Sunday share tips: Informa, S&U

The Sunday Times's Lucy Tobin recommended that investors buy shares of Informa.

The trade show specialist's workload was now back close to where it stood before Covid, but the share price had not kept up with that progress.

So far during the year revenues were running at 95% of their pre-pandemic or 2019 level and that was excluding China.

Yet Informa believed that the Asian giant's market would return to normal in 2023 and be fully up and running by 2024.

The company's Tech unit, which focused on market research, was also showing strong growth.

"There is huge potential in the release of pent-up demand for shows and conferences, especially in China, and new plans to use all the data from digital events to attract customers’ marketing budgets to fresh areas," Tobin said.

"Buy Informa."

Shares of S&U should rise steadily as chairman Anthony Coombs and his crew deliver on their strategy to support clients, grow profits and generate returns for their shareholders, the Financial Mail on Sunday's Midas column believed.

The lender, which was focused on motor credit and people with salaries but a slightly impaired credit record. With banks turning increasingly strict, such potential borrowers might be turned down for slightly misdemeanours.

S&U had a long history in the market for so-called non-prime borrowers and applies rigorous checks.

Indeed, it typically lent to less than five in 100 applicants.

Demand was so strong that its customer base increased by 21% to reach nearly 24,000 in 2022, which was a record for the business.

The Aspen Bridging unit meanwhile, which catered to developers and property owners by providing short-term loans, had gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2017.

Shares of S&U were already offering a dividend yield of over 5% and increased were penciled in for 2023 and 2024.

"Coombs' motto for S&U is 'Steady and sustainable growth'.

"In uncertain times, this sounds more appealing than ever. At £23.60, the shares are a long-term hold, and the dividend adds spice to the mix."