I’ve been searching for UK bargain stocks myself, and three have recently caught my eye: Serabi Gold (LSE:SRB), Crest Nicholson (LSE:CRST), and NCC Group (LSE:NCC).

Serabi Gold

Gold stocks like Serabi Gold have come under pressure as bullion prices have retraced. This particular one’s down 13% over the last month, as a resurgent US dollar has hit gold demand by making it more expensive to buy and hold.

Yet underlying demand for the shiny safe haven remains strong. World Gold Council data shows global holdings in gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) rose by 61 tonnes in Q1. I’m not surprised.

Gold is traditionally in high demand when inflation rises and geopolitical crises emerge, and so could continue recovering in price. I also expect central bank gold demand to keep rising as institutions diversify away from the dollar.

Investing in mining stocks can be risky given the operational challenges they encounter. But on balance, I think there’s scope for Serabi shares to rebound, helped by its rock-bottom valuation. At 300p, its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio for 2026 is just 6.1 times.

Crest Nicholson

Those gold-boosting inflationary pressures threaten to have an opposite effect for Crest Nicholson. Housebuilders like this are highly sensitive to interest rates and their impact on buyer affordability.

Accordingly, Crest’s shares have dropped 12% over the last month. But I think this represents an attractive dip buying opportunity to consider. At 110.6p per share, the builder’s P/E-to-growth (PEG) multiple is 0.1 for this financial year (to October 2026).

That’s miles below the value watermark of one. And it remains ultra-low for the following two fiscal years, at 0.3.

I’m confident Crest Nicholson shares could recover steadily over time, driven by rising demand for newbuild properties as the UK population expands. Government plans for 300,000 new homes a year provides an enormous earnings opportunity.

NCC

Tech spending by companies can slump when economic conditions worsen. But have fears over NCC’s future profits been overblown? I think perhaps so — the cybersecurity company’s dropped 11% in value over the last month.

With cyber attacks becoming more numerous and advanced, having software that protects against such threats isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. According to UK Finance, “52% of global organisations report that their average ransomware payout now exceeds their annual cybersecurity budget“.

These figures also suggest enormous growth potential I don’t think is reflected in NCC’s valuation. For the financial year to September, the P/E is just 7.8. The business provides cybersecurity and software assurance services, and is switching to longer-term contracts with recurring revenues to better capitalise on a market that’s booming as companies increasingly digitalise their operations.

The post After slumping up to 13%, are these cheap UK shares set to rebound? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

AG Barr

AG Barr (LSE:BAG) makes some of the country’s most beloved drinks. We’re talking about the likes of Irn Bru, Rubicon, and Rio, which remain in popular demand across the economic cycle.

But this FTSE 250 company isn’t a boring defensive play for portfolio strength. It’s delivered sustained double-digit earnings growth in recent years, a record City analysts expect to continue.

Barr’s bottom line is tipped to rise 11% this financial year (to January 2026). Another 8% annual increase is expected in fiscal 2027.

So what’s driving this momentum? Pricing actions have paid off handsomely, and in the six weeks to July, revenues were up 3.1%. Combined with its improving grip on costs, price hikes have given margins a huge shot in the arm — Barr’s adjusted operating margin surged 200 basis points in the first half, to 15%.

The drinks giant is also effectively capitalising on fast-growing product segments. Sales of its Boost energy drinks rose by double-digits between February and July.

Barr faces intense competitive pressures and tough conditions for the UK consumer. As a result, price forecasts for Barr shares for the next 12 months aren’t unanimously bullish. The least optimistic broker in fact is tipping a 12% drop from current levels.

However, the view among eight analysts with ratings on Barr is largely upbeat, creating an average forecast of 756.9p per share. That’s up 13% from today’s levels.

NCC Group

Tech shares like NCC Group (LSE:NCC) can be especially vulnerable during economic downturns. Yet I’m confident this FTSE 250 company’s focus on essential cybersecurity services should help it weather any difficulties.

So are City analysts. They think the share will report earnings increases of 18% and 16% in financial 2026 and 2027 respectively.

NCC operates in a highly competitive industry, and is up against bigger beasts with deeper pockets to fund product development. But its expertise in areas like attack simulations is helping it take the fight to its rivals. March’s trading update indicated that it continues to enjoy “strong pipeline growth“.

Sales have been under the cosh more recently, and cyber security sales dropped 6.6% at constant currencies in the six months to March. NCC said this reflected lower “high-volume, lower value testing and compliance engagements” due to macroeconomic uncertainties.

But the business is taking action to turn itself around and better deliver long-term growth as the market booms. This includes focusing on higher value operations with long-term recurring revenues in areas like identity management and advanced testing. It’s also overhauling its global delivery model and expanding teams in key Asian markets.

The six analysts with ratings on NCC all believe this growth share will rise in value over the next year. The average price target is 175.2p per share, representing a 20% premium to current levels.

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The company is in transition at the moment and the stock is down 14% in the last 12 months. So now seems like a good time to look at a potentially undervalued opportunity. 

Cybersecurity

There’s a lot to like about the cybersecurity industry. Governments and businesses know that cutting corners is risky and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is only likely to exacerbate this.

Enter NCC – a FTSE 250 company that – in terms of sales – is 80% cybersecurity and 20% secure software code storage. But the business is unique in a few ways and not all of them are helpful. 

NCC is a specialist in penetration testing, which involves simulating a cyber attack on a system to find where its vulnerabilities are. This, however, isn’t the most attractive business.

These services can often be commoditised, which leads to limited pricing power. And while some firms have to do them for compliance, they’re often one-off events, rather than recurring contracts.

This is why the stock is down. Sales in the cybersecurity division fell 6.6% in the first half of the year as customers looked to pull in their spending in response to macroeconomic challenges.

In response, NCC is looking to shift its business to focus on long-term contracts with recurring revenues, rather than commoditised one-off contracts. But this isn’t going to be straightforward.

A company in transition 

There’s an obvious attraction to replacing one-off contracts with long-term recurring revenue. Most obviously, it makes the company more robust during economic downturns.

The transition, though, won’t be entirely straightforward. For one thing, NCC will have to compete with the likes of Crowdstrike and a number of other big names. 

That’s one of the things I think investors often overlook with cybersecurity stocks. The demand side of the equation looks very attractive, but there’s a lot of competition on the supply side.

Furthermore, the move also represents a shift away from NCC’s core competence. It’s known for its technical expertise in penetration testing, but this is what it’s looking to move away from.

Selling off the software code storage busines is also an interesting move. While it’s only 20% of total sales, it’s the only part of the company forecast to grow in 2025. 

The firm hopes to use the proceeds for a combination of shareholder returns and reinvestment into cybersecurity. That sounds good, but there are no guarantees about what the sale might raise.

Investing in cybersecurity

Anyone who thinks the UK doesn’t have any tech stocks should take a look at NCC. It’s a legitimate example of a cybersecurity company that’s listed on the FTSE 250. 

Not every stock in a particular industry is the same, though, and NCC is a company in transition. If it can pull it off successfully, then the results could be spectacular, but there are big risks.

With my own money, I prefer to stick to businesses where I have a better sense of what sets them apart from the competition. But for the right investor, the opportunity could be interesting.

The post Looking for cybersecurity stocks? Here’s 1 from the FTSE 250 appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Discovering what hedge funds are doing can be very informative given the huge resources and mountains of experience these institutions have. I’ve been looking at shares that they’ve been ‘shorting’ in the expectation that they’ll fall in price.

Here are two from the FTSE 250 that have caught my eye. While I feel investors should consider avoiding one of them, I think the other one could prove an excellent candidate for further research.

Wizz Air

According to shorttracker.co.uk, Wizz Air‘s (LSE:WIZZ) the second-most shorted stock on the index right now, putting it just behind Ocado. Some 4.9% of its shares are shorted, with five hedge funds taking a short position on the budget airline.

As the chart shows, short interest has exploded in recent weeks. This reflects in part a recent spike in oil prices caused by escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Fuel costs form a colossal portion of airlines’ expenses. So this pick-up in shorting activity perhaps isn’t a surprise. However, this is far from the only problem impacting investors’ views of Wizz Air shares.

Indeed, the business — which concentrates on Central and Eastern European routes — has been in freefall, primarily due to engine troubles that have grounded much of its fleet. Wizz’s share price is down 55% over the last year.

The problem is tipped to persist into the latter part of the 2020s. And to rub salt in the wound, the compensation deal agreed with engine supplier Pratt & Whitney is only partially covering the problem.

I feel the company’s focus on emerging European markets could set it up for solid long-term growth. So could its focus on the low-cost segment as value becomes increasingly important with consumers.

But with oil prices rising and its planes grounded — not to mention market competition increasing and economic conditions still extremely uncertain — I think Wizz Air shares are far too risky to consider today.

NCC Group

But I feel that cybersecurity specialist NCC Group (LSE:NCC) could be a much better share to look at. That’s even though four hedge funds have shorted its shares, pushing total short interest to 3.8%.

There are some similarities here with Wizz Air, even though the two companies operate in very different sectors. Revenues at the IT company are highly sensitive to broader economic conditions. It also faces substantial competitive threats, and is a small fish compared with many of its US peers (like Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike).

However, having online protections in place is a necessity rather than a luxury as the number of cyberattacks rapidly increases. Having them can save businesses a fortune in unnecessary costs and lost revenues, so NCC’s profits may remain more resilient than other IT companies.

What’s more, the rapid rate of market growth still provides exceptional growth opportunities for the company. Analysts at BCC Research think the cybersecurity sector will expand at an annualised rate of 11.3% during the five years to 2029.

NCC’s already proved it has the know-how to capitalise on this market boom, with revenues rising 31.3% at constant currencies in the 16 months to September. I think it’s worth a very close look.

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Babcock International

City analysts expect Babcock International (LSE:BAB) to report robust full-year earnings growth later this month (25 June). A 55% bottom-line rise is predicted for the 12 months to March, driven by conditions across both its defence and civil operations.

As an investor, I like this diversification as it reduces the impact of weakness in one or two areas at group level. The company’s operations include maintaining the UK’s nuclear submarine fleet, training fighter pilots, tank drivers and emergency services, building armoured vehicles, and servicing and decommissioning nuclear power stations.

However, I’m most excited by the enormous opportunities Babcock enjoys in the defence sector. It makes around three-quarters of revenues from defence customers, and rising arms expenditure drove its contracted backlog to an impressive £10.1bn as of March.

Reflecting its strong markets, brokers expect the FTSE firm’s earnings to rise another 8% this fiscal year, and by 10% in fiscal 2027.

These growth projections could suffer a setback if US defence spending trends lower. But encouragingly, Babcock has limited exposure to Department of Defense budgets, which helps to mitigate this risk.

Furthermore, moderating arms spending in the States would likely be offset by rising spending among other NATO nations and partners of the defence bloc. Babcock’s four largest customers are Britain, Australia, South Africa and Canada.

Britain’s participation in the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative provides additional reason for optimism too. Domestic defence companies will now have access to the EU’s £150bn loan fund for defence projects.

Today, Babcock shares trade on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 16.5 times. This makes it one of the London stock market’s cheapest defence stocks on this metric.

NCC Group

The FTSE 250’s NCC Group (LSE:NCC) is also tipped for strong and sustained profits growth.

Forecasters anticipate a 55% earnings jump for the financial year ending September 2025. Further double-digit rises (of 30% and 23%) are predicted for fiscal 2026 and 2027 as well.

Like Babcock, current growth projections make the cybersecurity specialist looking ultra cheap on paper too. A forward price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of 0.6 comes in below the widely accepted value watermark of one.

It’s possible that these growth projections could disappoint if the world economy stumbles and businesses scale back spending. However, I’m optimistic that the essential software and assurance services NCC provides could limit weakness compared with the broader tech sector.

Marks & Spencer‘s catastrophic online outage in April outlines the importance of having robust online protections. And the threat’s steadily growing (the head of HSBC‘s UK unit said the bank’s “being attacked all the time” by online criminals).

NCC’s a share I think is worth considering owning for the long haul. Fortune Business Insights expects the global cybersecurity markets to grow at an annualised rate of 14.3% between 2024 and 2032.

The post 2 FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 growth shares to consider in June! appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Owning different categories of equities can also help generate a stable return over time. Growth and value stocks can provide significant long-term capital gains, while dividend shares can provide defensive protection during economic downturns.

With this in mind, here are three shares from each category I think would be worth considering as part of a balanced UK stocks portfolio.

Growth

Increasing digitalisation, accelerating online threats and growing regulation means cybersecurity companies like NCC Group (LSE:NCC) have significant room for long-term growth. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global market will grow at an annualised rate of 12.9% between now and 2032, at which point it will be valued at a stunning $562.7bn.

NCC offers a wide range of services in this field, including consulting, attack detection and assurance. This gives it multiple ways to capitalise on this booming market.

Be mindful however, that sales cycles have been lengthening in recent months, and this could continue if the global economy cools. At the moment City analysts are tipping earnings growth of 53% and 30% for the next two financial years (to May 2025 and 2026 respectively).

Dividends

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) such as Tritax Big Box (LSE:BBOX) are popular picks for investors seeking passive income. This is because they tend to have their tenants locked down on long-term contracts, the rental income from which can be doled straight out to shareholders.

As well, REITs must pay at least 90% of the profits they make from their rental operations out in dividends.

Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice.

Tritax is an exceptionally robust REIT, in my opinion. The weighted average unexpired lease term (WAULT) was 10.6 years at the end of 2024. It also has a wide array of blue-chip companies on its books like Amazon and Tesco.

The firm has a solid balance sheet too, with a loan-to-value (LTV) of 28.8% at the end of 2024. The trust’s forward dividend yield is a huge 6.2%.

I think it’s worth a close look, even though the potential for interest rate rises are a constant risk.

Value

FTSE 250 retailer B&M European Value Retail (LSE:BME) isn’t without its share of risks. Even sellers of cheaper goods like these aren’t immune to ongoing pressure on consumer spending, as recent disappointing trading updates here have shown. Group revenues rose just 2.8% between April and December.

While things could remain tough, I think B&M’s rock-bottom valuation more than reflects this possibility. The former FTSE 100 share now trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 8.3 times.

With a 7.2% forward dividend yield too, it offers solid all-round value, in my opinion. A robust longer-term outlook for value retail — combined with B&M’ ambitious store estate expansion plans — makes this fallen angel worth a close look, in my opinion.

The post 3 FTSE 250 shares to consider for a well-diversified portfolio! appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Investors may be able to shield themselves from further market turbulence by purchasing shares at discounted valuations. Their low prices provide a margin of safety when faced with external challenges or internal setbacks

With this in mind, here are two growth shares to consider whose rock-bottom prices could offer resilience for investors.

NCC Group

While the broader index has dropped in recent weeks, cybersecurity specialist NCC Group (LSE:NCC) has actually risen in value despite elevated market tension. It’s gained 5.1% in value over the past month.

This in part reflects the essential service it provides. NCC supplies incident response, technical assurance and consulting services to protect businesses against cyber attacks. As the digital economy grows and the number of malicious online events increases exponentially, spending on internet security is essential rather than a luxury, providing the business with profits stability.

Yet this FTSE 250 firm is far from boring. I think it has considerable growth potential, even though it faces competition from US operators (like McAfee) which have better brand power and deeper pockets.

City analysts think NCC’s earnings will rise 53% for this financial year (to May 2025), and by another 30% in the following fiscal period. This results in what I consider a reasonable price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 26.3 times for the current financial year.

By comparison, the forward P/E ratio for the broader S&P 500 information technology sector stands at 34.3 times.

Additionally, NCC’s sub-1 price-to-earnings growth (PEG) multiple of 0.7 ratio for financial 2025 suggests excellent value.

Babcock International

European defence companies like Babcock International (LSE:BAB) are vulnerable to a drop in US arms budgets right now. They are also at risk of supply chain problems that impact hardware deliveries.

However, it’s crucial to recognise the substantial opportunities these businesses also have, as other NATO members rapidly rearm to compensate for declining US spending. I believe this particular FTSE 100 operator could be better placed than many of its peers too.

Not only does Babcock generate most of its revenues from outside the US (the UK alone accounts for 74% of sales). It also generates lots of business from the civil sector, where its operations include assistance with building and decommissioning nuclear plants.

Defence contractors like this are traditional safe havens in uncertain time like this. This is because global defence spending by large tends to remain unaffected by economic conditions, again a reflection of the critical products they supply.

These flight-to-safety qualities have helped Babcock shares gain 2.9% in value over the past month.

City analysts think the business will follow a 48% increase in annual earnings in the last financial year (to March 2025) with an 11% rise in fiscal 2026. This leaves it trading on a forward P/E ratio of 14.5 times, making it one of the best-value defence stocks out there.

The post 2 cheap FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 growth stocks to consider as stock markets sink appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

NCC Group

Tech shares aren’t typically renowned for their potential to deliver a decent dividend income. This is because any spare capital they generate tends to be prioritised for expensive activities like R&D and manufacturing.

But cybersecurity specialist NCC Group (LSE:NCC) has been paying cash rewards for more than a decade. So it’s a great passive income share to consider in my book.

With cost savings and non-core divestments boosting its balance sheet, dividends are tipped to rise this financial year (to September 2025) following recent freezes. And so the dividend yield is 3.5%, roughly in line with the FTSE 250 average.

Predictions of further strong earnings growth boost predictions of progressive dividends returning. City analysts think NCC’s bottom line will swell 53% this fiscal year.

This leaves NCC’s shares trading on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 25.8 times. This is high on paper, but it’s also worth noting the company’s P/E-to-growth (PEG) ratio is also a rock-bottom 0.5.

Any reading below one suggests that a share is undervalued based on its anticipated growth journey.

NCC’s a share that, due to the rapidly growing digital economy — and the subsequent rise in cyber attacks — has substantial investment potential in my book. Researchers at Statista think the cybersecurity market will grow at an annualised rate of 7.6% between now and 2029.

NCC faces ongoing competition from larger US operators including CrowdStrike and Palo Alto. But its record of success in this tough market should serve as a confidence booster for investors.

Revenues rose 31.3% at constant currencies in the 16 months to September, latest financials showed.

Bloomsbury Publishing

Bloomsbury Publishing (LSE:BMY) — best known for the Harry Potter series of books — is another attractive ‘all rounder’ that offers investors growth and dividends at low cost.

For the current financial year (to February 2026), annual earnings are tipped to spike 12%. This leads to predictions of further dividend growth and a handy 2.7% yield.

In addition to this, an expected profits rise leaves Bloomsbury shares looking cheap from an historical perspective.

Its forward P/E ratio currently sits at 14.7 times. That’s a good distance below the five-year average of around 20 times.

JK Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise transformed Bloomsbury into today’s major player on the publishing stage. And while revenues here remain significant, it’s by no means the only game in town, and especially in its money-spinning segment of fantasy fiction.

The company’s footprint here is deep, and strong sales from other major authors like Sarah J Maas meant revenues at the firm’s Consumer division surged 47% between March and August.

Aside from its long catalogue of bookshop staples, Bloomsbury also has a successful academic publishing unit and online digital resources division for students, teachers, and librarians.

Though trading has been hampered by weaker US academic budgets more recently, the long-term outlook remains extremely bright. And Bloomsbury’s plans to keep building its position here with more shrewd acquisitions like that of Rowman & Littlefield last May.

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Chemring Group

Supply chain issues remain a problem across the aerospace and defence industry. Yet booming demand means Chemring Group (LSE:CHG) is one of several defence companies performing strongly.

In truth, the company’s share price has disappointed in 2024. It’s currently down by mid-single-digit percentages for the year to date after last week’s update prompted heavy selling.

I think it could be one of the global defence industry’s greatest bargains.

On Tuesday (17 December), Chemring — which makes countermeasures like flares for planes, ships, and land vehicles — said revenues were up 9% in the 12 months to October 2024, at £510.4m. Its order book, meanwhile, leapt through the billion-pound barrier for the first time, up 13% year on year to £1.04bn.

For this financial year, analysts think Chemring’s earnings will surge 28%. A further 12% increase is predicted for fiscal 2026 too.

This means the FTSE 250 firm offers solid value with a price-to-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 0.6. Any reading below 1 implies that a stock is undervalued.

I’m not surprised by the City’s bullishness. Defence spending is surging globally, and Chemring is investing heavily to capitalise on this. It is targeting £1bn in annual revenues by 2030 and expanding manufacturing in the UK, US, and Norway to reach this target.

A strong balance sheet leaves the business in good shape to invest heavily for growth too. Its net debt to underlying EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation) target was 0.56 as of October, well inside its target of below 1.5 times.

NCC Group

NCC Group (LSE:NCC) is another FTSE 250 bargain share worth a close look. Its share price is up 16% since the start 2024, although it has fallen sharply following a chilly December trading update.

I feel this could be a tasty dip buying opportunity for investors. Its PEG ratios for the next two financial years (ending September 2025 and 2026) are both below the value watermark of 1, at 0.3 and 0.7, respectively.

These are backed by predicted annual earnings growth of 84% and 26% for this year and next.

On 10 December, NCC spooked investors by announcing it had seen “a lengthening of sales cycles” in more recent months. This reflects trends in the broader market, and could continue if sluggish economic conditions persist.

While worth considering, recent issues wouldn’t deter me from buying the tech share if I had cash to invest. Any further problems are baked into the low valuation in my opinion. What’s more, the long-term outlook here remains extremely robust.

Sales are still flying as the number of online threats exponentially grows. During the 16 months to September, NCC’s revenues leapt 28.2% to £429.5m. This reflects its wide range of services, which include incident detection, consulting, and assurance.

The firm’s undergoing significant transformation to maintain its impressive sales momentum, too. Measures include offshoring some of its operations, rebranding, and targeting higher value and longer contracts with its Managed Services unit.

The post 2 cheap FTSE 250 growth shares to consider in 2025! appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Hochschild Mining

Silver stocks across the globe have soared in value amid exploding demand for the precious metal. At 227p per share, Hochschild Mining (LSE:HOC) for instance is up 41% over the past six months.

But rising metal demand’s only half the story. You see, silver’s up by a more modest 9% over the same period.

Hochschild’s outperformance reflects a steady string of impressive production updates this year. Its latest statement in October showed silver and gold production up 4% and 21% respectively during the third quarter.

This was the strongest third-quarter performance for five years. It reflects successful ramping up of production at Hochschild’s Mara Rosa gold mine in Brazil, along with ongoing improvement work at the Inmaculada flagship project in Peru.

Things are looking good for the firm as silver demand heats up. Safe-haven sales are rising as interest rate cuts fuel inflation, and geopolitical uncertainty rises following this month’s US election. Silver consumption could also rise for industrial applications as the global economy improves.

Yet despite recent price gains, Hochschild shares still look dirt cheap to me. For 2025, they trade on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 6.2 times.

Furthermore, the South American miner also deals on a forward price-to-earnings growth (PEG) multiple of 0.1. Any reading below 1 implies that a share is undervalued.

Commodity prices are notoriously volatile. And a sharp silver retracement could play havoc with Hochschild’s revenues. But on balance, I think it’s an attractive stock to consider.

NCC Group

Like many tech stocks, NCC Group (LSE:NCC) doesn’t look cheap, based on its prospective P/E ratio. This stands at a meaty 20.5 times, above the FTSE 250 average of 14.5 times.

However, a corresponding PEG multiple of 0.2 suggests the cybersecurity specialist is actually trading below value.

NCC shares have risen an impressive 17% in six months, to 158p per share. Business is recovering strongly following previous problems in the US tech sector. And a series of forecast-beating trading statements in 2024 have driven its shares higher.

Latest financials showed sales up 4% between June and September, at £104m. This helped NCC swing to an adjusted operating profit of £6m from a £1m loss a year earlier.

I think sales should keep rising too, driven by a blend of falling interest rates and the growing prevalence of cyber threats facing companies.

I’m also encouraged by the direction of NCC’s gross margins, which improved 200 basis points to 41.4% in the 12 months to May. This reflected successful restructuring efforts and a better product mix as managed services sales increased.

NCC has a market-cap of £486m. But it’s a small fish compared with US rivals like Palo Alto and Crowdstrike. These businesses have significantly higher R&D budgets and better brand recognition, and therefore pose a large threat.

But the rate of market growth suggests NCC may still be a great stock to consider. And especially at current prices.

The post Up 41% and 17%, these FTSE 250 shares still look like bargains to me! appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.