With a spare £500 I’d buy these UK shares

A financial services giant, a FTSE 250 distributor, a FTSE 100 tech stock, and a gold miner are on the list of UK shares our author wants to buy right now.

| 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.

Middle-aged white man wearing glasses, staring into space over the top of his laptop in a coffee shop

Image source: Getty Images

The FTSE 100 and the FTSE 250 are both higher than they were a month ago. But there are still some really interesting — and good value — UK shares that I’d buy for my portfolio today.

Right now, there are four UK stocks on my radar. With a spare £500, I’d look to divide it into four lots of £125 and invest equally into each of them.

Experian

Top of my list is Experian. I think that this is a business straight out of the Warren Buffett playbook for investing.

Experian operates in an industry with limited competition. Its credit reports are a vital tool for lenders in evaluating the creditworthiness of borrowers.

The company’s business has high barriers to entry. It builds its reports by drawing on a huge database, which is nearly impossible to replicate.

Rising interest rates might slow the business down in the near future. But I think that this is going to provide me with an opportunity to buy shares at attractive prices.

Diploma

I’m also looking at Diploma shares. This isn’t a stock that gets much attention, but I think it could be a great investment for me.

Diploma is a collection of smaller businesses that focuses on the distribution of industrial components. It concentrates on niche markets, which helps protect it from competitors.

As a result, the company achieves huge returns on its fixed assets. Its most recent financial statements indicate that it generated £116m using £80m in property, plant, and equipment.

The stock is a little expensive at current prices. But the quality of the overall company should, I think, prevail over time.

Rightmove

I already own shares in Rightmove, but I’d buy more of them today if I had a spare £500. The company owns the UK’s largest property platform.

The platform’s size provides Rightmove with a huge competitive advantage. It generates roughly twice as many visits per month as its nearest competitor.

More visitors makes the platform a more attractive place for vendors to advertise. This attracts even more viewers.

A slowing property market might dampen interest in Rightmove’s services. But I don’t think that the slowdown in UK housing is likely to be enduring.

Endeavour Mining

Lastly, I’d buy shares in the Endeavour Mining. The company is a gold mining business with some of the lowest costs of production anywhere in the world.

The stock is 6% higher than it was a year ago. But I think that it’s trading at an attractive price nonetheless. 

Gold prices are likely to be volatile over time. And this provides an element of risk with this type of investment – the company’s profitability is likely to fluctuate.

In my view, though, the company’s low production costs should mean that its business proves durable. That’s why I’d invest £125 of a spare £500 in shares of Endeavour Mining today.

Stephen Wright has positions in Experian and Rightmove. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Experian and Rightmove. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

Aviva logo on glass meeting room door
Investing Articles

After falling another 5%, are Aviva shares too cheap to ignore?

£10,000 invested in Aviva shares five years ago would have grown 50% by now. But what might the future hold,…

Read more »

Two female adult friends walking through the city streets at Christmas. They are talking and smiling as they do some Christmas shopping.
Investing Articles

Next impresses again, but could its shares be about to crash?

Next shares have leapt after the retailer raised its full-year profits guidance. But could the FTSE 100 retailer be running…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Time to buy, after Next shares are lifted by storming FY results?

Retail sector weakness is holding back Next shares, is it? Tell that to the fashion shoppers who've driven up full-year…

Read more »

Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Growth Shares

Why the Barclays share price is currently its most undervalued in months

Jon Smith talks through why the Barclays share price has struggled in recent weeks, and flags up reasons why it…

Read more »

DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

10.7% yield! Should investors snap up Taylor Wimpey shares before they go ex-dividend on 2 April?

Harvey Jones is stunned by the double-digit yield available from Taylor Wimpey shares. But the FTSE 250 stock comes with…

Read more »

White female supervisor working at an oil rig
Investing For Beginners

Are investors taking a massive gamble with the Shell share price?

Jon Smith mulls the current state of play in the oil market and explains why he thinks further gains for…

Read more »

Young brown woman delighted with what she sees on her screen
Investing Articles

Stock market correction 2026: a rare chance to scoop up cheap UK shares?

The UK stock market's officially in a correction after a sharp drop in UK share prices, but our writer sees…

Read more »

Investing Articles

How much do you need in an ISA to aim for a £750 monthly second income?

Harvey Jones crunches the numbers to show how investors could aim for a high-and-rising second income from dividend-paying FTSE 100…

Read more »