2014 has been a rather disappointing year thus far for UK investors. Indeed, the FTSE 100 is down nearly 2% in the first nine months of the year and, despite Scottish uncertainty having gone away, investors still appear to be cautious regarding the index’s future prospects.
However, there are still stocks out there that could deliver strong gains moving forward. Here are three that you may have overlooked, but that could beat the FTSE 100 in Q4 2014 and beyond.
BT
Shares in BT (LSE: BT-A) are up just 1% in 2014, but seem to have a bright future. That’s because the company continues to make progress with regards to its pay-tv offering and this could prove to be a long-term growth area for the company.
Certainly, it means huge upfront investment, with the Champions League rights costing £900 million for instance, but it aids BT in establishing product differentiation and customer loyalty which, in the long run, should allow it to maximise its margins.
With shares in the company trading on a price to earnings (P/E) ratio of 13.3 and earnings forecast to grow by 8% next year, BT seems to be a company worth buying.
Diageo
It’s been a tough year for investors in Diageo (LSE: DGE) (NYSE: DEO.US), with shares in the alcoholic beverages company declining by 12%. This means, though, that they offer much better value now and trade on a P/E of 17.7. Although much higher than the FTSE 100’s P/E of 13.4, for a global consumer stock with considerable growth potential in emerging markets, it seems to be very reasonable.
Indeed, Diageo’s future success is heavily reliant upon growth in emerging markets, where its premium spirits brands continue to prove popular. That said, Diageo’s global footprint means that, even if sales growth in one region does disappoint, it is well-diversified and should prove to be a relatively consistent, as well as strong, growth play moving forward.
Rio Tinto
With the price of iron ore falling heavily in recent months, it’s of little surprise that shares in Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) (NYSE: RIO.US) are down 10% year-to-date. That’s because the company relies on iron ore for the vast majority of its profit and so has mothballed several projects and focused on an efficiency drive.
Therefore, while profits are down, the company is leaner, more efficient and better positioned to deliver profit growth in the long run. With shares in Rio Tinto yielding 4.2% and trading on a P/E ratio of just 9.5, they seem to offer great value and huge income potential. This means they could have a strong future.
