I’m searching for the best FTSE 100 shares to have in my portfolio over the next several years. Here are two top blue-chips I think could make me fat shareholder profits.
Helping consumers through hard times
The prospect that households will have to keep their pursestrings firmly tightened is chilling for most retailers. Centrica CEO Chris O’Shea has said energy bills could stay elevated for two years. Analysts at Goldman Sachs have since projected that gas prices could remain at double their normal levels until 2025 too.
Not all retailers stand to lose out from the rising cost of living however. As we saw following the 2008 financial crisis and the rise of Aldi and Lidl, companies that operate at the value end of the industry can thrive as consumer spending comes under the cosh. It’s one of the reasons I’d buy B&M European Value Retail (LSE: BME) today.
Investors must remember that retailers aren’t immune to inflationary pressures either. The costs they endure to fill the shelves and keep their stores staffed rise in these conditions. But I think the prospect of soaring sales volumes over the next few years more than offsets this problem.
I also like B&M’s plans to expand its store estate to take advantage of this opportunity. The FTSE 100 firm plans to have 950 outlets up and running eventually. That’s a significant lift from the 693 trading as of December.
The FTSE 100 screen idol
I also believe ITV (LSE: ITV) could be a great share for me to buy as advertising revenues hit record highs. I wouldn’t just buy its shares because ad spending keeps soaring. As a long-term investor, I’ve been impressed by the progress the FTSE 100 firm has made to turn its ITV Studios division into a world-class content creator. This has been achieved via a combination of strong organic investment and shrewd acquisitions.
And ITV’s recent strategy update on its production division has boosted my enthusiasm even further. The broadcaster is seeking to double the production of high-end scripted programme hours to 400 by 2026, it said. This should boost ITVs ability to sell content to other channels and streaming companies like Netflix, a critical quality in today’s streaming age. Importantly, ITV Studios is also aiming to boost its global formats operations to boost programme sales worldwide.
Competition for viewers has never been as intense as it is today. Viewers have hundreds of channels to choose from and a swathe of streaming companies too. However, I think ITV will have what it takes to deliver big profits despite this threat.
Soaring viewer numbers at the ITV Hub video-on-demand service also suggests the company has what it takes to compete (the number of registered users here jumped 8% between July and September, to 34.8m).
Like B&M, I think ITV’s a great share for me to buy in February.