Best UK Shares to Watch in 2023

Jitanchandra Solanki
9 Min read

While most stock markets ended 2022 in the negative, the FTSE 100 stock market index - which measures the value of the largest 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange - bucked the trend and ended higher.  

This makes it a good time to investigate what could be the best UK stocks for this year. But how do you find the best UK shares to buy now? An investor can never truly know beforehand but below is a list of UK stocks to watch this year to build your research on.  

It’s worthwhile remembering that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance and that all forms of investing involve winning and losing so be sure to exercise proper risk management when building your investing portfolio.

Best UK Stocks to Watch for 2023 List 

  1. Rolls Royce Plc (RR)
  2. HSBC Plc (HSBA)
  3. BP Plc (BP)
  4. Vodafone Group Plc (VOD)
  5. International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG)

Best UK Shares for 2023 Research & Analysis

Below is more information on each of the UK companies listed above. 

1. Rolls Royce Plc 

Rolls Royce Holdings Plc (RR) is a British aerospace and defence company. From 2000 to 2014 the stock rallied more than 480% to a record of GBX 444.06. However, since then the stock crashed to a low of GBX 34.60 by late 2020.  

At the beginning of 2023, the stock is up around 215% breaking through the psychological price level of GBX 100.00. According to 11 analysts polled by TipRanks the highest Rolls-Royce share price forecast over the next 12 months is GBX 148.68 with the lowest price target at GBX 70.00.  

China’s re-opening in late 2022 is forecasted to help increase international air travel which could help aeroplane engine makers such as Rolls-Royce. The appointment of a new chief executive is sure to share things up as well.  

In the latest Rolls-Royce earnings report, it highlighted that its large engine flying hours were still only 65% of pre-Covid levels but 36% up year to date. This shows there is room to grow for one of the world’s most recognised engine suppliers.  

However, uncertainties around energy prices, a cost of living crisis that could affect airline travel or some factors that could weigh on Rolls-Royce's share price this year. Therefore, tracking macroeconomic developments around these themes will be key to analysing the potential growth in its share price.

 

2. HSBC Plc 

HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA) is a British multinational bank that is considered to be the largest in Europe with nearly $3 trillion in assets. During the pandemic, the share price fell to a low of GBX 281.50 by September 2020 – lows not seen since 2009.  

Since then, the HSBC share price has rallied strongly and was trading at GBX 516.30 at the start of 2023, up more than 80% from the pandemic lows. It still has another 60% before it reaches its all-time high price level of GBX 953.40 recorded in January 2001.

Rising interest rates tend to help banking stocks outperform as it means the bank can lend out at a higher interest rate than what they borrow which helps to increase their margins and profitability.  

Last year, the bank reported profits of nearly $14 billion. Some analysts believe this could help the bank’s dividend to return to pre-pandemic levels. Currently, the bank pays a quarterly dividend of GBX 5.42 which is an annual dividend yield of 3.61%.  

One issue to bear in mind is the fact some analysts are forecasting a slower pace of interest rate hikes this year. This may slow down some of the momentum seen in banking stocks over the past several months. Analysing price activity around central bank announcements this year could be key in determining sentiment and portfolio allocation from larger investors.  

3. BP Plc 

BP Plc (BP) is one of the major energy giants in Europe and around the world. The oil company’s share price crashed lower during the pandemic to a low of GBX 188.50 by October 2020 – price levels not seen since before 2000. Since then, the BP share price was up more than 150% at the start of 2023 trading around GBX 474.90.

Oil companies around the world benefited from the surge in oil prices during the pandemic recovery and the Russia-Ukraine war. While European energy giants such as BP and Shell have benefitted from rising oil prices, they are still trading at valuations much lower than their US counterparts such as Chevron and Exxon.   

European energy stocks have held up well even though governments are trying to claw back some of those profits through windfall taxes to help with subsidies and price caps for rising energy bills. These profits are also likely to benefit shareholders due to the potential of stock buybacks and rising dividends.  

However, the interference of governments in forcing through a windfall tax has led to some comments from energy companies that this may result in lower investment in that particular country. While that is likely to affect the country’s economy more than corporate profits it could be cause for concern if the battle escalates. 

Free trading webinars

Tune into live webinars hosted by our trading experts

4. Vodafone Group Plc 

Vodafone (VOD) is a British multinational telecommunications company providing services in Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. At the start of 2023, the Vodafone share price was trading at GBX 84.24 - lows not seen since 2002.  

As the share price is trading at such a low price level it has helped the dividend yield rise to 8.4%. This has led analysts at Bank of America to initiate a buy rating on the stock price forecasting growth of 42% to a price of GBX 131.00.  

The recent change in management could help to revive its fortune in some of its biggest markets, helping to grow its bottom line. The telecommunications company has also offloaded stakes in Vantage Towers and is in talks to sell its stake in Africa’s Vodacom.  

When investing in any stock trading at near-record lows, investors should take a much more longer-term outlook or wait for sentiment and price to improve over several quarters. 

5. International Consolidated Airlines Group SA 

IAG (IAG) is an Anglo-Spanish multinational airline stock which operates airlines such as British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling among others. IAG’s stock price crashed during the pandemic period due to lower air travel and global lockdowns.  

The reopening of the global economy has helped boost airline share prices with IAG starting 2023 at GBX 126.30, up around 43% from its pandemic low. While most analysts are forecasting airline travel to increase – especially with China reopening its economy – there are still some uncertainties around energy prices and the more lucrative income stream for airlines, business travel.  

A cost of living crisis could also affect consumer spending for airline travel, while IAG’s debt is a key figure to watch if interest rates continue to rise at an aggressive pace. 

Free analytical tools

Tap into a wealth of exclusive resources at the touch of a button

How to Buy UK Stocks 

Once you have established the best UK stocks to buy now that are suitable for your own investment portfolio and risk tolerance levels, how do you purchase them? This is where a UK share dealing account comes in handy.  

With the Admirals Invest.MT5 account you can invest in stocks and ETFs (exchange traded funds) from 15 of the largest stock exchanges around the world, including the UK stocks listed above.  

  1. Open a live Invest.MT5 UK share dealing account or a practice demo account. 
  2. Deposit funds into your live account, or use virtual funds from your demo account.  
  3. Click on Trade in the Admirals Trader’s Room to open the Admirals web stock trading software.  
  4. Choose from thousands of stocks all around the world to invest in or analyse the price chart further.  
  5. Invest. 

With the Admirals Invest.MT5 account you can: 

  • Buy UK stocks with a commission of 0.1% of the trade value and a low minimum transaction fee of GBP 1.0.  
  • Buy US stocks with a commission of $0.02 per share with a low minimum transaction fee of USD 1.0.  
  • Collect dividend payments from companies that pay out dividends.

Invest in the world’s top instruments

Thousands of stocks and ETFs at your fingertips

FAQs on Best UK Stocks to Buy 

 

What are the top 10 stocks to buy right now? 

The top 10 stocks that are receiving the most amount of volume right now are Sainsbury (J), Lloyds Banking Group, Rolls Royce Holdings, BP, Vodafone Group, Glencore, HSBC Holdings, International Consolidated Airlines Group SA, Barclays and Tesco. 

 

Is UK stock market a good investment? 

In 2022, most global stock market indices ended down for the year. However, the UK stock market’s FTSE 100 index closed higher on the year. The UK stock is heavily affected by GBP exchange rate fluctuations, energy prices and interest rates which will be important to track for the future.

  
INFORMATION ABOUT ANALYTICAL MATERIALS:  

The given data provides additional information regarding all analysis, estimates, prognosis, forecasts, market reviews, weekly outlooks or other similar assessments or information (hereinafter “Analysis”) published on the websites of Admirals investment firms operating under the Admirals trademark (hereinafter “Admirals”). Before making any investment decisions please pay close attention to the following:  

1. This is a marketing communication. The content is published for informative purposes only and is in no way to be construed as investment advice or recommendation. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research, and that it is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.  

2. Any investment decision is made by each client alone whereas Admirals shall not be responsible for any loss or damage arising from any such decision, whether or not based on the content.  

3. With view to protecting the interests of our clients and the objectivity of the Analysis, Admirals has established relevant internal procedures for prevention and management of conflicts of interest.  

4. The Analysis is prepared by an independent analyst, Jitan Solanki, (hereinafter “Author”) based on personal estimations.  

5. Whilst every reasonable effort is taken to ensure that all sources of the content are reliable and that all information is presented, as much as possible, in an understandable, timely, precise and complete manner, Admirals does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained within the Analysis.  

6. Any kind of past or modelled performance of financial instruments indicated within the content should not be construed as an express or implied promise, guarantee or implication by Admirals for any future performance. The value of the financial instrument may both increase and decrease and the preservation of the asset value is not guaranteed.  

7. Leveraged products (including contracts for difference) are speculative in nature and may result in losses or profit. Before you start trading, please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved

TOP ARTICLES
Should I Invest in Tesla Stock?
Electric Vehicle (EV) ownership is on the rise and, due to high oil prices and the need to reduce our emissions, it is a fairly safe assumption that demand for EVs will continue to rise in the future. Although competition has increased recently in the EV sector, there is still one undisputed king: T...
What is a Good Price Earnings Ratio?
The Price Earnings Ratio (P/E Ratio) is used by investors to help understand the value of a company. In this article, we go through what the price/earnings ratio is, how to calculate it and how it is used. Table of Contents What is the Price Earnings Ratio?  How is the PE Ratio Calculated?  Ho...
Best Shares to Buy in 2023
If you’re interested in learning how to identify what some of the best shares to buy in 2023 could be then you are in the right place. 2022 was full of wild market movements not seen for many years.The collapse in global stock markets due to rising interest rates has now created some very interestin...
View All