The stock market crash, then. A terrifying precursor to what promises to be a catastrophic period for the global economy? Or a brilliant opportunity for savvy share investors to make a million?
A bit of both, to be fair. The market correction reflects the profits shock that a great many companies will face in the near term. It also provides a chance for aspiring stock millionaires to maximise returns from their investments.
The key to making a fortune is to buy stocks, not with a view to how they will perform next week, next month, or next year. Shrewd investors purchase companies which will mostly likely be thriving 10 years (or more) from now. And there are plenty of great FTSE 100 shares like this that have been washed out amid the broader market crash. This provides eagle-eyed investors with brilliant opportunities to grab a bargain or two.
A millionaire maker?
Persimmon (LSE: PSN) is one top, cut-price Footsie share I reckon could be a millionaire maker in the years to come. The housebuilder’s share price has slumped in recent months as worsening economic conditions, allied with a raft of mortgage products being withdrawn by lenders, have fanned concerns over a possible homes crash.
Whatever happens to the homes market this year and next, though, Persimmon’s earnings picture remains quite terrific further out. Data from the National Housing Federation shows that Britain needs about 340,000 new homes every year up to the beginning of the next decade. But current build rates are nowhere near this level and aren’t ever likely to be. The supply/demand imbalance that has propped up housebuilder profits in recent years is here to stay much longer, then.
Following recent price weakness Persimmon trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 12 times. It’s a reading that suggests the business is a bit of a bargain, then. I’m more interested in the 5% dividend yield that the FTSE 100 company carries for 2020, though. Big yields like this can prove invaluable in helping would-be millionaires to realise their investment goals.
Another million-dollar mega cap!
I reckon Prudential (LSE: PRU) has all the tools to make its shareholders big returns over a long time horizon. I bought the Footsie insurance colossus at the start of 2020, and while it’s haemorrhaged value since then I remain convinced that it could help me on my personal road to make a million.
You see, while ‘The Pru’ is having troubles right now – annual premium equivalent (or APE) sales in Asia tanked almost a quarter in the first quarter – the revenues picture for its hot emerging markets is actually quite robust. According to Bain & Company, rocketing wealth levels in Asia Pacific are fuelling “explosive demand” for insurance.
But this isn’t the only reason for Prudential investors to get excited. Deregulation in the likes of China and India is opening the door to major markets even wider, too. These phenomena aren’t reflected in Prudential’s rock-bottom P/E multiple of around 9 times, in my opinion. I think it’s a white-hot buy at current prices.
