Sunday share tips: Elixirr, Shoe Zone

Management consultants can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk?

In the case of Elixirr, the Financial Mail on Sunday's Midas column believed that the answer was yes.

The AIM-listed consultancy was set up by former Accenture managing director Stephen Newton in 2009 and its shares had more than doubled since its flotation.

Global industry growth was 10-12% a year while Elixirr had grown its own top-line by over 30% per annum during the past decade.

And growth was expected to outpace its market "for some time to come", Midas added.

Critical to the company's success was Newton's commitment to proving a bespoke approach.

It also had "close" relationships with cutting-edge tech firms, including in Silicon Valley.

Empowering staff was another key ingredient.

Elixirr's sales hit £30m in 2022, were expected to have reached nearly £90m in 2023 and were seen rising to £108m in 2024 for profits of £28.5m.

"Newton and his team are determined to continue in that vein, setting their sights on a £1 billion stock market valuation over the next few years," Midas said.

"Progress has been encouraging to date and, with 28 per cent of the shares, Newton is certainly motivated to deliver results. At £5.50, the shares are a buy."

The Sunday Times's Lucy Tobin tipped shares of Shoe Zone to her readers, arguing that the business was set to continue benefitting from the cost-of-living crisis.

Sales at the discount chain's 329 shops had jumped by 39% over the preceding two years.

Furthermore, reviews for its footwear - including £8 Converse lookalikes - on Amazon.com were "glowing", she pointed out.

Shoe Zone was also tinkering with its structure, shifting from small highstreet shops to bigger sites at retail parks or digital sales.

The company had also cut the total number of stores.

It was also "highly" cash-generative with £16.4m of net cash.

Chief executive officer Anthony Smith and his brother own 58% of the shares such that management had a clear interest in seeing shares soar, although the company's free-float was only 32%.

"As the Liberum analyst Wayne Brown wrote this week: “Consumers are actively seeking value for money, spending less per transaction and spending more on lower-priced products,” Tobin said.

"Shoe Zone will benefit: buy."