The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of investment advice. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are highly speculative and volatile assets, which carry several risks, including the total loss of any monies invested. Readers are responsible for carrying out their own due diligence and for obtaining professional advice before making any investment decisions. Real estate But, the real point is that share prices tend to rise over the long term. They’ve been doing it in the UK for well over a century now. I already have exposure to the space via Apple and Nvidia. But I’ll certainly be looking to add to these in the future. Lloyds shares reached above 54p in February. Since then, they’ve fallen by 12%. But I don’t think that’s due to any real analysis of the bank’s long-term outlook. That hasn’t changed, as far as I can see. Bank sentiment

In recent times, there’s been a major push from Apple, which announced it was working on AI tools to challenge OpenAI’s services, including what some are calling its own ‘Apple GPT’. At scary times, investors tend to trade more often. Never mind just one trade per month, which is already scary, some do it multiple times every day. So yes, being serious, I do think there’s an argument for just taking the cash and ignoring the share price. I mean, I can’t think of any other reason why anyone would be happy to have held BT shares for the past five years. Can it keep going? So what’s the investor’s biggest enemy? I’d say there are two — short-term focus, and emotion. They’re two sides of the same thing, really. Barclays shares fell 25% from their February high. There’s no clear gauge of what defines a crash, but that’s a big drop.It might look good to be paying 8% and more. But I think the market can see through it. Just look at the size of those price falls. They’re the biggest of the bunch, over both 12 months and five years. Fears overdone And on that score, I see a forecast price-to-earnings ( P/E) ratio of only 6.5, and set to fall. And there’s a dividend yield of 5% on the cards, also on the up. Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios are low, with Aviva at 7.5 and Legal and General on 8.6. Among the banks, Lloyds Banking Group is on a multiple of 6.2, while Barclays‘ is just 5.1.

Even Unilever, known for steady rather than big dividends, is on 4%. And that’s about the Footsie average right now. Cheap banks Who says the insurance business is having a tough time this year? Judging by the Legal & General share price, most of the big investment firms, I guess. Good forecasts Marks & Spencer has always done fine with its food offerings. But it perpetually failed to get enough people to buy its clothes. Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust shares have slumped in the past couple of years, and I think they’re still too cheap. Mark Stones (TMFMumbojumbones) joined The Motley Fool in 2014 and initially worked as a writer for Fool.co.uk, before joining the Fool’s analyst programme.

More on Investing Articles

After studying economics at university, James qualified as a chartered accountant in London. He has since held a number of senior finance positions, both in the UK and overseas. I already thought Lloyds shares were among the best value in the FTSE 100. But after these falls, the market puts them at only around half the average Footsie valuation. That just can’t be right. But those who take on the risk and buy today could secure that 10%. And that’s the kind of yield that can provide long-term riches. Based in London, James is a freelance investment writer for the Fool UK. He also contributes to business and economics publications, having previously worked as a staff writer and editor. James has a PhD in development studies and has contributed to academic work on global supply chains. He also manages his own investment portfolio. I am a longtime Fool from the States relocated to London. With decades to go before retirement, I'm focused on AIM-listed small caps and growth shares of all stripes. My favourite companies are those that are looking to shake up stodgy industries with fresh ideas. After living and working in China for several years, I also have a soft spot for companies looking to take advantage of the long term potential to be found selling to a 100 million strong middle class.

It’s the UK’s biggest mortgage lender too. So as long as the housing market is strong, Lloyds should coin it there. I’m thinking about Vodafone and BT Group in particular here. Both were a lot more resilient in the face of the pandemic slump, so they have that going for them. And it might not be fair to compare such different businesses. I think some of the fear is well placed too. Vodafone, for example, has paid high yields for years but with only bare cover by earnings at best.What does that say to me? I think it means a lot of folk expect to see dividend cuts this year. So there might not be a lot of trust in these forecasts right now. The bank has kept its full-year outlook pretty much flat, when the City expected a boost. That reflects the pressures the financial sector still faces for the rest of 2023. Even with the commodities diversification though, I expect the Glencore dividend to be a bit variable over the years. In fact, broker forecasts expect it to drop to 6% by 2025. So there’s got to be risk of a share price fall if that happens. Charlie formerly worked at the Bank of England and is a qualified lawyer with expertise in intellectual property and technology disputes. He currently writes on a freelance basis, specialising in financial markets and investing. I’ve learned one thing from the pandemic days. Investing in high-street retail is risky, and could face a lot of challenges.