Thursday newspaper share tips: Positive results for Ashtead prompt hold rating

The FTSE 100 equipment rental company posted a positive start to the year on Wednesday, with first half revenue growth of 18% driven by a strong second quarter.

Underlying revenue for the quarter grew 17% at constant exchange rates from £477.9m to £589.0m, boosting first half revenues to £1.13bn.

That led to a first half pre-tax profit of £342.7m, up 21% on 2014’s £265.5m and will pay a 4p per share interim dividend.

The company also increased its capital invested in the business from £588m to £696m, and saw a 19% return on investment.

Questor said the results prove that the company’s strong first quarter wasn’t a fluke, and the strong US construction market has allowed the company to outperform its competitors.

It also said the group relies on strong rentals due to its business model.

“Ashtead borrows from banks to buy construction tools and then rents them out to customers.

“If demand is steady then profits flood in, but if the economy slows and the tools are not rented out, then interest payments still have to be made and profits can fall sharply.”

With the company’s management increasing the dividend, Questor said it underlines their confidence in the company’s future.

However, the tipster noted that with the shares up more than 22 times since the financial crisis, the dividends are nice but aren’t worth chasing and rated the shares at ‘hold’.

Over at The Times, Tempus is looking into a case of schadenfreude with Begbies Traynor.

The business recovery and property services consultancy company saw revenue for the six months to 31 October rise from £20.8m to £25.5, leading to a £0.5m rise in adjusted profit before tax.

It said the results were in line with expectations despite a challenging market with a 10% year on year reduction in the number of UK corporate insolvencies.

Tempus labelled investing in the company as “unpatriotic”.

“They are a bet on the rest of us drowning, on small companies across the land being plunged into insolvency and handed to banking wolves.

“If profits and revenues at Begbies are soaring, Britain is heading in the opposite direction.”

With that in mind, it said that the results are good news for non-investors as the company has had a rough few years, and Shore Capital warned that there was no sign of the market improving – in part it’s a sign the economy has had a good run.

While Tempus hoped that would remain the case, it recommended buying the shares at some point but not yet.

“This is a well-run company that makes money on others being badly run.

“There will be no shortage of the latter in the long run.”