The Ibstock (LSE: IBST) share price has fallen off a cliff. Down 22% since the beginning of September, investors have trembled over the potential impact of soaring inflation on Bank of England policy and fretted how this could damage demand for the brickmaker’s products.
Naturally, rising interest rates would make it more challenging for potential homebuyers to afford to buy. Comments coming from key Bank of England personnel seems to suggest that rate hikes could be coming very soon too.
Michael Saunders, a member of the rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee, said over the weekend that “markets have priced in over the last few months an earlier rise in Bank rate than previously and I think that’s appropriate.”
Market-beating value
Ibstock’s recent fall means it continues to trade on a forward price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of 0.1. A reminder that any reading below 1 suggests a stock is undervalued by the market. The firm doesn’t just look like a dirt-cheap UK share from an earnings point of view either.
For 2021 and 2022, the FTSE 250 share carries dividend yields of 3.3% and 4.4% respectively. This beats the broader FTSE 250 forward average of 1.9% by a decent margin.
Another cheap UK share on my radar
Worries over possible Bank of England rate hikes (along with fears over rising building material costs) have also shaken the share prices of many housebuilders.
FTSE 250-quoted Bellway (LSE: BWY) is one of these recent casualties, down 13% since the beginning of September. But at current prices I think this is another UK share that offers brilliant all-round value. As well as also trading on a PEG ratio of 0.1 for 2021, Bellway’s dividend yields clock in at 3.5% for this year and 4% for 2021.
I thought both Bellway and Ibstock offered excellent value before the September and October sell-offs. And following those, falls I believe these dirt-cheap UK shares could now be considered too cheap for me to miss. I certainly think their recent share price drops more than reflect the threat of sooner-than-expected interest rate rises.
Still looking good
From a long-term perspective both these companies still have terrific profits potential. Sure, Bank of England rates may rise from their record lows of 0.1% very soon. But I still expect them to remain well below their historic lows. Otherwise it could strangle the economic recovery as Britain copes with the twin problems of Covid-19 and Brexit.
On top of this, homebuyer affordability should remain well supported by the intensifying mortgage product war. Lenders are bending over backwards with low rates, cashback and other perks to win business in an ever-more-crowded market.
There simply aren’t enough homes to go around in Britain. Therefore government will have no choice but to continue building to solve the crisis (the housing ministry has its sights set on 300,000 new homes a year in the next few years). All things considered, I think the future still looks bright for cheap UK shares Ibstock and Bellway. And I think they’re great value buys for me following those recent share price falls.
