- A rising star in renewable energy infrastructure
- A prominent supermarket retailer gaining more market share
- A media powerhouse getting even stronger
The stock market had a good run in 2021. And I believe 2022 will be following its lead. Many companies experienced double-digit growth last year. Here I have shortlisted three UK stocks to buy now, which in my opinion, are braced for explosive growth.
The hidden UK stock to buy in the power sector
The UK has the largest offshore wind farm in the world. In fact, wind power accounted for 24% of the total UK power generation in 2020. Therefore, I have chosen Greencoat UK Wind (LSE:UKW) amongst my top UK stocks to buy now.
The wind power company is focused on expanding and increasing its footprint within the renewable energy sector. In line with this vision, the firm has recently acquired two operational wind farms in Scotland. As a result, the net generating capacity of Greencoat has risen to 1,422MW. Additionally, its yearly dividend of 5% makes this investment more lucrative.
Following the acquisition, Greencoat entered into an eight-year £200m debt facility. This has spiked my concern as an investor. Why? Because unpredictable changes in interest might give a huge blow to the company’s future profits.
Nevertheless, I remain optimistic about the group’s future, and I’m considering adding some shares to my portfolio.
Holiday season gave a huge boost to Tesco’s sales
Tesco (LSE:TSCO) reported excellent sales during the Christmas period, in my opinion. As a result, the supermarket chain achieved the highest increase in market share during the holiday season. Moreover, the group has significantly improved its online presence. Thus, more than 8.5 million customers are currently using the grocery chain’s app. The Money Cog Premium Team recently explored this business in detail.
Despite increased market share, Tesco still faces tough competition from discount grocery chains like Aldi. This, coupled with consumers’ falling spending capacity, courtesy of inflation could hugely influence the supermarket’s future growth.
But, the growing market share and better than expected performance make it an excellent UK stock to buy now, in my opinion.
More than 250 Title under the company
Future (LSE:FUTR) reported an approximately 80% increase in revenue at the end of its fiscal year 2021, which ended on 30 September. The media group’s approach towards acquisitions by combining assets and the tech infrastructure has resulted in this massive increase in sales. It invested $400m in 2021, acquiring multiple media titles, the most popular one being Marie Claire.
No doubt Future has been successful in its M&A approach so far. But the company needs to focus on a unanimous e-commerce scheme. I believe this will be a considerable challenge. And if it fails to overcome this challenge, it could miss out on the soaring e-commerce market opportunity.
But as an investor, I believe this UK stock is a good buy because of the total number of media brands under its umbrella – 250 in total. Moreover, Future’s proprietary tech stack gives the firm’s revenue an instant boost after an acquisition, which makes it my top UK stock to buy now.
Which UK stocks to buy now?
While picking the best UK stocks to buy now, I always seek companies that have the potential to perform better than the average. Moreover, following Warren Buffett’s advice, I am focusing on a growing business. In my experience, if the business is good, the stock eventually follows its lead.
So, why do I believe that the above UK stocks are to buy now? Because they all have these characteristics, I feel. And that makes them perfect candidates for my portfolio.
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Saima Naveed doesn’t own shares in the companies mentioned. The Money Cog has published investment reports on Greencoat UK Wind, Tesco, and Future. Views expressed on the companies, assets, and strategies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and, therefore, may differ from the opinions of analysts in The Money Cog Premium services.