I’m scouting UK share markets to find stocks to buy for my Stocks and Shares ISA in May. Here are three from the FTSE 100 that are about to update the market. Are they too good to miss?
A UK share I already own
I already own shares in Barratt Developments (LSE: BDEV) in my Stocks and Shares ISA. I’m therefore looking forward to see the FTSE 100 housebuilder’s fresh trading numbers on Thursday, 8 May. News surrounding the British housing market continues to impress. The latest data from Nationwide shows average property prices rising at the fastest rate since 2004. I’m tipping trading conditions to remain strong for construction stocks like Barratt, too.
Low interest rates and government support for first-time buyers look here to stay. Meanwhile the number of new and existing homes entering the market should remain in short supply. Be warned, though, that homes demand might slow in the short-to-medium term once the government Covid-19 furlough scheme ends and Brexit disruption hits the UK economy.
Another FTSE 100 stock to buy?
FTSE 100 grocer WM Morrison Supermarkets (LSE: MRW) is due to reveal first-quarter trading numbers on Tuesday, 11 May. But I’m not tempted to buy this UK supermarket share for my ISA. The essential retailer is likely to have continued outperforming the broader retail sector as Covid-19 lockdowns have persisted. However, the outlook for Morrisons looks pretty shaky to me, and not just because pandemic restrictions are steadily easing.
Britain’s established supermarket chains like this face an almighty fight to even stand still as competition in the industry hots up. This FTSE 100 share has lost 40% of its value over the past 10 years as competitive pressures have risen. There’s little sign that the supermarket will break out of this long-term downtrend either. That’s even though its sales in the white-hot online channel have exploded recently.
Get ready for fizzy financials
Coca-Cola HBC (LSE: CCH) is another UK share I’ll be keeping a close eye on in May. The bottler of some of the world’s most popular soft drinks brands is due to release quarter one financials on Wednesday, 12 May. I also own this FTSE 100 stock in my ISA having bought in last November. It has risen 10% in value since then and I expect it to keep rising as Covid-19 lockdowns are steadily unwound, driving demand for its drinks in the ‘out of home’ channel.
Latest financials in February showed trends pick up in the second half of 2020, while like-for-like revenues in four of its largest markets (Nigeria, Russia, Poland, and Ukraine) actually grew. It’s possible that Coca-Cola HBC could experience some fresh stress should Covid-19 infection rates soar again and lockdowns remain in place in some of its markets. But as a long-term investor I still think this is one of the best UK stocks to buy today. I think the unrivalled brand power of its products, allied with its top track record of innovation, gives me plenty to get excited about.
