3 top FTSE 100 shares to buy in May

Stephen Wright thinks he’s found a quality growth stock, a steady dividend play, and a bargain value investment for his portfolio in May.

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Key Points

  • Rightmove is a top-quality growth stock with a dominant position in its market
  • Legal & General is a well-established company paying a solid and consistent dividend that yields around 7%
  • Sainsbury has a substantial asset base and a low price tag

The FTSE 100 can be a great place to look for investment opportunities. The index is composed of the largest UK companies. It contains companies that have proven themselves over time and produce consistent, steady profits.

Within the index, though, there’s a really diverse range of companies. I’ve found three very different types of stocks that I’m looking at buying for my portfolio in May.

The first is a high-quality growth stock. The second is a steady company that pays a strong dividend. And the third is a cheap value play.

Should you invest £1,000 in Legal & General right now?

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Growth

The growth stock that I’m looking at buying in May is Rightmove (LSE:RMV). The company is the largest UK property platform and its size gives it a huge advantage over its competitors. 

Rightmove’s revenues have surged back after a quiet 2020 during the pandemic and it’s an extremely efficient business when it comes to keeping costs low. The stock isn’t cheap and there’s a risk that comes from paying a high multiple for a good business. However, this is a risk I’m looking at taking to add a quality name to my portfolio in May.

Dividend

I’m also looking at buying shares in Legal & General (LSE:LGEN) in May. The company is about as steady and established as they come and it has paid its dividend consistently over time.

The share price has been coming down quite a bit lately and is approaching levels that I think are attractive. Sometimes a falling share price can be a sign that investors have noticed something wrong with the business. But I don’t think that’s the case with Legal & General. With a 7% yield, I’m inclined to think the risk is worth it.

Value

The third and final stock that I’m considering for May is Sainsbury (LSE:SBRY). This is the least obvious of the three stocks, but I think there might be an interesting value proposition here.

Sainsbury’s shares trade at a price that implies a total value of around £5.5bn for the entire company. On its balance sheet, however, Sainsbury has property and machinery with a value of £13.3bn. There are other things to consider like total debt of around £6.8bn, but I think that Sainsbury shares look cheap given its asset base. 

Summary

There are stocks in the FTSE 100 to suit any style of investor. I’ve found three that I’m thinking of buying in May.

I think that Rightmove has a terrific business model. Legal & General seems to me to be a company that will distribute a steady dividend to its shareholders for a long time. And Sainsbury’s appears to be a stock that is trading at an extremely low price given the assets that the company owns. 

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.

Stephen Wright has positions in Legal & General Group. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Rightmove and Sainsbury (J). 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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