I’ve long been a big fan of FTSE 250 stocks. The mid-cap index often goes under the radar compared to the larger FTSE 100. However, in my opinion, its constituents offer some of the most exciting investment opportunities for investors.
What’s more, it has produced an awesome performance this year, rising 7.9% year to date. That brings its total gains for the last 12 months up to 14.2%.
For investors keen to go shopping in the FTSE 250, here are two shares I think they should consider buying today.
Games Workshop
I’ll begin with my favourite FTSE 250 stock of them all: Games Workshop (LSE: GAW). It has been one of the best performers on the index in the last decade. During that time, its share price is up by over 1,600%!
I’m not expecting a similar return in the upcoming decade. That said, I still see plenty of reasons why Games Workshop is a business to consider investing in today.
One is due to its dominant position in a growing market. The sector it operates in, the miniature wargames industry, continues to become more and more popular. What’s even better is that Games Workshop is by far the frontrunner in the space. That gives it a major competitive advantage over its peers.
On top of that, the stock provides passive income through its 3.5% dividend yield. Granted, that’s by no means the highest out there. But dividends are never guaranteed. So, the fact the business only uses “truly surplus cash” to pay shareholders fills me with confidence. Its dividend has also experienced major growth in the last decade.
Of course, with the miniature wargame industry growing, that comes with a natural rise in competition. More players are entering the space to grab a slice of the lucrative market. Games Workshop will have to navigate this moving forward.
But I back the firm to keep delivering. That’s especially considering the loyal customer base it has built over the years.
Safestore
Next up is Safestore (LSE: SAFE). Like Games Workshop, it has produced strong returns over the last 10 years. In the last 12 months, its share price is up 17.9%.
It’s far from the most thrilling business. It’s the UK’s leading self-storage company with over 130 centres nationwide. But it has a proven business model. And even with a challenging economic environment over the past few years, the business has remained fairly resilient.
With a strong grip on the UK market, the firm is now turning its attention overseas. It has big expansion plans for Europe and now has operations in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
Like Games Workshop, there’s also income on offer. The stock yields 3.3%, in line with the FTSE 250 average. Safestore has upped its dividend for the last 14 consecutive years, an impressive track record.
High interest rates remain a threat. They impact the value of the property the company owns. On top of that, they lead to rising debt-servicing costs, which can force Safestore to have to up its prices.
But looking cheap, trading on just 6.5 times earnings, as well as its exciting expansion plans, I think Safestore could be a smart long-term pick to think about.
