The State Pension’s £164 per week payout means that many people will require additional funds through which to enjoy a comfortable retirement. Although the FTSE 100 has gained ground in recent years, there are still a number of shares which appear to offer a mix of growth, income and value potential.
With that in mind, here are two FTSE 100 shares that could improve upon their recent stock price performance. One reported an impressive update on Tuesday, while the other could also help to boost your State Pension over the long term.
Strong momentum
Corrugated and plastic packaging specialist DS Smith (LSE: SMDS) released a trading update for the first quarter of the year on Tuesday. It showed that the company’s focus on sustainable packaging in resilient and growing sectors is helping to drive market share gains. It has seen positive like-for-like (LFL) volume growth since the start of the financial year, with progress being made across all of the company’s geographic regions.
The company has continued to make progress with the strategic review of its Plastics division. It has also been able to recover input cost increases in line with its expectations, while the acquisition of Corrugated Container Corp has expanded its growth potential in North America. The proposed acquisition of Papeles y Cartones de Europa is still set to complete in the fourth quarter of 2018.
With DS Smith forecast to deliver a rise in earnings of 11% in the current year, its price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of 1.3 seems to be highly appealing. The stock has a dividend yield of 3.2%, which is covered 2.3 times by profit. As a result, its total return potential over the long run seems to be high.
Long-term potential
Also offering the potential to beat the FTSE 100 and improve your State Pension income in the long run is Imperial Brands (LSE: IMB). The company continues to be relatively unpopular among investors, and this could indicate that there is a value investing opportunity on offer.
The stock has fallen by 15% in the last year, with investors seemingly concerned about the future of the tobacco industry. Tighter regulations and increasingly health-conscious consumers are causing cigarette volumes to decline. But with price increases offsetting this, and next-generation products offering strong growth prospects, the future for the industry may be relatively bright.
Imperial Brands has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 11 at the present time. This is a relatively low valuation compared to other global consumer goods companies, with some sector peers having ratings that are 100% higher than those of the tobacco stock. Its dividend yield of around 7% is one of the highest in the FTSE 100, and is covered 1.4 times by profit. With the growth potential that is offered by next-generation products and the company’s strong position in this area, the long-term future of the business appears to be bright. At its current share price it seems to offer a highly-enticing risk/reward ratio.
