The defence sector remains one of the clearest long-term investment themes globally. NATO members are moving towards materially higher defence spending targets, while Europe, the US, and parts of Asia continue to rebuild military capabilities and ammunition inventories. This creates unusually strong revenue visibility through multi-year order backlogs. Defence expenditures and NATO’s 5% commitment For income-focused investors, the key is finding companies that combine: Talking defence with Bloomberg Intelligence analyst George Ferguson – Podcast Best global defence growth & income stocks CompanyRegionDividend AppealGrowth OutlookValuation ViewBAE SystemsUKStrongHighReasonableRTX CorporationUSStrongHighFairLockheed MartinUSExcellentModerate-HighAttractiveLeonardoItalyGrowingHighAttractiveThalesFranceSolidHighReasonableSaabSwedenModerateVery HighFair 1. BAE Systems (LON:BA.) £19.745 Why it stands out BAE remains…

Oracle’s (NYSE:ORCL) latest fourth-quarter and full-year results were a classic example of a stock that beat expectations yet still disappointed investors. Revenue, earnings and cloud growth all exceeded Wall Street forecasts, but the market focused on something else: an extraordinary escalation in AI-related spending that could reshape Oracle’s financial profile for years. The shares fell sharply in after-hours trading despite reporting one of the strongest growth quarters in the company’s history. Oracle (NYSE:ORCL)Price: $188 (-6.6%)Market cap: $540.63bn Oracle Q4 & FY 2026 release Oracle Q4 & FY 2026 slides Q4 results: beat across the board MetricReported Q4 FY2026Wall Street ExpectationResultRevenue$19.18bn$19.0bn-$19.1bnBeatAdjusted…

Shares in Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) fell sharply on Tuesday (9 June) after investors gave a lukewarm reception to the company’s much-anticipated WWDC 2026 keynote address (World Wide Developers Conference). Despite unveiling a major overhaul of Siri and expanding its Apple Intelligence strategy, the announcements failed to meet the exceptionally high expectations already embedded in the share price. Apple stock fell close on 4% on Tuesday and Wednesday pre-market data shows no sign of that reversing. In the week of trading sessions since 2 June, Apple shares have lost almost 8%. That’s almost $37 billion of market cap wiped out, or put…

The countdown is on for what should become the largest IPO in history. Applications for the highly anticipated SpaceX flotation close on Wednesday 10 June, with pricing expected on 11 June and Nasdaq trading set to begin on 12 June under the ticker SPCX. Demand has already exceeded the shares available, with reports suggesting orders have surpassed the $75 billion on offer. Reuters reported demand of around $150 billion, implying the deal is already roughly two times oversubscribed. For UK retail investors, that excitement has created a rare opportunity: unlike most mega-floats, SpaceX has opened a sizeable allocation (~30%) to…

Most investors looking for top AI stocks automatically gravitate toward Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO), and perhaps few others. Yet some of the most attractive AI opportunities may lie among lesser-known companies supplying the infrastructure, connectivity, and computing capacity powering the AI revolution. Broadcom Q2 FY2026 earnings analysis: AI growth remains exceptional, but expectations were even higher Broadcom Q2 2027 presentation The following five companies are not household names, but they are increasingly appearing on institutional investors’ watchlists as potential best AI stock candidates for the next phase of the AI buildout. While all AI stocks carry risk, these…

Oxford Instruments (LON:OXIG) published its full-year results announcement on 9 June with investors looking for confirmation that a difficult first half has given way to a stronger growth trajectory. The scientific instrumentation specialist has spent the past year navigating tariff disruption, weaker academic spending and a slower demand environment in parts of its Imaging & Analysis division. Oxford Instruments (LON:OXIG)Price: £28.80 (-6.7%)Market cap: £1.48bn However, the more important story for long-term investors is the accelerating momentum within Advanced Technologies, particularly compound semiconductors and other high-growth industrial applications. FY 2026 Snapshot MetricFY2026FY2025*Revenue£423.2m£443.4mAdjusted operating profit£73.7m£79.5mAdjusted operating margin17.4%17.9%Order intake growth~8%PositiveBook-to-bill ratio~1.06xAbove 1x *2025…

Few FTSE 100 stocks have rewarded investors like Rolls-Royce (LON:RR.). Since CEO Tufan Erginbilgic took charge in early 2023, the turnaround has been extraordinary, but what next? Rolls-Royce remains an excellent business, but it is no longer an obvious bargain. The question for UK retail investors today is whether Rolls-Royce remains a buy after a remarkable three-year run, or whether much of the good news is already reflected in the share price. Rolls-Royce (LON:RR.)Price: £12.35 (-2%)Market cap: £101.2bn Performance vs FTSE 100 YearRolls-Royce Share Price ReturnFTSE 100 Return*Outperformance2023+203%c.+3.8%+199.2%2024+90.7%c.+5.7%+85.0%2025+95.5%c.+7%+88.5%2026 YTD+3.2%c.+4%-0.8% *Approximate price return basis. Rolls-Royce dividends were relatively small until recently.…

Gold has already delivered exceptional returns over the past several years, reaching record highs during 2025 and early 2026. The key question for UK investors is whether the rally has further to run or whether much of the upside has already been captured. The consensus among analysts remains broadly positive, although expectations vary considerably. Most analysts continue to see structural support from central-bank buying, geopolitical uncertainty, fiscal concerns in the US, and the prospect of lower interest rates. However, after such a strong run, volatility and corrections should be expected. Summary Base Case (Most Likely) Gold trades broadly sideways to…

Raspberry Pi (LON:RPI) delivered one of the strongest trading updates on the London market so far in 2026, with upgraded profit expectations that sent the shares to new all-time highs. The update confirms that the Cambridge-based computing platform is increasingly becoming an industrial technology and semiconductor company rather than simply a hobbyist computer brand. Raspberry Pi (LON:RPI)Price: £10.32 (+25%)Market cap: £2.23bn For UK retail investors, the key question is whether today’s surge reflects the start of a longer growth story or whether much of the good news is now reflected in the valuation. What Did Raspberry Pi Announce? The company…

For UK retail investors building a global income portfolio, the ideal holdings combine four characteristics: Global dividends are expected to reach a record US$2.47 trillion in 2026, although growth is slowing to around 2.9% as companies prioritise sustainable payout growth over aggressive increases. The following 10 companies provide exposure across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific while balancing income and growth. Snapshot Table CompanyRegionSectorForecast YieldForecast EPS Growth (2026)Forecast Dividend GrowthConsensus Target UpsideJPMorgan ChaseUSBanking2.3%8-10%8%10%BroadcomUSAI & Semiconductors1.5%25-30%10%+14%MicrosoftUSTechnology0.7%12-15%10%10%Johnson & JohnsonUSHealthcare3.2%5-7%4-5%8%ShellUKEnergy4.4%6-8%5%8%UnileverUKConsumer Staples3.5%5-7%4-5%14-18%AstraZenecaUKHealthcare2.1%10-12%3%12%NovartisSwitzerlandHealthcare3.7%Flat to -3%3-4%8%Toyota MotorJapanIndustrials2.8%7-10%7%12%DBS GroupSingaporeBanking5.5%5-8%5%10% Yields, growth forecasts and target upside are consensus estimates and rounded. 1. JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) The world’s highest-quality large…