Are BP plc And Enquest Plc The Perfect Partnership For Your Portfolio?

BP plc (LON: BP) and Enquest Plc (LON: ENQ) offer a great combination of income and growth.

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

Enquest (LSE: ENQ) is one of the market’s most promising exploration and production oil companies. The company’s shares could turn out to be a multi-bagger over time.

However, in the oil sector nothing’s certain, and, as a relatively small oil company, Enquest is still a risky pick. 

A basket approach 

The best way to reduce risk when investing in small-cap oil cos like Enquest is to use a basket approach.

Should you invest £1,000 in BAE Systems right now?

When investing expert Mark Rogers has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets. And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if BAE Systems made the list?

See the 6 stocks

Simply put, a basket approach combines high-risk growth stocks, with low-risk, large-cap income stocks. This approach gives your portfolio a degree of stability and a regular income while also allowing you to benefit from capital growth.

And the best company to accompany Enquest in a basket portfolio is BP (LSE: BP

Income champion 

BP is an income champion and currently supports a dividend yield of 5.5%. The payout is set to increase by around 5% next year, which should give the company’s shares a yield of 5.7%. 

Unlike Enquest, BP is an integrated oil company and can profit when the price of oil is both rising and falling. On that basis, the company’s dividend payout is relatively safe for the time being.

On the other hand, as a plain vanilla E&P company, Enquest’s profits are highly sensitive to the price of oil.

For example, City analysts expect the company’s earnings per share to drop by a staggering 87% this year as high production costs and the weak oil price squeeze margins. BP’s earnings are expected to rise by around 80% this year.

Multi-bagger

Last year Enquest reported earnings per share of 11.3p. If the price of oil returns to its 2014 high of $110, there’s no reason why the company’s earnings can’t return to their 2014 high as well.

Moreover, if Enquest’s valuation were to return to its historic average of 12 times earnings, on earnings per share of 11.3p, the company’s shares could be worth 136p — 142% above current levels. 

But this is only a hypothetical situation, and no one can be sure when the price of oil will return to its 2014 high. 

That’s why a basket approach is your best bet.

Risk reward

A £1,000 basket split equally between BP and Enquest would yield around 2.7% per year.

If Enquest’s shares returned to 136p, the value of the Enquest holding would rise to £1,214 and the portfolio’s overall value would rise by 72%. Of course, there’s also the potential for capital growth with BP as well.

The most important thing to remember with a basket approach is that it limits your downside. If Enquest does go under, the basket portfolio will lose around 50% of its value, which is a big hit.

Nevertheless, the remaining BP holding will continue to produce income, and over time, you will be able to recoup your losses. Without using the basket approach, there’s a chance you could lose everything.    

But there may be an even bigger investment opportunity that’s caught my eye:

Investing in AI: 3 Stocks with Huge Potential!

🤖 Are you fascinated by the potential of AI? 🤖

Imagine investing in cutting-edge technology just once, then watching as it evolves and grows, transforming industries and potentially even yielding substantial returns.

If the idea of being part of the AI revolution excites you, along with the prospect of significant potential gains on your initial investment…

Then you won't want to miss this special report inside Motley Fool Share Advisor – 'AI Front Runners: 3 Surprising Stocks Riding The AI Wave’!

And today, we're giving you exclusive access to ONE of these top AI stock picks, absolutely free!

Get your free AI stock pick

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Rupert Hargreaves has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

Pound coins for sale — 51 pence?

This seems ridiculous, but we almost never see shares looking this cheap. Yet this recent ‘Best Buy Now’ has a price/book ratio of 0.51. In plain English, this means that investors effectively get in on a business that holds £1 of assets for every 51p they invest!

Of course, this is the stock market where money is always at risk — these valuations can change and there are no guarantees. But some risks are a LOT more interesting than others, and at The Motley Fool we believe this company is amongst them.

What’s more, it currently boasts a stellar dividend yield of around 8.5%, and right now it’s possible for investors to jump aboard at near-historic lows. Want to get the name for yourself?

See the full investment case

More on Investing Articles

Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

After collapsing 28% today, are Bunzl shares too cheap to ignore?

A poor trading statement has sent Bunzl shares to multi-year lows. Could now be a good time to consider investing…

Read more »

Investing Articles

These 5 stocks could earn £1,600 of annual passive income in a £20,000 ISA

Harvey Jones shows how to generate a high and rising passive income by buying a balanced mix of high-yielding FTSE…

Read more »

Young woman holding up three fingers
Investing Articles

3 things I like about Greggs shares

Greggs shares have tumbled by more than a third over the past year. But this writer has no plan to…

Read more »

artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Nvidia stock: beware the bear market rally

Andrew Mackie argues that investors should tread carefully before investing in Nvidia stock, as the worst of the sell-off could…

Read more »

Young black colleagues high-fiving each other at work
Investing Articles

Up 73% in one year, is this the best value stock in the FTSE 100?

A brilliant run of form suggests this FTSE 100 giant should no longer make the cut as a value stock.…

Read more »

Investing Articles

The best could yet be to come for UK shares! I’m buying these ones

Amid ongoing stock market turbulence, this writer's been adding selected UK shares to his portfolio. Here's why and what he…

Read more »

Top Stocks

4 UK stocks trading well below book value to consider buying

Sometimes, it pays to be contrarian: who says the UK market has priced a stock precisely right, anyway?

Read more »

Investing Articles

The S&P 500’s 12% off its highs. Is now a good time to buy US shares for an ISA?

Right now, a lot of British investors are wondering whether it’s a good time to buy US shares. Here, Edward…

Read more »