Are These The 5 Best Stocks In The FTSE 250?

Should you buy John Wood Group PLC (LON:WG), Laird PLC (LON:LRD), Redrow plc (LON:RDW), Tate & Lyle PLC (LON:TATE) and RPC Group plc (LON:RPC)?

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

Wood Group

While Wood Group’s (LSE: WG) share price has fallen by 16% during the course of the last year, the company’s bottom line continues to outperform most of its sector peers. For example, while a lower oil price has caused many oil stocks to post severe declines in profitability, Wood Group is all set to report an increase in its bottom line for 2014 of 21%.

And, while 2015’s forecast decline of 2% is somewhat disappointing, it would still represent a relatively good performance. Furthermore, with Wood Group trading on a price to earnings (P/E) ratio of just 9.1, it seems to be extremely cheap and, although its bottom line may be somewhat volatile moving forward, it seems to be a great buy at the present time.

Laird

Although ARM dominates the UK tech scene, sector peer Laird (LSE: LRD) seems to have a very bright future ahead of it. For example, it is forecast to increase its bottom line by 16% in the current year, followed by growth of 11% next year. This, when combined with a P/E ratio of 16.5, equates to a price to earnings growth (PEG) ratio of just 0.9, which indicates that Laird offers growth at a reasonable price.

And, unlike many of its sector peers, Laird has a top notch yield, too. It currently yields 4%, which makes it highly appealing for income investors as well as for growth investors, too.

Redrow

With there being a consensus among the major political parties regarding house building, now could be a good time to buy house builders such as Redrow (LSE: RDW). Certainly, more houses are required than are currently being built, and this is helping Redrow to increase its bottom line by a forecast 23% next year, and a further 20% in the year after that.

Despite this excellent growth rate, Redrow trades on a P/E ratio of just 9.8. This seems to be unjustifiably cheap when the company’s growth prospects are taken into account and, as such, it could be a top performer moving forward.

Tate & Lyle

While shares in Tate & Lyle (LSE: TATE) have disappointed in the last year, being down 13%, the future could be much brighter for the sugar producer. That’s because it is forecast to make a comeback from a challenging 2015 financial year (when it is forecast to have posted a decline in earnings of 31%) by increasing its bottom line by 18% next year.

And, while Tate & Lyle trades on a relatively high P/E ratio of 17, this strong growth rate means that it has an appealing PEG of 0.9. Furthermore, with a yield of 4.3%, its total return could be somewhat impressive moving forward.

RPC

Packaging company RPC (LSE: RPC) has increased its bottom line in four of the last five years, with it averaging growth of 26% per annum. While this rate of growth is not forecast to continue over the next couple of years, RPC offers relative reliability when it comes to earnings growth and this could appeal to investors during an uncertain period.

In addition, RPC also seems to offer growth at a very reasonable price, with it having a PEG ratio of just 1. And, with RPC having a well-covered yield of 2.9% that is forecast to grow to as much as 3.5% next year, it could prove to be a winning investment over the medium term.

Peter Stephens owns shares of Laird and Tate & Lyle. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Laird and RPC Group. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

2 top growth stocks to consider for an ISA in April

The UK market is home to some fantastic under-the-radar growth stocks trading at very reasonable valuations. Here are two of…

Read more »

Warren Buffett at a Berkshire Hathaway AGM
Investing Articles

Could thinking like Warren Buffett help create a market-beating ISA?

Christopher Ruane zooms in on some aspects of Warren Buffett's investing approach he thinks could help an ambitious ISA investor…

Read more »

British pound data
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in a FTSE 100 index tracker at the start of March is now worth…

Anyone who invested money in a FTSE 100 index tracker at the start of the month may wish to look…

Read more »

Chalkboard representation of risk versus reward on a pair of scales
Investing Articles

Should investors consider Rolls-Royce shares as war rocks global markets?

Investors who thought Rolls-Royce shares had grown too expensive might have second thoughts as Iran turmoil rattles the FTSE 100,…

Read more »

Young black woman walking in Central London for shopping
Investing Articles

Some lucky ISA investors could pick up £2,000 for free in the next month. Here’s how

The UK government is handing out free money to some ISA investors to help them save for retirement. Here’s a…

Read more »

DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Is this the best time to buy dividend shares since Covid-19?

A volatile stock market gives investors a chance to buy shares with unusually high dividend yields. Stephen Wright highlights one…

Read more »

UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

Are we staring at a once-in-a-decade chance to buy this beaten-down UK growth stock?

Investors couldn't get enough of this FTSE 100 growth stock, but the last 10 years have been pretty frustrating. Could…

Read more »

Person holding magnifying glass over important document, reading the small print
Investing Articles

What I look for when searching for shares to buy

There’s a lot that goes into finding shares to buy. Ultimately though, it comes down to two things: numbers that…

Read more »