Although the price of gold and Bitcoin may be rising, I think there are quality shares on the FTSE 350 which could make any investor more money. Two examples would be companies some investors may be unfamiliar with: Computacenter (LSE: CCC) and PZ Cussons (LSE: PZC).
A high quality share with growth potential
Turning first to Computacenter. The share price is past where it was pre-Covid, which is quite the bounce-back. I think this in part due to the wider appeal of technology stocks in these times. That’s not to say though that Computacenter isn’t a good company in its own right. In my view it is.
Back in July, Computacenter said adjusted profit before tax in the first half turned out to be “substantially ahead” of the same period last year.
On top of this, although 2020 is difficult to predict, the year should be one of “material progress” according to the board. This follows on from a record-breaking 2019. The reasons for optimism are the demand for services, the current managed services opportunity pipeline and the strength of its customer base.
All in all then, the shares have significant tailwinds which are helping push up the share price in the short term. Looking further into the future is difficult but I see no reason why the trends we’re seeing now will lessen. I expect Computacenter to be able to rewards shareholders for a long time to come.
A quality share bought by a leading fund manager
Shares in PZ Cussons, owner of brands such as Imperial Leather and Original Source, haven’t quite bounced back to where they started the year. But I think the share, on a trailing P/E of 15 and with a dividend yield over 4%, offers a potentially rewarding combination of income and growth potential.
Its advantages are diverse market exposure, a wide range of brands and exposure to emerging markets, in particular Nigeria. Exposure to the populous African nation has been a double-edged sword for the group. It is though, a potentially huge growth market.
Highly rated fund manager Nick Train has bought the shares. That was back in late 2019. He likes companies in the FMCG sector and PZ Cussons is much cheaper than some of the other shares he owns such as Unilever and Diageo. It also, like those other groups, has the recognisable brands, which is something else it’s known that Train likes.
Like Unilever, PZ Cussons has been hit by Covid-19. This has particularly hit its beauty brands. It expects to meet its profit expectations but these will be at the lower end of its forecasts. Like Train, I’d be prepared to buy and hold these shares. I think there’s room for operational improvements and long-term potential from the brands the group owns.