Summer is always a tricky time for my portfolio as I tend to buy FTSE company shares just as they hit their top, but this year I’m getting in before that with my top three UK shares to buy in April.
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty (LSE: BBY) is the first UK share I want to buy next month. Prior to the pandemic, which shut down most construction across the UK, the industry was contributing approximately £140 billion pounds to the economy.
Balfour Beatty leads the pack in British construction and has the most to gain from the eventual reopening of the country. As governmental infrastructure plans resume, I think that UK construction stocks will receive a big boost for years to come, beginning with easings in April. Infrastructure never stops, and the company has the resources to weather any hardship, which leads me to believe that Balfour Beatty’s share price will be the biggest beneficiary when construction sites reopen.
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Of course, there is always the looming threat of a global recession thanks to mounting Covid-19-induced debt, which could see the construction sector as one of the worst-hit, dramatically hurting Balfour Beatty.
Playtech
Of all the top UK shares to buy in April, I wouldn’t have normally thought of a gaming giant, yet I’m itching to add Playtech (LSE: PTEC) to my portfolio before summer.
This is a risky ‘bet’ for me (forgive the pun). A 10.6% decline in B2B revenue in 2020 weighed on Playtech and contributed to a group-wide 25% decline in revenues to €1.07 billion for the year, meaning that it really has a lot of ground to make up if it’s going to stand a chance at seeing its share price grow.
But I think that the gambling software developer will be the biggest winner when fans return to events such as the Olympics and UEFA European Championship. I believe that the return of fans, albeit in a restricted fashion, will see an upsurge in gambling as home-stayers attempt to up the stakes. Especially those fans who have extra disposable income that would have otherwise been spent on social events.
Even though Playtech’s share price has risen more than 130% in the past 12 months, it is still a long way off of its 2017 highs, which makes its current price cheap for me (and my Foolish colleague Jabran Khan agrees).
Virgin Money UK
Much like gamblers, I believe that banks will be among the biggest winners from increased disposable income, making Virgin Money UK (LSE: VMUK) my final top UK share to buy in April.
Banks were hit hard in 2020 as businesses everywhere closed their doors, but with an economic reopening and improved outlook on the horizon, I foresee these losses receding, which should see Virgin Money stage a recovery over the coming years. I am hoping that pent-up frustration from being locked down will lead to increased borrowing as people jet off on holidays and other experiences, beginning this summer, which will only benefit the company.
Of course, banks are still very risky during a pandemic, and although Virgin Money is among my top British shares to buy in April, ultra-low interest rates will put massive pressure on already depressed profit margins, thus increasing my risk in such a position.
