Analysts in the UK don’t always publish earnings previews for quarterly or half-year periods. Therefore, the upcoming figures can only serve as an indication as to whether the companies’ full-year forecasts can be met.

Entain (Q3 trading update)

Entain (LSE: ENT) is an international sports betting and gambling company. It owns brands such as Bwin, Coral, Ladbrokes, PartyPoker, and Sportingbet. Entain will provide a trading update for its most recent Q3 performance ending September 2022 on 13 October.

The FTSE 100 betting firm expects to report growth in revenue after a busy summer. However, City analysts are cautious about the outlook the company will provide after it cut its growth outlook in its last earnings report. With inflation continuing to run rampant, the cost-of-living crisis is expected to dampen the number of bets being placed.

While investors won’t be too excited about Entain’s flat online revenue growth this year, there will be plenty of attention on its US joint venture (JV) with MGM, and whether that is making good progress towards profitability.

Entain doesn’t disclose revenue or earnings figures for its quarterly updates, so a direct comparison can’t be drawn this October. Rather, the company discloses metrics such as net gaming revenue and updates on its JV, which are useful indicators too. These can serve as an earnings preview for investors to determine whether the firm is on track to hit analysts’ estimates by the end of the year.

Hays (Q1 trading update)

Hays (LSE: HAS) is a multinational company that provides recruitment and human resources services to companies across 33 countries globally. The FTSE 250 firm is expected to release a brief trading update for its most recent Q1 performance ending September 2022 on 13 October.

Updates are also expected from Hays’s peers Robert Walters and PageGroup, which will provide a clearer picture of whether the industry’s robust performance have continued into the later part of this year. Investors will be keeping a close eye on headcount as well as skills shortages, and how the current macroeconomic environment has and may impact earnings moving forward.

Only slightly over a month ago, Hays disclosed impressive bottom line growth of 128%, while declaring a £121m special dividend. In doing so, it also affirmed to investors that it was well equipped to face the macroeconomic headwinds. Whether this will carry into Q1 and the rest of its financial year remains to be seen.

Like Entain, Hays doesn’t disclose specific revenue or earnings figures for its quarterly updates. Therefore, investors will have to make direct comparisons using growth rates disclosed in the update. These can serve as an earnings preview for investors to determine whether the recruiter is able to continue its strong showing.

YouGov (FY22 Earnings)

YouGov (LSE: YOU) is a British internet-based market research and data analytics firm. It also operates in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. The company will be reporting its FY22 results ending July 2022 on 11 October.

After a pretty strong year in FY21, investors will be keen to see what the analytical company reports on Tuesday. Given its growth attributes, analysts have high expectations for both YouGov’s top and bottom lines, as well as the outlook for its new financial year. With the stock down 45% this year, investors will be hoping for a good report.

Rising revenue and profit

During the pandemic lockdowns, many people turned to online gaming and gambling to pass the time.

It should come as no surprise, then, that betting firm Entain (LSE:ENT) is on my radar. In the past month, the shares have fallen 7% and this may provide an opportunity to pick up a bargain.

The business has seen a recent resurgence in its retail segment, as more shops have reopened following months of lockdown.

For the six months to 30 June, group revenue grew 19% to £2.1bn. Underlying cash profit also increased by 17%, finally settling at £471m.

With more shops open, however, operating costs rose by 31%. These costs do pose risks to the company going forward. 

It’s possible that rising energy prices and the cost of running shops begin to eat into profit margins on future balance sheets.  

Despite this, the firm has performed well in the face of immense challenges, and I think that it’s well-equipped for any short-term issues that may arise. 

A hospitality recovery?

Conversely, Whitbread (LSE:WTB) was hit very hard during the pandemic. The firm – a UK operator of restaurants and hotels – was forced to close its doors for months on end.

More recently, though, things seem to be turning more positive for the business. Yet in the past month, the share price is down nearly 6%.

Lockdowns resulted in a string of poor results for Whitbread. For the year ended February 2021, the company reported a pre-tax loss of £1bn. 

By the following year, however, this loss had turned into a pre-tax profit of £58.2m. This is an indication that the firm is beginning to recover as restrictions become a thing of the past.

The ability to continue trading, though, came at a cost. It now has a debt pile of £4.08bn, with a cash balance of just £980m. 

Despite this, it has a consistent dividend yield of 1.42%. While this isn’t a market-leading yield, it’s still good to know that I could derive income from this investment.

Demand also looks to be improving. For the 13 weeks to 2 June, year-on-year accommodation sales growth hit 227.4%. This figure is also 21.3% greater than pre-pandemic levels.

Overall, there are a few different reasons why I believe the shares of both of these companies could soar in the event of a market bounce. Entain is clearly resilient and Whitbread is now enjoying better operating conditions. To that end, I’ll add both businesses to my portfolio soon.  

A strong FTSE 100 share

The company I like is Coca-Cola HBC (LSE:CCH). Over the past year, the share price is down 26%, but what impresses me is the company’s short-term performance. Over the past three months (when the broader market has struggled), the share price has jumped by 22%.

The reason why I think the stock could perform well even if the UK struggles is due to the diversified nature of the business. Sure, it does bottle a lot of Coca-Cola! But the firm also services third-party and even own-brand labels. This is across the soft drink and alcohol range. In this way, it has a broad reach of potential clients.

Exposure to Russia and operations in Ukraine have hampered share price performance earlier this year. I note that this is an ongoing risk. Yet it’s not big enough of a problem to put me off investing. For example, in 2021, Russia and Ukraine combined only amounted to around 20% of total volume.

Aside from fundamentals, I also note the 5.74% dividend yield currently on offer. This makes the stock of dual interest to me, partly for share price upside and also for income potential.

Too much of a gamble

The second share I’m staying away from is Entain (LSE:ENT). The global sports betting company has operations not just in the UK but also in Europe and the US. The share price is down 33% in the past year.

Unfortunately, I think that the UK market could suffer in the second half of the year due to the cost-of-living crisis. Having a punt on the horses or the football is something that I think many would cut back on when trying to tighten up spending habits.

Further, economic growth is slowing in the US, with data last week showing that it has entered a technical recession. Therefore, I think a reluctance to gamble is something that could impact all markets for Entain.

I also expect some negative impact to the business from the upcoming UK Gambling Act review. Any added restrictions relating to marketing or promotions to customers will act as a natural dampener on revenue going forward.

In the recent results from July, group net gaming revenue was up 18% for H1 versus the same period last year. This does show me that the business is resilient, even in the face of pressures. Further, with the men’s football World Cup later this year, there are plenty of opportunities to capitalise on revenue.

Persimmon (H1 trading update)

Persimmon (LSE: PSN) is one of Britain’s biggest and most renowned housebuilders. It builds properties ranging from flats to large family homes located across the UK. The FTSE 100 firm is expected to provide a trading update for its most recent half-year performance ending June 2022 on Thursday 7 July.

Analysts in the UK don’t normally publish earnings previews for six-month periods, so it’s best to compare the firm’s upcoming 2022 first-half numbers to the ones from a year before. The H1 2022 figures can also be useful to determine whether it’ll outperform its FY21 numbers, or even beat analysts’ FY22 forecasts.

In this case, Persimmon is predicted to show slight growth in its numbers as housing supply continues to attempt to match high demand. If the housebuilder posts a better-than-forecasted number on Thursday with positive guidance, it could be on course to beat its financial year estimates.

Entain (H1 trading update)

Entain (LSE: ENT) is an international sports betting and gambling company. It owns brands such as Bwin, Coral, Ladbrokes, PartyPoker, and Sportingbet. Entain will provide a trading update for its most recent half-year performance ending June 2022 on Thursday 7 July.

Based on the earnings preview, Entain expects to have a much stronger second half to its financial year than its first. Nonetheless, a headline beat on its previous year’s H1 results could spell a positive outlook for the firm.

Vistry (H1 trading update)

Vistry (LSE: VTY) is another housebuilder that’s providing investors with a trading update. The Kings Hill-based firm will be updating shareholders on for its most recent half-year performance ending June 2022 on Thursday 7 July.

Just like its peer, Vistry is also expecting modest growth in its numbers. This is expected to come from rising house prices. The key metric to look out for will be its diluted earnings per share metric. A better than expected number could make analysts’ predictions of achieving a much higher EPS later this year possible.

Grainger’s profits are at risk from changing regulations related to the rentals market. However, I think the breakneck momentum of rent rises in Britain still makes it a stock that’s too good for me to miss. According to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) its members expect rents to grow 5% a year over the next half a decade.

What’s more, I like Grainger’s plans to capitalise on this fertile environment to maximum effect. Its property pipeline (which stood at 8,373 homes in September) should more than double its net rental income.

A UK share in great shape

Huge uncertainty hangs over the global economy as inflation soars, Covid-19 drags on and the tragic war in Ukraine continues. I think buying some UK healthcare shares is a good idea in this landscape. Spending on medical care is one of the last things we tend to cut back on when times get tough.

Private hospital operator Spire Healthcare (LSE: SPI) is one stock I’m considering buying today. This is because NHS waiting lists are rocketing and an increasing number of people paying for treatment as a result. Revenues at Spire leapt 20.3% year-on-year in 2021 (and jumped 12.8% on a two-year basis) as private patient numbers rose by record levels.

The problems in the NHS look set to worsen before they get better too, meaning that trading at Spire should remain robust. Analysis of NHS data by The Guardian newspaper shows that the number of British people waiting for cancer treatment now sits at all-time highs. I’d buy the business even though changing health policy could damage demand for its private care.

A FTSE 100 favourite

Regulations are getting tougher for gambling companies as the government addresses the problem of addiction. The results of a major review into UK gambling laws are due in the coming weeks. And this has the potential throw up some serious problems for operators like Entain (LSE: GVC).

However, I think the dangers of me owning this particular stock could be baked into its current share price. Today Entain trades on a forward price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of 0.2. This is comfortably inside the threshold of 1 and below that suggests a stock could be undervalued.

I believe Entain — the owner of popular gaming brands like bwin, Ladbrokes and partypoker — could be a great UK share to buy as online gambling continues to take off. Indeed, annual online net gaming revenues at Entain soared a further 12% in 2021. This was the ninth successive year of double-digit growth at the FTSE 100 firm.

With that in mind, here are three I would buy for my portfolio today based on their growth prospects. 

FTSE 100 growth 

The first business is the financial services and credit rating agency Experian (LSE: EXPN). This company helps corporations and consumers analyse their financial credit information and find products fitting their credit profiles.

Consumer confidence is returning as the economy is opening up, leading to rising demand for credit products. As a result, analysts expect the firm’s growth to accelerate in the next two years. The City is projecting earnings growth of 22% for the current year, followed by growth of 14% in 2023.

The biggest challenge the company is likely to face over the next few years is competition, as it is one of the three leading credit agencies. However, it does have a solid competitive advantage in the form of data. With decades of consumer data under its belt, I think the business is well-placed to continue to grow in the years ahead. 

UK shares to buy 

While Experian’s competitive advantage is its data trove, Coca Cola HBC‘s (LSE: CCH) advantage is its bottling contract across Europe with the drinks giant Coca-Cola. 

This competitive advantage essentially gives the group a guaranteed income stream. Management has been building on this solid base through acquisitions and efficiency initiatives. 

With earnings growth averaging 6.3% for the past six years, the company is hardly a growth champion. But I believe this is one of the best FTSE 100 shares to add to my portfolio, considering the competitive advantage outlined above. It may not be the fastest growing business, but gains are relatively steady and predictable. This quality is relatively rare among blue-chip stocks. 

Still, it is not immune to challenges. Some headwinds the company could face include rising wage and materials costs. These could hit profit margins and reduce growth. 

International expansion

The final FTSE 100 growth stock on my list is Entain (LSE: ENT). Over the past decade, this company has gone from strength to strength through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions.

The pandemic generated a windfall for the business, as stuck-at-home consumers turned to its online gaming platforms to pass the time. The group is using this windfall to help support growth around the world. Considering its track record of expansion, I am excited by this potential. 

That said, gambling is a highly regulated industry. It is also highly competitive. Both of these could act as headwinds to the group’s expansion in the years ahead. 

Despite these risks, I think the company’s international presence gives it scope to expand rapidly over the coming years. 

So, what’s gone wrong? And where will the Entain share price go next? Let’s take a look.

The Entain share price volatility

As mentioned, the stock rallied in September when Entain said it had received interest from DraftKings about it potentially acquiring the company. The share price before the announcement was 1,960p, but there was no indication at that point about the price that DraftKings might be willing to pay to acquire Entain.

On the following day, Entain said that DraftKings proposed an offer of 2,800p per share. This represented a premium of 46.2% to the share price before speculation around the acquisition began. However, a little over a month later, DraftKings said it no longer intended to make an offer to buy the company.

The stock has almost been in freefall since this speculation. As I write today, the share price is 1,572p, so that’s far below the initial offer of 2,800p from DraftKings.

This says to me that there might be value here, and that the Entain share price might now be in bargain territory.

The Entain bull case

Entain is a sports betting and gaming company and owns brands such as Coral and Ladbrokes, among many others. The company is growing significantly online, and recorded its 23rd consecutive quarter of double-digit growth online in the period 30 September. I expect this to continue in the months ahead, and for the US to be a key growth market going forward. This is due to the legalising of sports betting in the country after a Supreme Court ruling in 2018.

Entain has a joint-venture with MGM Resorts named BetMGM, which is aiming to be a leader in the sports betting market in the US. As it stands, BetMGM has a 23% market share of the US sports betting and iGaming sector.

City analysts are expecting a huge 350% growth rate in profit before tax (PBT) this year. In 2022, PBT is forecast to grow by a still impressive 54%. The forward price-to-earnings ratio is 18 for 2022, which I consider reasonably valued taking into account the growth expectations for the company.

Risks to consider

Even though the US has legalised sports betting, the sector is always open to tighter regulation. This is something to keep in mind with Entain as it operates in global markets, including the UK. Sports betting is also a competitive market, with companies like DrafKings in the US, and Flutter Entertainment in the UK.

Nevertheless, I think Entain looks to be a good opportunity here. DraftKings initially valued the company at 2,800p, which suggests there’s significant upside in the Entain share price. I’m considering the stock for my portfolio.

However, I can’t help but look back at what has been an interesting year in the markets and imaging what could have been. Since hindsight is 20/20, here are two top-performing FTSE 100 stocks I would have bought earlier this year if I knew then, what I know now. 

The FTSE 100 leader in 2021 (so far)

Ashtead Group Plc (LSE: AHT) has had quite the run, racking up 94.6% in share price appreciation, year to date. If I had known, I would have bought this stock in early January, when it was trading closer to 3,500p. This company is widely known as the parent company of Sunbelt Rentals, the equipment rental giant in North America and the UK. Sunbelt is a leader in this field with over 800,000 individual assets available for hire to a massive customer base.

In its latest quarterly report, Ashtead updated its expected revenue growth by 2%-5% by the end of the fiscal year. This bodes well for the stock, which has consistently created good returns for investors over the past five years. As a dividend stock, there’s not much to be made here as its current dividend yield is a miserly 0.68%. If I depended on a steady flow of dividend income, this would be concerning. But as an investor with a value orientation, I can appreciate reinvesting earnings. Ashtead has seen free cash flows quadruple over the past three years to almost $2bn.

Betting on the future 

I wrote an article earlier this year about the success of Entain (LSE: ENT), which has flown right in the face of the pandemic. The past year has seen this stock shoot up by 54.97%, and I wish I had been along for the ride. Entain is one of the world’s prime gambling stocks. It benefits from massive brands such as Ladbrokes, Bwin, Party Casino, and a 50% stake in BetMGM. The FTSE 100 company has actually been so successful that it has attracted the attention of the US gambling group, Draftkings. Even though the $20.4bn offer by Draftkings to purchase Entain fell through, it was evidence that many in the market believe Entain is not only a great business but also currently undervalued.

Again, if I were a dividend driven investor, I would be wary about the mere 2.8% dividend yield on this stock. Also noteworthy is the tiny bottom line this company generates considering it consistently has gross profits of over 60%. It did well nonetheless this year, and I expect it to continue to do so in 2022.

Three FTSE 100 shares from my list stand out when I look at their 2021 performance, sector potential, business model, and financials. Here’s why I will be looking to add them to my long-term portfolio in 2022.

Impressive recovery

I have followed JD Sports (LSE:JD) closely in 2021. The sports fashion retailer has shown immense recovery potential this year, after the gradual easing of restrictions. JD is up 43% so far in 2021. The company used the lockdown effectively to expand its global presence by acquiring some cut-price stores in North America in early 2021.

The purchase of DTLR Villa in March for $504m added 247 stores across 19 states in the US. The country is a huge market for sneakers and I think this move has already bolstered business. JD has raced past its pre-pandemic 2019 figures. Revenue in the first half of 2021 grew 42% to £3,885.8m. Profit before tax went up a whopping 177% to £439.5m.

But post-pandemic buying patterns are bound to normalise. And JD’s huge net debt of £1.15bn (on 31 July 2021) will eat into revenue over the next few years. But I think JD’s impressive breakthrough in the US could allow for a strong showing in 2022, which is why I’m considering this stock.

95%+ returns in one year

Another sports-based FTSE 100 share I have been looking at is Entain (LSE:ENT). The sports betting firm operates subsidiary brands like Bwin, Ladbrokes, and PartyPoker. Its share price is up 95.7% in the last 12 months and an incredible 422% since March 2020. 

Sports made a swift comeback after the pandemic, especially in the UK. And this brought with it betting fans. But the big reason for the Entain share price boom was a failed US$22.4bn bid by American gambling giant Draftkings. 

Despite the deal falling through, I think Entain is making strong moves. Its $1bn bid for Olympic Entertainment Group (OEG), a betting partner of the NBA in America, could prove very fruitful. The bid includes 100 casinos and betting halls. Also, the company has been posting double-digit online growth for 23 consecutive quarters, which is impressive. 

But, online betting is under pressure over the lack of restrictions in spending limit or hours spent. This has led to calls for stricter regulations in the market. If enacted, new regulations could cause revenue to plummet. But, I still think Entain could grow steadily in 2022, given how western sports are attracting a global audience now. 

Alcohol behemoth

I wrote about Diageo (LSE:DGE) shares on 1 October when they were trading at 3,530p. They are currently trading at 3,892p, a 9% increase in two months. The company’s performance over the last 12 months has also been impressive, recording a 33.3% return on investment.

The company has been using its vast cash reserve, worth £3.7bn, to expand in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. There are concerns, however, surrounding export regulations and falling global alcohol sales. But Diageo has been improving margins and revenue steadily. This proven FTSE 100 stalwart could continue its upward momentum and has become a must-buy share for my portfolio in 2022.

The gaming company released a Q3 trading update Tuesday, headlined “23rd consecutive quarter of double-digit online growth.” Net gaming revenue (NGR) rose 6% at constant currency, and 4% at actual exchange rates. The company says that was “against a period of high growth in the prior year.” So that would make it more impressive than it might first appear.

Excluding Germany, Entain saw NGR increase by 18% at constant currency. And the company told us: “All major markets (excluding Germany) delivered a strong performance, particularly in Australia and Brazil.”

There was no further mention of Germany in the latest update. But looking back to first-half results, Entain told us the country’s “new regulatory regime is impacting the market“.

Regulatory issues are always going to be a concern in this business. But overall, there appears to be minimal impact on overall performance at this stage. Online gaming offerings certainly look fine, with online NGR up 10% (in constant currency) in the quarter.

Entain reiterates upbeat guidance

On the outlook front, Entain has reiterated its upbeat stance. The company expects full-year EBITDA within the range of £850m to £900m. There’s no change there from the firm’s guidance at the interim stage.

The market reacted coolly to this update on Tuesday morning. At the time of writing, the Entain share price is down 0.5%, pretty much bang on the FTSE 100‘s drop on the day.