bought

After languishing in a deep freeze over the past few years, the market for initial public offerings (IPOs) is finally gaining steam. In recent months, several companies have gone public, seizing the opportunity to meet the growing investor demand for newly listed shares.

I’ve closely watched the pre-IPO market, waiting for the opportunity to buy shares of some compelling companies. I recently invested in two standout companies: ServiceTitan (TTAN -2.87%) and Klarna Group (KLAR -5.71%). Here’s why I bought these hot IPO stocks.

Image source: Getty Images.

A huge market opportunity

ServiceTitan completed its IPO late last year. The company provides cloud-based software to contractors working in the trades industry, including heating and air-conditioning, plumbing, and electrical service providers.

One of the things that drew me to ServiceTitan is the huge opportunity for its software. The trades industry is enormous, with businesses in the U.S. generate an estimated $1.5 trillion in annual revenue. ServiceTitan currently offers software that could serve companies generating about $650 billion in annual revenue.

However, its current collection of customers only produces about $75 billion in revenue. This means the company currently addresses just a small slice of the market, providing ample room for expansion as it brings more businesses onto its platform and extends its services into added trades.

The company currently generates less than $900 million in annual revenue. With a fully deployed platform, it estimates that revenue from existing customers could hit $1.5 billion. Looking ahead, it sees a $13 billion opportunity with its current platform, and more than $30 billion in annual revenue potential as it expands into new trades and markets.

The company is actively capitalizing on this opportunity. Revenue grew 25% in its fiscal second quarter of 2026 to $242 million. Retaining existing customers and expanding those relationships helped drive growth, as evidenced by its net dollar revenue retention of over 110%. It hasn’t yet achieved profitability under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), but its free cash flow rose over 83% in the period to $34.3 million.

I believe ServiceTitan can continue to grow rapidly for years to come, given its substantial untapped market and expanding customer base. This significant opportunity presents a long path to increasing revenue, which is why I believe it could deliver robust returns in the coming years.

An AI-powered fintech leader

Klarna Group just completed its long-awaited IPO last month. The Swedish financial technology company enables consumers to make buy now, pay later (BNPL) purchases. It also actively leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to boost productivity and enhance its services.

The company is capitalizing on several trends to build a unique commerce network. Consumers are increasingly using digital payments to process transactions.

At the same time, they’re shifting away from credit cards and have low trust in banks. That’s enabling Klarna to bridge the gap between consumers and merchants with a digital solution for payments and banking built on its proprietary AI-powered technology.

Klarna makes money from payments and advertising, which are huge and growing market opportunities. The current addressable market for its payments offering is $520 billion. It has a tiny sliver of that market (0.6%).

Management estimates that there’s over $100 billion of growth ahead in its existing markets and a more than $400 billion expansion opportunity in potential new markets. Meanwhile, the digital advertising market is $570 billion. The company has an even smaller slice of this (0.03%), which it sees growing to $735 billion in the coming years.

The business is growing rapidly and now serves 790,000 merchants (a 34% year-over-year increase in the second quarter) and supports 111 million active customers (a 31% increase). This expanding user base helped drive a 20% boost in revenue to $823 million.

With two huge addressable markets, Klarna appears to have significant long-term potential. The small share of both the payment and digital advertising markets that it currently holds suggests there’s plenty of room to deliver rapid revenue growth as it continues to expand into new sectors. This growth potential could enable the company to generate strong returns in the coming years.

Two potential game changers

I believe ServiceTitan and Klarna have tremendous opportunities, and both companies are using their proprietary technology to capitalize on it. I expect that they could deliver game-changing returns, which makes me excited to finally add these recent IPOs to my portfolio.

Over 35 years ago, Warren Buffett told investors, “When we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever.” Since then, he’s bought and sold dozens of stocks for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A 0.55%) (BRK.B 1.06%), proving that even the Oracle of Omaha doesn’t have a perfectly clear crystal ball.

Even when Buffett has made extremely successful equity investments, he’s often had reason to sell at least some of Berkshire’s stake — either to maintain a more balanced portfolio, or sell a stock that’s become overvalued, or for any number of other reasons. Those are factors that have come to the fore recently for Buffett and his team of investment managers. Berkshire Hathaway has sold more marketable equities than it bought in each of the last 11 quarters.

Those sales include one stock that Berkshire first bought in 2008 and will go down as one of Buffett’s (and Munger’s) most successful investments of all time.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Powering massive returns for investors

In late September 2008, as the global stock market was reeling amid the Great Recession, Buffett and Munger took the opportunity to buy a 10% stake in a Chinese auto company called BYD (BYDDY -0.94%) (BYDD.F -1.20%). They gradually increased Berkshire’s stake in the business, reaching about 20% at one point. Today, the company is the largest EV manufacturer in the world, surpassing Tesla.

It was Vice Chairman Charlie Munger who brought the company to Buffett’s attention. He found CEO Wang Chuanfu’s engineering and managerial skills extremely impressive. He had developed one of the largest battery manufacturers in the world before transitioning to the automotive business in the early 2000s. With its battery expertise and other vertically integrated components made through acquisitions, BYD looked poised to do well in the nascent electric vehicle market.

Sure enough, BYD has developed a broad lineup of vehicles sold around the world. Its global sales of fully electric vehicles surpassed Tesla’s in the fourth quarter of 2023 and for the full year of 2024. It’s not just success in its home country, either. BYD’s European sales surpassed Tesla’s in April this year. Management aims to sell half of its cars outside of China by 2030. It’s worth noting BYD has yet to enter the U.S. market due to tariffs and the political environment.

It’s no surprise, then, that BYD’s stock price has soared amid its success. With the acceleration in sales over the last few years, BYD’s stock is up more than eightfold since the start of 2020.

Buffett started decreasing Berkshire’s stake in BYD starting in August 2022, after Berkshire’s initial investment had already climbed about 20-fold. At one point, Berkshire’s shares were worth $9 billion. Based on financial reports from Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, the company gradually sold off shares until completely divesting its stake in the first quarter of this year.

Is the competition too much?

Buffett may have missed the absolute peak of BYD’s stock price, but shares have certainly struggled in the latter half of the year, as Chinese competitors take market share from its domestic business. BYD’s August deliveries were flat year over year, as were July’s. Not only has the intense domestic competition hurt unit sales, but it’s also hurt BYD’s margins.

But the company stands at a distinct advantage over the competition thanks to its significant vertical integration. As mentioned, BYD is one of the leading battery manufacturers in the world. That, in and of itself, is a significant advantage over other EV makers who need to source batteries from third parties. But BYD also makes many other components in its vehicles, including the motors, semiconductors, and practically everything else except the tires and glass.

That allows the business to adapt quickly and maintain better margins than its competitors. With plans for an aggressive international expansion, it’ll have to replicate its manufacturing capabilities all around the world. But management has proven quite adept at building systems and scaling them.

After the pullback in price, investors can buy shares for just 1 times sales and less than 16 times forward earnings expectations. That’s an attractive price for the leader in a growing industry, even if it’s seeing some pressure from the competition weighing on revenue growth and margins. It’s certainly a better valuation than investors could get with Tesla. While Buffett may have sold out of the stock, it might still deserve a spot in your portfolio.

A MUM who bought a tummy tuck off a Facebook as nearly died after an infection ate her stomach from the inside out.

Soreena O’Malley, from Hull, saved up for years to undergo the knife but was left “crying every single day” and a future in a wheelchair.

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The cosmetic procedure saw her bedridden with a gaping wound across her stomach.

The 34-year-old said she has “no tummy” left after the 360-degree liposuction in Turkey.

Soreena told Hull Live: “It is not very nice having to be bed-bound three months after a surgery that I have paid for because I was so self-conscious about my body.

“I wouldn’t wear bikinis on holiday. It really did take me a long time to save this money because it was something I have wanted since having my child.

“I have no tummy. My whole tummy is gone and it could take well up to two years to heal. It is a massive hole.”

Her husband Declain added: “She nearly died from it.”

Soreena recalled arriving at Turkish hospital and being handed consent forms with no English translation.

She is now warning people against opting for surgery abroad, and buying into dodgy advertisements on social media.

The 34-year-old required a skin graft and specialist care when she returned to the UK.

Her family have set up a GoFundMe to help cover medical fees, and support Soreena’s daughter.

Declain told how donations would help “give my little girl her mum back” after the ordeal tore their family apart.

The couple are desperate for funds to cover corrective surgery, a wheelchair and legal action.

Soreena fears her mobility may never return and says the nightmare has devastated their mental health.

NHS England was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.

This comes after another woman told how she was left rotting in a dingy hotel and wanted to die after a £15,000 botched tummy tuck.

Sara Platt, 34, is now taking the Turkish doctor who operated on her to court.

Speaking to the Mail, she said: “I was left with three days to live. I suffer with nightmares every night. I’ve got extreme PTSD.

“If somebody touches my stomach straight away, I can feel pain and that’s going to be with me forever.”

As soon as she woke up from the 13-hour operation – which included the tummy tuck, a breast implant and three other procedures – she knew something was catastrophically wrong.

The pain was so severe that she begged her dad to let her die – while her right breast was purple, she claimed.

Over the following days, Sara’s health deteriorated further – as brown liquid began to seep from her body.

She later spent eight weeks at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery.

Now, the traumatised mum, who claims to be suffering from PTSD, will be forced to return to Turkey for medical examinations – as part of legal proceedings against the surgeon.

Elsewhere, another mum underwent the same horror when she contacted sepsis after a failed tummy tuck abroad.

Mum-of-one Cennet Lo went under the knife within hours of getting off her plane in Turkey with plans to have a tummy tuck, liposuction and Brazilian butt lift.

But the 28-year-old has been left traumatised from the ordeal after she regained consciousness during the invasive procedure.

Once she was under, the mum recalls horrifically waking up and witnessing her own operation.

THE grief-stricken parents of the woman who died with her fiancé of methanol poisoning have revealed they bought the toxic Limoncello that killed them.

Newly engaged couple Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and Arno Els Quinton, 36, were found dead in their Vietnamese villa on Boxing Day last year.

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Cops immediately launched an investigation into the deaths and tests later concluded both died of methanol poisoning, believed to be linked to the tainted limoncello, according to Vietnamese police.

The barman who allegedly made the deadly drink was charged in February and remains detained while investigations continue.

Greta’s parents Paul, 71, and Susan, 70, visited the pair in Vietnam in November 24 – where they had been running a villa and renting rooms out to travellers.

During their stay, they ate at Good Morning Vietnam and enjoyed free shots of Limoncello at the end of their meal.

When they returned home, they decided to order a few bottles of the drink and have them delivered to the couple’s home as a Christmas gift – a decision they would later regret for the rest of their lives.

It was not long before Greta messaged her parents complaining she had the “worst hangover ever” and was suffering from “black spots” in her vision.

The couple reportedly tried to “sleep it off” instead of going to the doctors despite being urged to by pals.

They were found dead three days later in separate rooms of the villa by a cleaner.

The family said the wait for answers has been “unbearable”.

They have received no further update from police nor an apology from the restaurant.

Paul told the BBC: “It’s about accountability”, adding “we can’t move on”.

Greta and Arno’s ashes are currently stored in two bags in the Ottesons’ home in Rhandirmwyn, Carmarthenshire – one has a pink bunny on top of it, the other a blue bear.

Parents, Paul and Susan, heartbreakingly revealed they can’t face laying them to rest until they have “received justice”.

They said: “Justice for us would be naming the people responsible and prosecuting them.”

TOXIC DRINK

The pair are said to have gone out for dinner on December 24, before returning back to the holiday villa which they own at around 10pm.

Two bottles of limoncello were waiting for them at the reception desk after being delivered earlier in the night by a different restaurant.

The business is said to be popular in the area and a photo of their menu online shows they offer the lemon liqueur at a cheap price.

They advertise a shot as costing 85,000 Vietnamese dong (£2.70) and, according to the menu, it is homemade.

It is unclear how methanol could have been inside the drinks.

The highly toxic industrial chemical is found in antifreeze and windscreen-washer fluid but also appears in some home-brewed or counterfeit alcohol.

HEARTBREAKING TRIBUTES

Greta and Arno Els Quinton passed away less than a month after the pair got engaged.

They had moved to Vietnam together and settled in Hoi An.

The happy couple had taken out a lease out on the gorgeous red-roofed Silverbell Villa where they were later found dead.

It featured a nine-bedroom guesthouse with a swimming pool and sat just ten minutes from Hoi An Ancient Town – a Unesco World Heritage site.

A heartfelt Instagram post on December 3, saw the pair officially announce their engagement to the world.

Days after their bodies were discovered the pair were featured in a touching engagement video posted to YouTube.

A filming studio posted a montage they had made of the pair to celebrate their marriage.

The video shows Greta and Arno, wearing white, dancing, walking hand-in-hand, and expressing the love they shared.

Greta’s parents, Susan and Paul, also paid a touching tribute their only child as they called her “beautiful”.

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The statement continued: “Both Greta and Arno were experienced worldwide travellers.

“They found their perfect home and were incredibly happy with their life in Vietnam, planning for the future.”

Paul, originally from Swansea, added: “We were so happy she picked Arno. He was such a lovely boy. Arno was a great musician, composer and lyricist.

“They bought a second-hand bike and were so proud. Susan told Greta, ‘Make sure it’s red for Wales’.

“They were a loving couple with their life ahead of them. The tributes we have had from around the world are unbelievable.”

Travel lover Greta had previously lived in Dubai and backpacked around different countries in Asia before settling more recently in Vietnam.

She was a digital strategist who ran a social media and content marketing agency called Not Sorry Socials.

Arno was a barista, musician, and streamer.

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Cathie Wood is in a good groove again. The largest of the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) she manages as CEO of Ark Invest is up by 77% over the past year, crushing the market. The aggressive growth stocks she favors are in style on Wall Street, and investors are paying attention to her moves.

She did a little more buying than usual on Tuesday, adding to her funds’ existing positions in Advanced Micro Devices (AMD -0.92%), Airbnb (ABNB 1.31%), and Figma (FIG 2.27%). Let’s take a closer look at these three dynamic stocks.

1. Advanced Micro Devices

It has been a wild ride lately for AMD investors. The maker of central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), and other types of microprocessors has seen its shares more than double since bottoming out in early April after the first wave of concerns about President Donald Trump’s tariffs rattled the market. However, despite that surge, the stock is barely trading 5% higher over the past year. Yes, this chipmaker has underperformed the market over the past year. No one said that investing in AMD was going to be boring.

The case for buying AMD stock these days is clear. Booming demand for generative artificial intelligence (AI) means that tech players will keep building out massive new data centers to crank out resource-intensive results. AMD makes chips that propel data centers onto their AI-rendering journeys. It’s not the top dog in this niche, but there is clearly room for more than one canine here.

Image source: Getty Images.

There are some signs that AMD stock might be taking a breather — the shares have slipped by 15% from the 52-week high they touched last month. After a year of accelerating revenue growth, AMD’s top-line increase slowed to 32% in the second quarter. Management is forecasting revenue growth of just 28% year over year in the current quarter.

One analyst did downgrade the stock late last week. Erste Group’s Hans Engel feels that its valuation is elevated given the lack of improvement in its operating margins and its unimpressive returns on equity. AMD also trades now for about 27 times next year’s expected earnings, which Engel believes is a bit too high. So he replaced his earlier buy rating on the stock with a hold rating.

That valuation may seem high for a company experiencing decelerating growth, but there are external issues contributing to the drag. AMD, like others in this space, has been caught in the crossfire of the trade war, which is restricting sales of its potent Instinct MI308 GPUs into China. It’s still selling plenty of chips elsewhere, though, and its client and gaming segment is in the midst of a resurgence, with sales up 69% in the second quarter.

2. Airbnb

Airbnb shareholders could probably use a vacation. The stock is up just 4% over the past year — and trading 7% lower year to date despite 2025’s generally buoyant market environment. The top app for booking vacation properties has found revenue growth for the fourth consecutive year. However, the 13% year-over-year increase it booked in its latest quarter was its healthiest result in more than a year.

There are certainly plenty of reasons to be concerned about investing in Airbnb. Trade war rhetoric is making international travel less savory. Closer to home, more companies are requiring employees to return to working in offices, which means fewer will be able to travel — often using an Airbnb — while still getting work done remotely. The biggest area of looming concern for the company’s outlook, though, is that the U.S. economy may be softening. Consumer confidence has been dropping for the past year, and when people are worried about their finances, they may not see springing for a getaway as prudent. Meanwhile, hotel chains are hopping into Airbnb’s niche, offering standalone property rentals to loyalty club members who are pining for something different.

The good news is that Airbnb is still a moneymaker. It has generated $4.3 billion in free cash flow over the past year. Management appears to see the stock as a good deal at current prices, given that it announced a $6 billion share buyback authorization this summer. It’s trading at just 25 times forward earnings, a historical low for the travel platform operator.

It is understood that Newcastle did not supply any tickets directly to the school group.

A similar number of students from the Dundee independent school previously took in Newcastle’s most recent Champions League game against AC Milan in 2023.

Regarding the Barcelona game tickets, a spokesman for the school said: “The High School of Dundee was approached by an approved provider and the tickets were bought as part of a group package.”

Buying tickets from sources other than directly from a club is not necessarily a new phenomenon in the game.

David Burt, a former Newcastle player, is a sports sales consultant at GB Sports Tours in north-east England.

Burt, who has “never been successful in the ballot” as a Newcastle fan, has seen it both ways.

“We have had school groups from up here in Newcastle and various areas going to Man City,” he said. “Sometimes they might be playing Newcastle or another good team and have said, ‘Can we get tickets for a game?'”

Newcastle season ticket holders were able to guarantee their ticket for all of the club’s Champions League home games by joining the cup scheme.

The rest were then split.

The supporters’ trust explained how some tickets were balloted and others were placed on general sale to those with a club membership – which costs £37 for an adult and £20 for a child – and to season ticket holders who did not enter the cup scheme.

Given the intense demand, it is perhaps not a surprise that the club are looking into either building a new stadium or increasing the capacity at St James’ Park.

Over the past century, no asset class has rivaled the annualized return of stocks. But when the lens is narrowed to just the trailing decade, cryptocurrencies have absolutely crushed the benchmark S&P 500 in the annualized return column.

Though Bitcoin (BTC 0.46%) has led the way with its first-mover advantages, it’s XRP (XRP 0.56%) that’s been flying the highest of all the major digital assets of late. Over the trailing-12-month period, XRP has practically quintupled, up 396%, while Bitcoin has gained a more “modest” 84%, as of the late evening on Aug. 29.

Whereas stocks tend to ebb and flow because of tangible financial metrics, such as their operating results and prevailing economic data, emotions and hype are known to move digital currencies. There’s little question that anticipation and hype have helped lift XRP to a more than seven-year high. The question is: Will the old Wall Street adage “buy the rumor, sell the news” put an end to this monstrous rally in the world’s No. 3 digital asset?

Image source: Getty Images.

XRP entered 2025 in an ideal situation

Whereas Murphy’s Law states that “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong,” XRP has had virtually everything go its way since early November 2024.

In November, Donald Trump won the presidency, which was viewed as a positive for most cryptocurrencies. Aside from Trump’s tinkering with the idea of a Bitcoin strategic reserve during his campaign, he was viewed as the friendliest presidential candidate to the crypto industry.

Since Trump’s inauguration, he’s signed the Genius Act into law, which established stablecoin backing and redemption standards, audit requirements, and federal oversight for the largest stablecoin issuers. While this doesn’t directly affect XRP, it paints a picture of an administration that’s willing to remove tight restrictions that had previously been placed on digital assets.

Another hyped event for XRP has been the expected approval of a spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF). A crypto spot ETF gives a buyer exposure to a specific digital asset without having to directly purchase it on a crypto exchange. In turn, buyers would pay a nominal fee (the net expense ratio) that covers the management and marketing costs for the fund.

When spot Bitcoin ETFs were first approved, massive cash inflows were observed for weeks. If spot XRP ETFs were to get the nod from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) come October, a similar multiweek period of cash inflows would be expected.

However, the most-hyped event of all was the expected end to five years of litigation and appeals between the SEC and Ripple regarding whether or not Ripple sold XRP as an unregistered security. Ripple is the largest holder of XRP coins and is the company utilizing XRP as its intermediary payment token on RippleNet.

Last month, the SEC and Ripple agreed to drop their respective appeals. The news investors had waited years for had finally arrived — and so has the selling pressure on XRP.

XRP’s faults may be difficult to mask without a carrot at the end of the stick

Since the SEC sued Ripple in 2020, ending this litigation had been viewed as the carrot at the end of the stick that kept the hype train rolling. But with the appeal process over, sweeping XRP’s tangible faults under the rug could be tougher than ever before.

On paper, the lure of XRP is that it can assist with the rapid settlement of cross-border payments. The XRP Ledger is capable of validating and settling transactions in roughly three to five seconds, with payments costing just a fraction of a penny. This is considerably more palatable than the decades-long standard for cross-border payments. The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) can take days to settle international payments and is much costlier per transaction.

But there are some big-time caveats and catches to this seemingly slam-dunk thesis.

Image source: Getty Images.

For starters, banks aren’t required to use XRP as an intermediary on Ripple’s payment networks. If global financial institutions use Ripple’s payment network but not XRP, demand for XRP tokens will likely be insufficient to support its nearly 400% price appreciation over the trailing year.

The adoption rate for RippleNet isn’t all that impressive, either. Whereas more than 11,000 financial institutions are using SWIFT as their preferred cross-border payment solution, only an estimated 300 global financial institutions are relying on RippleNet in some capacity. While some investors might view this as a glass-half-full opportunity for RippleNet to gain share over time, it also speaks to the ironclad grip the SWIFT network has on international payments.

This is a good time to note that XRP lacks standalone value. Unlike Bitcoin, which can be used as a form of payment and is often viewed as an inflationary hedge amid a steadily increasing U.S. money supply, there is no standalone use case for XRP, save as an intermediary for some transactions on Ripple’s payment platform.

Lastly, XRP isn’t even guaranteed to be the preferred cross-border payment coin. Though there’s no denying it’s connections to larger financial institutions, Solana offers notably faster and inexpensive transaction settlement. In addition, peer-to-peer payment platform Stellar can settle payments just as quickly as XRP.

With XRP’s big event now firmly in the rearview mirror, profit-taking may be the new norm.

Warren Buffett has led Berkshire Hathaway for six decades. During that time, the one-time textile manufacturer that became a huge conglomerate never paid a dividend. Not even a penny.

However, Buffett loves dividend stocks. He bought 12 stocks in the second quarter of 2025. All of them pay dividends. Which is the best of the bunch for income investors?

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Buffett’s dozen dividend stocks

The following table lists Buffett’s dozen dividend stocks purchased in Q2 (listed alphabetically):

Data sources: Berkshire Hathaway 13F filings, Google Finance.

Half of these stocks were new additions to Berkshire’s portfolio. Buffett bought more than 5 million shares of UnitedHealth Group in Q2, the biggest purchase of the group. The legendary investor probably viewed the health insurance stock as a rare bargain in today’s market after UnitedHealth’s share price plunged roughly 50%.

You might have noticed two similarly named stocks on the list. Homebuilder Lennar has two share classes. Buffett initiated a new position in Lennar Class A and added to the existing stake in Lennar Class B. Other new stocks bought in Q2 were security-products maker Allegion, homebuilder D.R. Horton, outdoor advertising company Lamar Advertising, and steelmaker Nucor.

Buffett also added more shares of several existing holdings. He has owned a sizable position in Chevron since 2020. The “Oracle of Omaha” (or one of Berkshire’s two other investment managers) has built stakes in Constellation Brands, Domino’s Pizza, Heico, Pool, and Pool Corp. more recently.

How these stocks compare

Most income investors would probably rank dividend yield near the top of the list of factors they consider when selecting stocks to buy. We can eliminate a few of Buffett’s Q2 purchases from contention because of low dividend yields: Allegion, D.R. Horton, and Heico. Lamar Advertising offers the juiciest yield, followed by Chevron.

However, yield isn’t everything. Income investors also want sustainable dividends. One of the most popular ways to determine the sustainability of a dividend is the payout ratio. Lamar Advertising’s payout ratio of 137.5% raises questions about how long the company will be able to fund the dividend at current levels. Constellation Brands’ payout ratio of 104.5% is also somewhat concerning. All of the other dividend stocks bought by Buffett in Q2, though, have payout ratios below 100%.

Many income investors like stocks with long track records of dividend increases. Although there aren’t any Dividend Kings on Buffett’s Q2 list, there is one Dividend Champion (stocks with 25 or more years of dividend hikes). Chevron has increased its dividend for 38 consecutive years.

Valuation is a factor for some income investors. They don’t want to buy a stock that’s so overpriced it could fall and offset any dividends received. Heico’s forward price-to-earnings ratio of 59.5 could cause some income investors to cross it off the list. So could Pool Corp. and Lamar’s forward earnings multiples of 29.9 and 29.5, respectively.

The best of the bunch for income investors

I think two stocks stand out as especially good picks for income investors right now among the 12 stocks bought by Buffett in Q2.

The runner-up is UnitedHealth Group. The health insurer’s dividend yield is attractive. Its payout ratio is a low 36.8%. UnitedHealth should be able to return to growth next year as it implements premium increases.

But Chevron is the best of the bunch, in my opinion. The oil and gas giant offers a juicy dividend yield. It has an impressive track record of dividend increases. The stock isn’t cheap, but neither is it absurdly expensive, with shares trading at 20 times forward earnings. Income investors should be able to count on steady and growing dividends from Chevron for a long time to come.

Trump’s investments include Meta, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and T-Mobile, according to filing.

United States President Donald Trump has bought more than $100m in company and municipal bonds since his return to the White House, financial disclosures show, providing a window into the management of the billionaire’s wealth in office.

The filings released by the US Office of Government Ethics on Wednesday detail nearly 700 financial purchases made by Trump from his January 21 inauguration to August 1.

The purchases include bonds issued by the financial giants Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup, as well as those from corporate household names such as Meta, UnitedHealth, T-Mobile and The Home Depot.

Dozens of US states, including Texas, Florida and New York, are represented in the purchases of municipal bonds, with Trump’s investments spanning hospitals, schools, airports, ports and gas projects.

The documents do not provide the value of each transaction, only broad ranges, such as $100,001-$250,000 and $1,000,001-$5,000,000.

Trump did not report any sales during the period.

A type of fixed-income investment, bonds are a loan to a government authority or company in exchange for a specified rate of interest.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but US media cited administration officials as saying that Trump and his family were not directly involved in the transactions.

Under legislation passed in 1978 in the wake of the Watergate scandal, US presidents are required to disclose a broad accounting of their finances, but they are not obligated to divest from assets that could potentially raise conflicts of interest.

Before Trump, all US presidents going back to 1978, set up a blind trust or committed to limiting their investments to diversified mutual funds upon taking office.

Trump controversially dispensed with that tradition, instead passing control of his business empire to a trust managed by his children.

Government ethics experts have for years raised concerns about the intersection between Trump’s governance and his personal fortune.

Richard Painter, who served as the chief White House ethics lawyer in the administration of former President George W Bush, noted that Trump’s bond holdings stand to rise in value if the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates as he has demanded.

“When interest rates go down, bond prices go up,” Painter told Al Jazeera. “No wonder he’s leaning on the Fed for a rate cut!”

While Trump’s exact net wealth is unclear, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index last month estimated the US president to be worth $6.4bn.

RUSSIAN tyrant Vladimir Putin gave an Alaskan local a brand new £16,000 motorbike while visiting the US for his high-stakes summit with Donald Trump.

Mark Warren, 66, was given the bike after footage of him complaining he couldn’t fix his Soviet-era motorcycle went viral on Russian media.

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The retired fire inspector, who lives in Anchorage, where the US and Russian leaders met last Friday, rode off with a brand new Ural Gear Up sidecar.

Manufacturing firm Ural, a motors company founded in 1941 in Western Siberia when it was under Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union, now operates in Kazakhstan.

Warren complained he was unable to obtain the correct parts to fix the motorcycle because of supply-and-demand issues and sanctions on Russia.

State-sponsored Russian media spotted Warren running errands on the bike one week before the Trump and Putin summit.

He said: “It went viral, it went crazy, and I have no idea why, because Im really just a super-duper normal guy.

“They just interviewed some old guy on a Ural, and for some reason they think its cool.”

On August 13, two days before the Trump-Putin summit to discuss the war in Ukraine, Warren received a call from a Russian journalist.

They told him: “They’ve decided to give you a bike.”

Warren said he was also sent a document noting the gift was arranged through the Russian Embassy in the States.

The Alaska man thought it was a scam – but after Trump and Putin departed Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson following their three-hour summit, he got another call about the bike.

Warren was told his new £16,000 bike was at the same base the world leaders had met at.

He was instructed to go to an Anchorage hotel for the handoff.

After arriving alongside his wife, he met six Russian men who presented him with the mind-boggling gift.

“I dropped my jaw,” he said.

“I went, ‘You’ve got to be joking me’.”

He said the men only asked to interview and picture him.

Two reporters and someone from the group got on the bike with him while he drove around the car park to show it off.

The lucky punter had reservations about the Ural being a malicious Russian scam.

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But he accepted the gift, which according to its paperwork was manufactured on August 12.

He said: “The obvious thing here is that it rolled off the showroom floor and slid into a jet within probably 24 hours.”

And he told the Daily Mail: “I’m dumbfounded. I guess I should probably write Putin a thank you letter or something.

“I haven’t. I’ve been so busy it hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

He added: “It’s super cool, you know? I mean, it’s just such a unique bike.”

It comes as Putin continues to wage his bloody war on Ukraine.

The despot unleashed a fresh breakthrough assault just hours before his summit with Trump.

And just hours after Trump’s summit with European allies, Russia blitzed Ukraine over Monday night with 270 drones and missiles.

The brutal attacks targeted energy and transport infrastructure.

Just before Zelesnky and his European counterparts were set to meet Trump on Monday, another vicious attack killed 14 people and injured dozens in Ukraine.

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ANOTHER popular gadget is destined for the scrapheap after Apple officially designated it “obsolete”.

It joins hundreds of products already on the list that are beyond repair.

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Like any tech company, Apple routinely discontinues older devices and continues to offer software and servicing for a limited period after.

The firm has two key phases: vintage and obsolete.

An Apple gadget is classified as vintage when Apple stopped distributing it for sale more than five and less than seven years ago.

You can still get a repair sorted from authorised service providers during this period but there’s no guarantee as the parts become limited.

But when it steps into the obsolete stage you can’t get any repairs sorted at all.

A device is considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than seven years ago.

As you would expect, with 49 years in the business, Apple has a lot of discontinued products now.

And there are a sizeable number of iPhones on the list dating back to the very first in 2007.

Of course, it includes other gizmos too, such as the Apple Watch.

And it’s a popular Apple Watch model that’s been bumped down to obsolete this week.

The second-generation Apple Watch Series 1 models released in 2016 have been added.

So if you own one, don’t count on any repairs – you’ll have to upgrade to a newer Apple Watch.

This means the full list of obsolete Apple Watch products is now:

• Apple Watch (1st generation), 38mm
• Apple Watch (1st generation), 42mm
• Apple Watch Edition (1st generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Edition (1st generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Hermes (1st generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Hermes (1st generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Series 1, Aluminium (2nd generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Series 1, Aluminium (2nd generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Series 2, Aluminium (2nd generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Series 2, Aluminium (2nd generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Series 2, Stainless Steel (2nd generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Series 2, Stainless Steel (2nd generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Sport (1st generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Sport (1st generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Stainless Steel (1st generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Stainless Steel (1st generation), 42 mm

WHY DO GADGETS GET DISCONTINUED?

Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun

It’s never good news to hear that your favourite gadget is no longer repairable and you’ll have to buy an expensive new one altogether.

But Apple is fairly good for making tech last as long as possible, providing plenty of software updates for years after a product was released.

However, there comes a point when they have to stop.

For something like a smartwatch it’s simply not financially viable to keep producing parts for items that few people now own.

Given the second-generation Apple Watch Series 1 models were released nine years ago, a lot has changed since then.

If you do still own one, chances are it’s probably quite battered and slow now.

L..A. County plans to pay more to upgrade the Gas Company Tower than it did to buy the downtown skyscraper in the first place.

County officials agreed last November to pay $200 million for the 52-story tower, which they planned to make the new headquarters for county employees.

The estimated price tag to earthquake-proof the tower: more than $230 million. Lennie LaGuire, a spokesperson for the county Chief Executive Office, said the tower is already safe, and the upgrades are “proactive.”

County officials had said some improvements to the tower might be necessary, but the cost and extent had been murky until now.

This week, the county received final proposals from firms looking to secure a contract for “voluntary seismic upgrades” to the Gas Company Tower, located at 555 W. 5th Street.

The Chief Executive Office, which negotiated the purchase, stressed in a statement that the seismic work was expected and far cheaper than the estimated $1 billion it would take to retrofit the county’s current downtown headquarters, the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, which was built in 1960 and is vulnerable to collapse during the next major earthquake.

The Gas Company Tower “does not require any seismic work to provide a safe, up-to-code and modern workplace for County employees. The County is choosing to perform this work proactively with an eye to the future, to ensure that the building performs optimally in the decades ahead,” LaGuire said. “The cost of this work, even when combined with the cost of the building, is a fraction of the cost of making urgently needed and long-overdue seismic and life safety improvements to the Hall of Administration.”

The $200-million sale was considered a bargain compared with the building’s appraised value of more than $600 million a few years earlier — a symptom of plummeting downtown office values.

Supervisor Janice Hahn, the only board member who opposed the purchase, said Friday that county officials never should have entered into the real estate transaction before they “had all the facts” on the cost.

“This is turning out to be a bigger boondoggle than was originally sold to the public,” said Hahn, who said she had not been told about the upgrade costs. “I am only more convinced that we are better off retrofitting the historic Hall of Administration and keeping the heart of county government in our Civic Center.”

At the time of the sale, Hahn argued that the purchase would be a fatal blow to downtown’s civic heart and make the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration obsolete. The building is named after her father, who served a record 10 terms as a supervisor.

The Hall of Administration is one of several county-owned properties considered vulnerable in an earthquake. The Gas Company Tower, built in 1991, was considered much safer, but at the time of the county purchase, it was unclear whether it was fully earthquake-proof.

The tower is one of many L.A. skyscrapers that incorporates a “steel moment frame” as part of its structure. In the 1994 Northridge earthquake, buildings with the frame did not collapse, but some were badly damaged.

Most of the seismic strengthening for the Gas Company Tower would involve “reinforcing of the welded steel moment frame connections,” according to the request for proposal for the $234.5-million project.

The contract will be awarded in October, according to the bidding documents, and the tower could be occupied during construction. County officials said they have already begun moving employees into the tower.

Times staff writers Roger Vincent and Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.

Vik shared a video online in which he revealed his friend Ethan decided to buy every single scratch card he could on board a Ryanair flight, but it didn’t quite go to plan

In a shocking twist of fate, a man who splurged on hundreds of scratch cards during a Ryanair flight was left absolutely stunned by the outcome. The social media-savvy traveller, Vik, took to TikTok to share his friend Ethan’s experience with his followers after he decided to purchase every scratch card available on their flight, but couldn’t believe how it turned out.

In a viral clip that has stunned people, Vik spoke out about their high-altitude gamble, saying: “We are here on Ryanair and this man Ethan has bought every single scratch card on the flight. I’ve opened about 100 scratch cards, I’ve been opening these one at a time.

“We have not won a single thing. We have won nothing – no one has won anything. I’ll keep you guys posted.”

The video then captures their unique airborne endeavour as it unfolds, with Ethan snapping up a staggering 68 packets of cards. Despite an enthusiastic scratching effort from fellow passengers roped into the spree, not even a minuscule win was scratched up.

At one point, the frustration is palpable as a voice can be heard exclaiming: “No one won anything.” Vik lamented further: “You’re supposed to match three – I can’t even match two. We’ve lost again.”

The surprising result left them and viewers alike in disbelief that not even a modest prize made its way to their row.

Since the video was shared, it has garnered thousands of views and sparked a flurry of comments. One viewer joked: “100% they won’t allow mass buying on the flight again, lol.”

Another claimed to be a Ryanair cabin crew member, stating: “I am cabin crew for Ryanair and there is so much more that you don’t know. They can’t sell you that many. There is a limit spend per passenger. Cabin crew in trouble!”

Others chimed in, with one wondering: “I wonder how many people have ever won money on those.”

A fourth commenter shared their own experience, saying: “I remember winning like £26 of on board vouchers. When asking to buy something, I heard the cabin crew say ‘someone’s actually won’. That’s how slim your odds are.”

The controversy surrounding Ryanair’s scratch cards is not new. A 2016 report revealed that winners of the jackpot are entered into a separate draw for the chance to win the €1million prize.

The winner must then select from 125 envelopes, with only one containing the top prize. At the time, Ryanair noted that other envelopes contain €50,000, and that one car a month is won in the draw, along with other cash prizes up to €5,000.

The odds of winning the jackpot were reported to be around 1.2billion to one. To give you a sense of the odds, winning the Lotto is said to be a 10.7million to one shot, while the EuroMillions odds are a staggering 139.8million to one.

With the National Lottery, you’re only allowed to buy 10 scratch cards in a single transaction, but it’s not clear how many you can purchase with Ryanair. The company has been asked to comment.

If gambling is causing you or someone else distress, visit GambleAware for assistance and support.

One man who bought breakfast, lunch and dinner in Bangkok, Thailand admitted he was stunned by the price of it all. He went online to talk about his travel experience

One man who went to get breakfast, lunch and dinner in Thailand admitted he couldn’t believe the price of it all. Ryan Losasso is one half of the popular award-winning TikTok travel content creation duo ‘Live The Dash’ alongside Jade Beaty.

He went out into the streets of Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city to buy his three meals on a budget. Bangkok is known for its bustling street life, including street food and markets. One of the most famous street food dishes is pad Thai, a classic stir-fried noodle dish with shrimp, egg and peanuts. Ryan took his TikTok viewers along with him as he explored the Thai food scene and couldn’t believe the price of his breakfast, lunch and dinner.

To start his culinary journey the travel influencer went to Siam House Cafe where he opted for a traditional Thai breakfast that was made up of egg, pork meat and toast for just £1.50.

Taking a bite of his meal, he said “mmm” and reported that his breakfast was a “roaring success.”

Next he moved onto lunch where he picked up a ham and cheese toastie and a bottle of water from 7-Eleven for £1.05.

Ryan continued: “I do not have much left for dinner but let’s see what we can do.” He “scoured Bangkok’s streets” for an affordable dish and spotted Hai Som Tam Convent where he tucked into a pad Thai for £2.30.

In total Ryan’s breakfast, lunch and dinner from Bangkok cost him a mere £4.85. Bangkok is a foodie paradise as it offers a “mix of delicious street food, budget-friendly restaurants and hidden gems serving world-class Thai cuisine”, according to H and L Blogs.

The travel blog website claims that Bangkok’s “cheap eats are everywhere”, such as wok-fried noodles in Chinatown or “authentic local curries served for just a few Baht in local markets.”

One Thai Baht is equal to 0.023 Great British Pounds so it is very easy to eat out on a budget in Bangkok.

H and L Blogs has listed some of the best budget food spots in Thailand’s capital city, including Yaowarat (Chinatown), best for street food like noodles and seafood, Or Tor Kor Market for fresh Thai ingredients and local dishes and Soi 38 Sukhumvit, a classic Bangkok night market with affordable meals.

Trip Savvy states that the average cost of a basic Thai meal in a restaurant is 90 to 150 Baht (£2.02 to £3.37) and pad Thai noodles with chicken or tofu can be found at street carts and from simple restaurants for 35 to 40 Baht (£0.35 to £0.90).

It adds that the average cost for pad Thai in tourist places is around 50 Baht (£1.12) per plate.

Ryan’s TikTok video showcasing how cheap it is to eat out in Bangkok has garnered thousands of views and likes and more than 100 comments.

One user simply said: “Thailand is very affordable.” While another exclaimed: “That pad Thai is a bargain!” A third described the cost of Ryan’s three meals as “so cheap.”

Cara was hoping to get a break in New York, but it won’t take her quite as long to get to her holiday ‘resort’

A student was left gutted after buying a Wowcher mystery holiday and discovering she’s paid to go to Edinburgh – the city where she lives. Cara Piper splashed out £129 on it and had high hopes for a weekend away in New York.

The 23-year-old opened an email from Wowcher and discovered the trip was to Edinburgh, the city where she’s lived for the past four years. “I saw the Wowcher master holiday on social media and impulsively decided to do it for a cheap holiday,” said Cara.

“I was honestly happy with anywhere as long as it wasn’t the UK. I opened it in Edinburgh because that’s where I’ve been living for the past four years.”

Cara, originally of Derry, Northern Ireland, filmed herself revealing where she was going to jet off to. In the clip, Cara shouts “no” as she discovers that she’s paid to go to the city where she goes to Queen Margaret University and studies education.

She said: “Me and Ethan decided last night to book a Wowcher mystery holiday. It’s £129 each if we want to go during the summer months. We want to go in July I think and we’re redeeming it right now.

“The only problem is, we have to travel from Belfast. We’re limited on where we can go. We don’t think it’s going to be New York or anything like that. We’re happy with anywhere. I’m nervous.”

Cara is on the phone with a friend as she anxiously opens the email from Wowcher. She said: “No, no, no, no. We got Edinburgh. I’m in Edinburgh right now. We did not just pay £130 each to go where I go to uni for the past four years.

“For f*cks sake. We can ring up and change, I think. I literally live here. I actually can’t believe that.

“I was saying if we got somewhere in the UK I’d be fuming. I’m going to see if I can change it.”

Cara shared the video on TikTok where it racked up more than 126,000 views. Morgan Mcsherry said: “I’m not joking, as soon as you said Wowcher I was like ‘they’re either getting Belfast or Edinburgh’“.

VIDEO CONTAINS LANGUAGE SOME MAY FIND OFFENSIVE

Claire Ferguson added: “I honestly would have ended it right at that minute. Devastated for you.”

Keisha Deane said: “This is heartbreaking.”

Another viewer added: “No, literally, out of everything I would be fuming. Bless you.”

A fifth person said: “Oh my God, I’d be raging.”

Anna MacAuley added: “I’m dying. What are the chances.”

A MAJOR car brand has unveiled a new look for its smallest motor due to be rolled-out later this year.

The tiny Toyota Aygo X has received a mid-life update, with its mini 1.0L petrol engine being swapped out for a hybrid powertrain, borrowed from its big brother, the Yaris.

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When it arrives in the UK later this year, it will be the smallest entirely hybrid car on sale in the country.

Toyota will also discontinue its manual gearbox petrol version, making the Aygo X hybrid-only.

The Japanese carmaker has found a great deal of popularity with its “A-segment” city car, selling nearly 300,000 since they were introduced in 2022.

Now, its refreshed Aygo X could attract even more buyers with its 114bhp 1.5L petrol-electric hybrid setup – borrowed from the larger and more expensive Yaris and Yaris Cross.

However, the design has been adapted from these other motors, due to the Aygo’s tight dimnesions.

For example, while battery cells are usually found parallel in the Yaris, the Aygo X will have them placed as two stacks alongside each other underneath the rear seats.

The auxiliary battery will also be moved under the boot storage in order to not cramp the space inside the tiny motor.

In terms of power, this new hybrid setup churns out a respectable 114bhp, far more than the 71bhp seen in the current Aygo.

Toyota says this means the Aygo X will be able to go from 0-62mph in “less than 10 seconds”.

The new motor is also expected to boast fuel economy figures beyond 70mpg, reports Car Magazine.

On top of this all, Toyota says the new Aygo X will have CO2 emissions of just 86g/km, the lowest of any car that does not need to be plugged in.

The iconic Japanese carmaker has also claimed to have made the Aygo quieter and more comfortable through increased noise insulation, especially on the top-spec model – which will come with thicker glass.

On its exterior, the updated Aygo X boasts new sharp LED headlights as well as a redesigned front bumper.

The motor stretches 76mm longer than its predecessor, primarily to accommodate the larger hybrid powertrain.

On top of a new bonnet, there is also an option to have a retractable canvas roof.

If you’re feeling like splashing out some more cash, there’s also a newly introduced GR Sport trim level for the Aygo X, said to be “inspired by Toyota’s motorsport teams”.

In the cabin, there aren’t many changes to come with the update – although a new seven-inch digital instrument cluster has been added.

There is also expected to be a new wireless smartphone charger for higher-spec cars.

Prices and specifications have yet to be fully announced for the Aygo X, although experts have said to expect a “healthy increase” on top of the car’s current starting price of £16,845.

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A RARE mourning ring commissioned by King George IV has been found in a charity shop – and snapped up for just £15.

The gold band, engraved with the touching words “Remember me”, was created to honour the death of Princess Amelia, youngest daughter of King George III.

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The historic piece was discovered in a charity shop in Leicester and is now set to go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers, where it could fetch between £3,000 and £5,000.

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “It’s the most important charity shop find I’ve heard about in a decade.”

The unsuspecting buyer had picked up the ring from a local shop, unaware of its royal connection.

Mr Hanson recalled: “I was stunned and dazzled. From a simple box emerged a piece of deeply personal Royal history – commissioned by the Royal family itself to honour a lost loved one.”

Princess Amelia was born on 7 August 1783 and died aged 27 in 1810 after a long battle with tuberculosis.

Her death is thought to have devastated King George III, accelerating his mental decline. She was believed to be his favourite child.

The ring, crafted by top royal jewellers Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, was one of only 52 made on the orders of the Prince Regent – who later became King George IV.

They were handed out to close family and friends after her funeral in Windsor.

“The white enamel used in the ring denotes that Amelia was unmarried at the time of her death,” Mr Hanson said.

“White enamel symbolised purity and innocence in mourning jewellery, particularly for those who died young or unmarried.

“It contrasts with the more commonly used black enamel, which signified general mourning.”

In a final act of love, Princess Amelia is said to have pressed a ring containing a lock of her hair into her father’s hand as she lay dying, whispering the words now inscribed on the newly discovered ring – “remember me”.

A matching mourning ring was later bought by Queen Mary in 1935. Back in 1810, each ring cost 58 shillings to make.

“This find proves treasures still lie hidden on our high streets,” said Mr Hanson.

“It’s not just the monetary value – it’s the emotion, history and humanity behind this ring that truly moves you.”

Experts believe the ring could attract international interest when it goes under the hammer, thanks to its royal provenance and remarkable condition.

Collectors of royal memorabilia are expected to watch the auction closely.

Jewellery historian Alexandra Michell said: “It’s incredibly rare to find such a piece outside of established collections.

“Mourning jewellery from this era, especially tied to a royal figure, is both historically and emotionally valuable.”

The ring has now been placed in secure storage until its auction day to ensure its protection.

It will feature as a highlight item in Hansons’ Summer Fine Art Jewellery Auction.

The auction will take place on 12 June 2025, and bids are expected to come in from across the UK and abroad.

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The swan fountain and the Mistley Towers are the only remaining physical reminders of an ambitious plan to turn the town of Mistley into a saltwater spa in the 18th century

At first glance, the charming riverside town of Mistley in Essex might not seem particularly remarkable. However, two enduring symbols of an ambitious yet ultimately failed 18th-century project to transform the town into a saltwater spa still exist – the swan fountain and the Mistley Towers.

According to English Heritage, Richard Rigby’s father accumulated significant wealth and influence when he was appointed Paymaster General of the Forces by George III in 1786. Back then, the village of Mistley consisted of warehouses, a granary, a malting office, quays and a medieval church – only the porch of which survives to this day.

READ MORE: Dermatologist approved skincare brand from Yorkshire that ‘clears skin in a week’

There was also a more recent church, built to the north of the village in 1735 at the request of Rigby’s father. However, when Rigby dreamt up his grand plan to turn Mistley into a fashionable spa, the simple brick structure of the church didn’t fit with his vision.

Initially, Rigby commissioned Robert Adam to design a saltwater bath by the river, but this idea never materialised. Instead, the architect was assigned to work on the church around 1776, reports Essex Live.

In a departure from the norm, Adam’s design broke away from the traditional 18th-century parish church blueprint, featuring towers at both the east and west ends and semi-circular porticoes to the north and south.

It’s been suggested that Adam may have drawn inspiration from Roman tombs, giving the structure an unusual flair. Regrettably, Rigby’s grand plans to turn Mistley into a bustling spa destination never came to fruition.

The central part of the church was demolished in 1870, making way for a newer, trendier place of worship nearby.

Despite the original plans falling through, the remaining towers found a new purpose as a “seamark” and were sold off to local families who had aspirations of converting them into opulent mausoleums.

Yet, this idea too did not take hold, and over time, the towers were left to deteriorate. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the towers saw a revival, thanks to architect Raymond Erith and the efforts of the Georgian Group, who meticulously restored them.

The surrounding churchyard is peppered with monuments dating from the early to mid-18th century, including an eye-catching polished black granite mausoleum in the Egyptian style, erected in memory of the Norman family.