Growth shares could help boost my wealth and holdings for years to come. With that in mind, one stock I’m planning on adding to my holdings when I next can is Intertek Group (LSE: ITRK).
Let me break down my investment case.
Testing, safety, and certification
It’s fair to say Intertek isn’t a name that immediately stands out on the UK’s premier index among its illustrious and prestigious incumbents. Nevertheless, a lack of fanfare or brand recognition doesn’t make the testing and safety business any less of an intriguing investment prospect.
Intertek shares have had a fantastic 12-month period. They’re up 24% from 4,061p at this time last year, to current levels of 5,060p.
The bull case
I reckon Intertek possesses defensive attributes. This is because of the essential nature of the work it does. Think of all the consumer products we use on a day-to-day basis, including the laptop I’m typing on, to the desk it’s sitting on. Everything needs to be tested to regulatory standards, and signed off with the relevant certification. This is Intertek’s bread and butter, and it’s made a good business out of it.
Next, Intertek’s not only made a name for itself, but it’s become a world leader in this field. It currently operates approximately 300 laboratories across the world. Plus, results speak for themselves as the business has an excellent track record of performance. However, I do understand the past isn’t a guarantee of the future.
Looking to the future, there’s great growth potential for Intertek as the world continues to grow, and day-to-day living evolves. This simply means there’s more products available, and more for Intertek to test and make money from. Hopefully it’ll continue returning this to its shareholders.
Speaking of returns, a dividend yield of 2.5% is decent at present. Plus, I can see this growing. However, I do understand that dividends are never guaranteed.
Finally, the shares actually look decent value for money despite a market-leading position, and established name and track record. They currently trade on a price-to-earnings ratio of 19. This is no value stock, but, I think this looks like a fair price for an established business with growth prospects and defensive traits.
Risks and final thoughts
From a bearish view, a significant risk that applies to most industries and firms, and not only Intertek, is economic turbulence. A slowdown could halt Intertek’s growth aspirations and could even dent performance and returns.
Economic issues in China – one of the world’s largest hubs for new consumer products – is a prime example of this risk, and something I’ll keep an eye on. Another example of this occurred when the pandemic struck, and the business was impacted for a short period.
Overall I’m buoyed by Intertek as an established business with a good track record and attractive fundamentals. Furthermore, exciting growth prospects mean now could be a great time for me to buy shares at a decent entry point.
