1 UK stock I massively regret not buying in 2024 (and it’s not Rolls-Royce)

If Edward Sheldon had invested in this under-the-radar UK stock at the start of 2024, he could have roughly tripled his money.

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I’m happy with the performance of my investment portfolio this year. Year to date, many stocks I own are up more than 50%. However, there are a few shares I regret not investing in. Here’s a look at one UK stock I wish I’d bought at the start of 2024.

A top UK growth stock

The stock I want to highlight today is Beeks Financial Cloud (LSE: BKS). It’s a small cloud computing/data company that serves the financial services industry.

Year to date, its share price is up a whopping 198%. That’s a little more than the return from Nvidia (which I hold), and more than twice the return from Rolls-Royce (which I don’t).

Should you invest £1,000 in Lloyds Banking Group right now?

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Had I invested £5,000 in Beeks at the start of 2024, I’d now have around £15,000. That would have been a great result.

I missed the gains

What’s frustrating is that the stock came on to my radar in early February when it was trading near 140p. At the time, the company had just put out a very encouraging trading update and I wrote: “I am tempted to have a nibble here. I think this stock is going higher.

Unfortunately, I never pulled the trigger and bought myself some shares. And since that update, the stock has surged to 295p.

Created with Highcharts 11.4.3Beeks Financial Cloud Group Plc PriceZoom1M3M6MYTD1Y5Y10YALLwww.fool.co.uk

Should I buy now?

Is it worth buying for my portfolio today?

Well, results have continued to be impressive. In October, Beeks told investors that for the year ended 30 June:

  • Revenue increased 27% year on year to £28.5m
  • Underlying profit before tax increased 68% to £3.9m
  • Underlying diluted earnings per share rose 61% to 6.36p

It noted that over the 12-month period, it landed significant contract wins including a £5m contract with one of the world’s largest banking groups, and a £2.7m contract in aggregate over a five-year period with a Tier 1 investment manager.

And looking ahead, management said that the board was confident that this year’s results would be in line with its expectations, underpinned by high levels of recurring revenue, a strong pipeline, and a significant market opportunity.

Demand for our product is stronger than ever, fuelling a regular flow of new contract wins and extensions that offer long-term, recurring revenues.
CEO Gordon McArthur

So, it sounds like the business is firing on all cylinders right now, which is encouraging.

High valuation

The thing that concerns me, however, is that the valuation is now much higher than it was.

Back in February, the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio was about 18. Now it’s about 39.

That doesn’t mean the stock can’t continue to perform. But it doesn’t leave any room for setbacks such as a slowdown in contract wins.

Another issue for me is profits have been up and down in recent years. I’d like to see a track record of consistent growth in profitability – this would give me more confidence in the investment case.

Given the high valuation and volatile profits, I’m going to keep Beeks on my watchlist for now. If the valuation comes down a little, I may get involved.

But for now, I think there are better opportunities for 2025 and beyond.

But what does the head of The Motley Fool’s investing team think?

Should you invest £1,000 in Lloyds Banking Group right now?

When investing expert Mark Rogers has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets.

And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if Lloyds Banking Group made the list?

See the 6 stocks

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.

Edward Sheldon has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Beeks Financial Cloud Group Plc, Nvidia, and Rolls-Royce Plc. 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.

Pound coins for sale — 51 pence?

This seems ridiculous, but we almost never see shares looking this cheap. Yet this recent ‘Best Buy Now’ has a price/book ratio of 0.51. In plain English, this means that investors effectively get in on a business that holds £1 of assets for every 51p they invest!

Of course, this is the stock market where money is always at risk — these valuations can change and there are no guarantees. But some risks are a LOT more interesting than others, and at The Motley Fool we believe this company is amongst them.

What’s more, it currently boasts a stellar dividend yield of around 8.5%, and right now it’s possible for investors to jump aboard at near-historic lows. Want to get the name for yourself?

See the full investment case

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