These FTSE plays are making headlines today! Should you buy?

Royston Wild looks at the investment case of three Monday newsmakers.

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Storage giant Lok’NStore Group (LSE: LOK) touched fresh two-month highs in start-of-week business after releasing solid financials.

The company announced that revenues at its core self-storage business rose 5.2% during the 12 months to July, with self-store unit occupancy advancing 2% in the period.

The space provider’s document storage unit also enjoyed a massive bump in fiscal 2016. Revenues galloped 11.1% higher from the prior year, with the number of stored boxes and tapes rising 8.7% and 14.2% respectively.

And Lok’NStore is confident that its busy acquisition programme should keep revenues rolling. The company described trading at its new outlets like Maidenhead, Reading, Aldershot and Chichester as “excellent,” and the firm is due to open owned stores in Wellingborough and Gillingham, as well as managed stores in Hemel Hempstead and Broadstairs by the end of 2017.

A predicted 34% earnings rise leaves Lok’NStore on an elevated forward P/E rating of 23.3 times. But I believe the company’s brilliant bottom-line momentum merits such a premium.

Pollster set to surge

Research specialist YouGov (LSE: YOU) also bounced higher following decent financials of its own on Momday. Indeed, the stock was last changing hands at record peaks above 190p.

YouGov advised that trading for the 12 months to July 2016 is expected to top previous expectations, the firm enjoying “another year of double-digit revenue growth well ahead of the global market research sector with the proportion of revenue derived from data products and data services continuing.”

The business added that sales in the US and the Middle East had expanded strongly, while it had also benefitted from sterling weakness during the past year.

I believe YouGov’s rising success in international markets should keep its terrific growth story rolling, and I also believe a forward P/E rating of 23.8 times — created by a predicted 14% earnings rise — is fair value.

Secure a fortune

Support services group Interserve (LSE: IRV) completed the set on Monday, the shares recently 3% higher on the day and dealing at levels not seen since early June.

Interserve announced it had secured an extension to its existing two-year contract with the BBC for the provision of security services. The company’s First Security division has provided the Beeb’s muscle across the country since April 2014, and the extension will come into play from 2017.

Naturally, as with many other firms, Britain’s decision to exit the EU in June has cast something of a pall over Interserve’s long-term outlook.

Still, I believe the stock’s diversification across a wide range of industries, allied with its ability to keep grinding out high-level contracts, makes it an attractive investment destination. And it’s particularly so at current share prices — at the moment Interserve deals on a meagre forward P/E rating of 4.8 times, and carries a market-beating 8.1% dividend yield.

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.

Royston Wild has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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