These 2 engineering stocks could enrich your portfolio

Looking for engineering shares with a bright future? Here’s a couple worth further inspection.

| 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.

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

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.

British engineering firms are a little out of favour these days, with many expecting Brexit to do them some damage. But it’s a sector that definitely should not be written off, and I reckon there are some top-class companies among the smaller constituents:

An oversold bargain?

Shares in Castings (LSE: CGS) have had an erratic couple of years, and they weren’t helped by a 5.7% fall, to 407p, after Friday’s first-half results were delivered.

Sales for the half came in at £57.9m, down from the £65m recorded at the same stage a year ago, and pre-tax profit dropped to £7.08m from £9.51m. The company, which does industrial castings and machining, had previously reported “a softening in demand from our main customers“, and it seems that has continued.

And while Castings doesn’t expect any further falls in demand, it does “not expect to see any improvement for the remainder of the financial year“.

That suggests current forecasts for a 15% drop in earnings per share might be pared back a little now, after first-half EPS came in 25% down. That would suggest a forward P/E of probably around 14–15, although a predicted earnings uplift in the year to March 2018 would drop that to around 13. For a company offering dividend yields of around 3.5%, that’s actually not bad.

There was no mention of Brexit effects in the latest update; however, close to 40% of the firm’s turnover last year came from the EU, so there has to be some risk there over the next few years. But if we are at or near the bottom of a cyclical downturn, we could be looking at a decent long-term bargain here.

An impressive recovery

Looking at other engineering firms, I see shares in structural steel supplier Severfield (LSE: SFR) have also been through some ups and downs of late, though a rally since early July has seen them recover to a loss of 4% over 12 months — but over five years we’re looking at a 39% fall.

Earnings have, however, grown nicely over the past couple of years, and there are double-digit EPS rises on the cards for this year and next. That would give us a forward P/E of 13 for the year to March 2017, dropping to 10.5 on 2018 forecasts — and suggests PEG ratios of 0.5 for the next two years, where around 0.7 or lower is generally considered a good growth indicator.

On top of that, the firm’s dividends, which were curtailed in 2014, have already been reinstated and are set to show some nicely progressive gains — after yielding 2.7% this year, analysts are expecting increases of 23% and then 22% which would take the yield up to 3.7% by March 2018.

In its AGM trading update in September, Severfield told us that its UK order book stood at £268m as at 31 August and had “remained at a very strong level in the period following the EU referendum result“, adding that “Our pipeline of potential future orders has also remained stable with a good balance of work across all key market sectors“.

In addition, an order book of £37m in India apparently “continues to generate an encouraging level of new opportunities amid signs that economic optimism in the country is beginning to increase“.

First-half results should be with us on 22 November, and I’ll be looking for more signs of an impressive recovery.

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.

Alan Oscroft 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.

More on Investing Articles

Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

Why I think Rolls-Royce shares will pay a dividend in 2024

Stephen Wright thinks Rolls-Royce shares are about to pay a dividend again. But he isn’t convinced this is something investors…

Read more »

Investing Articles

1 of the best UK shares to consider buying in April

Higher gold prices and a falling share price have put this FTSE 250 stock on Stephen Wright's list of UK…

Read more »

Person holding magnifying glass over important document, reading the small print
Investing Articles

The market is wrong about this FTSE 250 stock. I’m buying it in April

Stephen Wright thinks investors should look past a 49% decline in earnings per share and consider investing in a FTSE…

Read more »

Black father and two young daughters dancing at home
Investing Articles

1 FTSE 250 stock I own, and 1 I’d love to buy

Our writer explains why she’s eyeing up this FTSE 250 growth phenomenon, and may buy more shares in this property…

Read more »

View of Tower Bridge in Autumn
Investing Articles

The FTSE 100 is closing in on 8,000 points! Here’s what I’m buying before it’s too late!

As the FTSE 100 keeps gaining momentum, this Fool is on the lookout for bargains. Here's one stock he'd willingly…

Read more »

Investing Articles

3 ideas to help investors aim for a million-pound Stocks & Shares ISA

The UK has a growing number of Stocks and Shares ISA millionaires, and this plan may be one of the…

Read more »

Illustration of flames over a black background
Investing Articles

2 red-hot UK growth stocks to consider buying in April

These two growth stocks are performing well, but can they continue to deliver for investors through 2024 and beyond?

Read more »

Charticle

Is JD Sports Fashion one of the FTSE 100’s best value stocks? Here’s what the charts say!

The JD Sports Fashion share price remains a wild ride during the first quarter. Could it be one of the…

Read more »