We’ll have to wait until 26 July for half-year results from Quartix Holdings (LSE: QTX), but today the subscription-based vehicle tracking system provider issued a positive update on trading for the first six months to the end of June.
A broad customer base
The company reckons more than 10,000 fleet companies are using its vehicle tracking system, a figure growing at around 130 companies per month, which is a fair clip suggesting plenty of ongoing growth potential.
You’ll find the firm’s customer companies and organisations operating in sectors such as building, construction, excavation, and all the building services contractors as well as transportation-related firms such as truckers, taxis, patrol vehicles and many others. Back in the 1990s and early noughties I used to run an engineering services firm with a fleet of vehicles and it would have been useful to manage the operation with Quartix’s technology and services. I suspect demand will remain robust for some considerable time.
The firm says that trading has been “consistent with achieving market expectations for the year as a whole.” City analysts following the firm have an 8% decline in earnings per share pencilled-in for 2017 and a rise of 14% for 2018, so the firm seems to be on course to hit those figures.
Preserving margins
Underlying operational progress seems robust. New installations of tracking systems jumped up 44% to 14,300 vehicles during the past six months and the firm has 97,000 active vehicle subscriptions across its markets in the UK, France and the US. A recent shift away from low-margin insurance business to concentrate on the core fleet business is going well. The directors vow to “continue to invest in our fleet business in the second half and only add back insurance volume where our quality of service and product innovation mean that we can command attractive margins.”
With such a focus on controlling the quality of margins, I’m optimistic that Quartix can grow profitably from here and see the firm as well worth your further research as a potential long-term growth investment.
A shift to mobile delivers
Meanwhile, half-year results from Taptica International (LSE: TAP) aren’t due until the end of August, but we do know that the firm has been growing fast providing a global end-to-end mobile advertising platform for ad agencies and brands.
Back in March, the firm reported strong full-year results saying that 2016 was the first full year as a mobile-focused business. Mobile delivered 86% of revenue during the year, driving the overall figure for turnover up 66% compared to the year before, and earnings per share shot the lights out with a near 700% rise.
More to come?
Looking forward, City analysts following the firm reckon earnings per share will put on another 31% this year and 7% during 2018. The growth story remains on track and the directors reckon the company continues to gain traction with existing and new household-name clients, such as Amazon, Disney, and Expedia. Most of the company’s revenue originates in the US but a “meaningful contribution” came from the Asia-Pacific region last year too.
I think there is much more to come from Taptica and recommend you aim your investing radar in the firm’s direction for further research.
