Speedy Hire has a new chief executive officer, is expanding, has gone green and stands to benefit from Britain’s £650bn of spending on infrastructure in the year ahead, so “buy” is the Sunday Times’s Sabah Meddings’s tip for readers.
Under its new boss, Russell Down, the equipment and tool hire specialist is branching out into selling directly to customers through concessions at B&Qs.
Worth noting, the company’s promise is that it can supply its 350 most popular items in under four hours thanks to its 200 depots located across the country.
Its delivery vehicles meanwhile have either gone electric or, in the case of its diesel trucks, use hydrated vegetable oil, which reduces their emissions by 90%.
There is also a growing focus on battery power, solar and hydrogen instead of diesel-powered generators.
The company is not immune to the supply-chain problems plaguing the construction industry having already raised its drivers’ pay twice this year.
Nevertheless, the company is growing.
So for Meddings: “despite the pressure, it is in a good position to benefit from the £650 billion of UK infrastructure spending in the years ahead. It is already involved in projects such as Thames Tideway and HS2.
“Liberum has a 90p target share price, while Panmure Gordon has a 113p target. At its current price, Speedy Hire looks undervalued. Buy.”
The Financial Mail on Sunday’s Midas column recommended three upcoming initial public offerings to its readers, those of Life Science REIT, ProCook and Atrato Onsite Energy.
Life Science REIT is focused on redressing the imbalance between UK and US universities’ access to purpose-built laboratories. Whereas Oxford and Cambridge have a combined five million square feet, Boston, home to Harvard University, has 30m square feet. The company already has a pipeline of deals lined up worth £445m with six transactions worth £305m at an advanced stage.
“Britain has long been at the forefront of scientific and medical research but the pandemic has shown how vital this sector is and how much support it needs,” Midas said, labelling the shares a “buy” at £1.0.
Another IPO worth investing in was Procook’s, the tipster said.
The business had seen steady growth since the financial crisis with its sales growing from about £8m in 2008 to £53m for the 12 months ending in April 2021.
Its 56 year old owner, Michael O’Neill, vowed in 2008 never to rely on bank debt again, hence the compamy’s robust balance sheet and intention of paying attractive dividends whilst delivering long-term share price growth.
“O’Neill is intent on profiting from the UK’s newfound domesticity and turn ProCook into a household name. When the shares are priced this week, they will be worth a close look,” said Midas.
Last, but not least, Atrato Onsite Energy is set to publish its prospectus over the coming week.
The company will install solar panels on the roofs of commercial properties, allowing their owner to secure roughly 30% of their electricity needs from the sun at a cheaper cost and more reliably than from the grid.
Atrato is targeting a 5.0% dividend yield from 2022 which is expected to grow thereafter.
“Atrato Onsite Energy should help customers to become greener and generate sustainable income for shareholders too. The group also boasts an all-female board, a first in the world of London stock market flotations,” Midas told readers.
“Atrato has shown it can make money for investors. At £1, the stock is worth a punt.”
