Today I am looking at three London stocks offering irresistible bang for one’s buck.
National Grid
Bolstered by its aggressive asset-accumulation programme in both the UK and US, I believe that electricity network operator National Grid (LSE: NG) (NYSE: NGG.US) is in great shape to deliver excellent returns in the coming years. And, critically, the firm does not face regulatory pressures to curb profitability due to its vertically-integrated model, unlike utilities peers such as Centrica and Severn Trent, while the RIIO regulatory price controls are also helping to protect excess cash slipping out the business.
The City expects National Grid to punch earnings growth of 4% and 3% in the years ending March 2016 and 2017 respectively, leaving the business changing hands on P/E multiples of 15.4 times and 14.9 times prospective earnings — any number around or below 15 times is widely regarded as decent value.
Consequently National Grid is also expected to keep its progressive dividend policy rolling, and an anticipated payout of 43.4p per share for fiscal 2015 is expected to advance to 44.6p this year, creating a market-beating yield of 5%. And a forecast 45.3p payment for 2017 drives this figure to 5.1%.
Taylor Wimpey
I bought shares in Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW) last year owing to the extent of Britain’s massive supply/demand imbalance. This is already playing into the hands of the country’s major housebuilders, who are recording gargantuan forward sales and bolstering their land banks accordingly. With interest rates looking set to rumble along at low levels, and banks falling over themselves to lend to mortgage seekers, I reckon that revenues should continue to thrive for Taylor Wimpey and its peers.
Current projections suggest that the business will enjoy earnings expansion of 30% in 2015, producing an ultra-low P/E ratio of 11.3 times. And this falls bang onto the bargain benchmark of 10 times for next year, as the bottom line is predicted to surge an extra 14%. In addition, ultra-low PEG values of 0.4 and 0.7 for 2015 and 2016 respectively — well under the value threshold of 1 — further illustrates Taylor Wimpey’s cheap price.
And the housebuilder looks set to remain a popular choice with dividend hunters, with an estimated payment of 9.23p per share for this year creating a yield of 5.6%. Expectations of a further meaty hike in 2016, to 10p, drives this yield to a mouth-watering 6%.
Aberdeen Asset Management
With Aberdeen Asset Management (LSE: ADN) having sucked up the pain of weak investor sentiment during the past year, I reckon that the business is now in great shape to enjoy resurgent revenue growth. And the company’s plans to expand in the exciting growth regions of the US and Asia should undergird strong top-line growth still further.
Aberdeen Asset Management is expected to snap back from last year’s rare 5% earnings dip with a 5% advance in 2015, a number which produces a decent P/E readout of 13.9 times. And surging investor activity is expected to propel earnings 10% higher in the following year, pushing the earnings multiple to just 12.7 times.
These perky growth projections are expected to keep dividends climbing at a decent rate, too. Indeed, Aberdeen Asset Management is predicted to raise last year’s dividend of 18p per share to 19.8p in 2015, and again to 22p in 2016. Consequently the financial services play carries chunky yields of 4.3% for this year and 4.7% for the following 12-month period.
