe some of the names on my best stocks to buy list now are currently undervalued. The pandemic and market crash paved the way for many stocks to lose value. With the market stuttering today, there could be even more value opportunities around for my portfolio.

I believe some are still undervalued and there are some exciting opportunities to pick up cheap shares for the long term. Investing in undervalued stocks is not a new practise. In fact, legendary investor Warren Buffett is one of the most famous value investors of our time.

I have pinpointed three undervalued shares I would happily add to my portfolio at current levels.

FTSE 100 broadcaster

ITV (LSE:ITV) shares are trading for 110p as I write. A year ago shares were trading for 95p, which is a 15% return. At current levels, shares are trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of just 12, which … Read more

Making a million can sound like a daunting task. This is especially so when we are just starting out on our investing journey. Just the idea seems implausible. But it is not. It does require patience, discipline, and careful selection though. Let me give an example. If I could target an annual saving of £10,000, that would be a good place to start. Here is how I would go about making a million from it by investing in the stock markets. 

What is the annual target return for my investments?

First, I would consider an achievable return on my investments. This could be in the form of capital gains or dividends or both. My annual target goal would be a return of 10%. There are FTSE 100 stocks around today that offer this much just in dividend yield. Moreover, they are likely to give me capital gains as well. 

So, … Read more

We can all agree savings rates are terrible at the moment. But did you know that with a bit of imagination it’s possible to trump the rates offered on easy access accounts? What’s more, you don’t necessarily have to lock away cash.

Here’s everything you need to know to give your savings a much-needed boost (and potentially bag £50 cashback on top!).

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How bad are easy access savings rates?

Right now, the top-rated easy access savings account pays 0.7% AER variable, via Cynergy Bank. While this is a pittance in historic terms, savings rates have been in the doldrums for a fair few years. In fact, 0.7% compares relatively well with other rates on offer. For the majority of 2021, the highest savings rates have stood at a smidgen above 0.5%.

However, despite this, there’s no denying that 0.7% is still way less than the current rate of … Read more