I have long talked up the white-hot investment potential of Boohoo (LSE: BOO), its galloping popularity with clothes shoppers across the globe likely to lay the bedrock for robust earnings growth in the years ahead.
But those seeking brilliant bottom-line expansion also need to check out Premier Technical Services (LSE: PTSG) today, in my opinion.
The niche services provider stormed to fresh record peaks late last week, although first-half results released today have prompted some bouts of profit-booking. Premier Technical Services was last dealing 4% lower from Friday’s close.
The Castleford company noted that it had “previously announced that it was performing well in the first half,” and that “this performance has continued.” It commented that it “has noticed an increase in compliance awareness among our 17,000 customers and we have experienced continuing sales growth and strong levels of orders in the year to date.”
Premier Technical Services has ground out new contract wins across all its disciplines, it advised, including a number of multi-discipline framework agreements with new and existing customers. Contract renewal rates remain high, the company added, which are underpinning its organic growth plans.
In other news, it noted that its acquisition of lightning protection and steeplejack play BEST last month “has started well and is progressing to plan,” while the purchase of Nimbus Lightning Protection at the start of the year is performing in line with expectations.
And the specialist services giant announced that trading during the the first few weeks of the second half has transpired as expected.
Hot numbers
There is much to be excited about over at Premier Technical Services, in my opinion, with recent acquisitions providing plenty of new sales opportunities and organic revenues also rattling higher. The firm saw underlying organic sales detonate 20% in 2016.
City analysts agree that the West Yorkshire business is in terrific shape, with the number crunchers currently predicting healthy earnings growth of 77% and 6% in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
While it deals on a pretty vanilla forward P/E ratio of 16.6 times, a sub-1 PEG rating of 0.2 suggests the stock is actually brilliantly priced relative to its growth prospects. I reckon the services star is worthy of serious consideration at current prices.
Fashion favourite
Boohoo is also anticipated to throw out exceptional earnings expansion in the near term and beyond. A 33% advance is chalked in by the City’s army of analysts for the year concluding February 2018, and an extra 24% rise is forecast for next year.
While a subsequent prospective P/E ratio of 86.2 times is massively expensive on paper, I believe such an elevated rating is fully deserved as the online retailer continues to make serious waves all over the world.
Boohoo saw revenues more than double during March-May, at £120.1m, it advised in June, while like-for-like revenues shot 78% higher in the period. With sales surging across all its divisions and territories, the company lifted its full-year revenues growth target to 60% from 50% previously.
And the top line is likely to keep impressing as investment in its digital platform, product ranges and warehousing facilities pays off.
