3 UK shares to buy with £3k

Rupert Hargreaves explains why he thinks these are some of the best UK shares to buy with £3,000, considering their potential.

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I’ve been looking for UK shares to buy for my portfolio. I’ve been looking for recovery stocks, equities that I think can capitalise on the UK economic recovery over the next few quarters and years. 

Due to the nature of these investments, they might not be suitable for all investors. Investing in turnaround opportunities can be a risky pastime, as there’s never any guarantee the business will turn around. 

Still, I’m comfortable with the level of risk involved. As such, here are three UK shares I’d buy with £3,000 today. 

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UK shares to buy

The first investment is the aviation infrastructure business John Menzies (LSE: MNZS). The pandemic floored the aviation industry, and it’s only just starting to recover. 

Menzies is no exception. In the first half of 2020, the group’s operating loss totalled £70m. Luckily, the business has turned a corner. Profits rebounded in the first half of 2021. The group reported an operating profit for the period of £15m.

Going forward, the company should benefit from new business wins, as well as the cost efficiencies it’s achieved over the past 12 months. As its turnaround gains traction, I think it’s one of the best shares to buy. 

Those are the reasons why I’d add the stock to my portfolio of UK shares. However, it’ll face some challenges as we advance. These include competition, rising prices and the potential for further disruption from the pandemic. 

Moving on from past mistakes

Shares in oil and gas engineering group Petrofac (LSE: PFC) have been under pressure recently. Investors have been selling the stock as the organisation’s faced accusations of bribery and an investigation from the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). 

It looks as if the firm’s now starting to move on from these issues. Petrofac’s planning to plead guilty to several accusations made by the SFO. This should remove some uncertainty surrounding the group. 

At the same time, I think the enterprise will benefit from rising oil prices. These may encourage more investment, which will increase the demand for services from engineers such as Petrofac. At the beginning of this month, the group won a $100m contract to work on Libya’s oil fields. 

While I’d buy this company for my portfolio of UK shares, I’ll be keeping an eye on oil prices. A sudden slump could impact the demand for Petrofac’s engineering services. This would hold back its recovery. 

The office returns

The final company on my list of UK shares to buy is the workspace group IWG (LSE: IWG). The owner of the Regus shared office space provider, IWG may benefit from an increase in flexible working demands.

Some of its competitors are already reporting an uptick in demand for flexible workspaces, as working patterns change after the pandemic. 

As one of the largest providers in the sector, Regus could benefit disproportionately from this trend. 

That said, if there are further lockdowns, demand for the company’s services may drop. It could also suffer from increased competition and higher interest rates, which would increase the interest bill on its debt obligations. 

Despite these risks and challenges, I’d buy the company for my portfolio of UK shares today. 

But here’s another bargain investment that looks absurdly dirt-cheap:

Like buying £1 for 31p

This seems ridiculous, but we almost never see shares looking this cheap. Yet this Share Advisor pick has a price/book ratio of 0.31. In plain English, this means that investors effectively get in on a business that holds £1 of assets for every 31p they invest!

Of course, this is the stock market where money is always at risk — these valuations can change and there are no guarantees. But some risks are a LOT more interesting than others, and at The Motley Fool we believe this company is amongst them.

What’s more, it currently boasts a stellar dividend yield of around 10%, and right now it’s possible for investors to jump aboard at near-historic lows. Want to get the name for yourself?

See the full investment case

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Rupert Hargreaves has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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