A balanced portfolio of stocks and shares is a great way to save for retirement. Amid the solid blue-chips and income stocks, you also need a bit of acceleration. These two could help you hit the gas.
Going for growth
Infrastructure and support services company Stobart Group (LSE: STOB) has just published its interim results for the six months ended 31 August, and rewarded investors with a big juicy dividend. The FTSE 250 firm upped its dividend from 3p to 4.5p per quarter, a rise of 50%, as it increased its underlying EBITDA to £131.8m. However, today’s profits are mostly made up of £123.9m from the partial disposal of its stake in Eddie Stobart Logistics (ESL), which generated £112m in net cash. The company’s revenue almost doubled to £124.6m in the period, compared to £65.3m a year earlier.
CEO Warwick Brady said the group continues to work towards its clear targets for its three growth divisions – Energy, Aviation and Rail & Civil Engineering, and is also “driving growth in cash generation and returns to our shareholders”.
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Losing power
Stobart Aviation saw good progress, with passenger numbers at London Southend Airport up 25% year-on-year to 610,492. However, Stobart Energy experienced delays in the commissioning of new third party biomass power stations which have impacted short-term volumes by 33%, although EBITDA per tonne is ahead of target and long-term volume unaffected.
Stobart Rail & Civil Engineering is on track to deliver target EBITDA on rail and non-rail civil engineering projects, against a reduction in external revenue. Stobart Infrastructure and Stobart Investments benefitted from the partial disposal of the investment in ESL, in which the group retains a 12.5% stake.
Shine on
The stock currently yields a healthy 5%, forecast to hit an even more tempting 6.5%. That is pretty impressive, especially when you take into account its rampant share price growth, soaring 193% in the last three years.
City forecasters predict a 74% drop in earnings per share in the year to 28 February 2018, but never fear, they are pencilling in a whopping 276% growth in 2019. However, there is a price to pay for its turbo-charged prospects, with the stock valued at a hefty 34 times earnings.
High energy
Kingspan Group (LSE: KGP) has also had a strong year, its share price up an impressive 50% from 24p to 36p in the last 12 months. The firm, which provides insulation products for roofs, wall and floors, posted a solid first half, with revenue up 19% to €1.75bn, and trading profit up 6% to €177.8m. Revenues have been rising particularly strongly, up 20% from €1.47bn to €1.75m year-on-year.
Kingspan’s growth is being drive by increasing demand for greater energy efficiency, the robust European recovery and surprisingly resilient UK despite Brexit. Its strong balance sheet allows it to invest in the business and drive growth with €14m earmarked for acquisitions. It recently entered the lucrative South American market.
The group has posted five consecutive years of double-digit earnings per-share growth, including a spectacular 77% in 2015, and another 35% last year. City forecasters reckon this will slow, to 8% in both 2017 and 2018, but its prospects still look bright to me.
