My top UK shares for April and beyond are on my watch list. I’m always working on it, sifting through stocks and researching businesses. And the names near the top of that list are those stocks I’m considering right now.
Meanwhile, we have several macroeconomic and geopolitical concerns to consider. For example, there’s the ongoing war in Ukraine and the severe sanctions regime imposed on the Russian economy. Price inflation has bubbled up and commodity prices have been ripping higher. On top of that, Europe has plunged into something of an energy security crisis.
Shopping for top UK shares
But there’s always something to worry about. And that’s why stock markets tend to climb a wall of worry, as someone once put it. Nevertheless, in the time-honoured style of famous and mega-successful investor Warren Buffett, I’m out searching for stock opportunities while there’s uncertainty in the air. It’s when many people are worried about something that we can often find our best and most enduring stock market investments.
However, shopping for shares in troubled times is no guarantee of investment success. Sometimes events take businesses and stocks down and they find it hard to recover. In one prominent example, I’m thinking of the London-listed banks when they were damaged by the financial crisis of 2007-08 and its aftermath. And in another, the arrival of the pandemic in 2020 damaged travel, hospitality, and holiday businesses. And the effects are still rippling through many enterprises in sectors related to those industries.
Stocks I like now
But many companies are enjoying strong operational momentum now. For example, I’m keen on the shareholder dividend from trading platform provider IGG. With the share price near 832p, the forward-looking yield is just above 6% for the trading year to May 2023.
The business has some defensive qualities. And periods of market volatility can be lucrative for the company if trading activity increases among its customers.
I also like the look of integrated software and service company Ienergizer. The business has a multi-year record of growth in earnings and also pays a chunky dividend. With the share price near 393p, the forward-looking yield is running near 6% for the trading year to March 2023.
The third company to catch my attention is Wilmington. The business provides data, information, education, and training in the global governance, risk, and compliance markets. And I reckon such services may be in high demand in the months and years ahead.
With the share price near 263p, the forward-looking dividend yield is just under 3% for the trading year to June 2023. The dividend isn’t as high as the other two stocks I’ve mentioned, but I think the business has momentum.
Doing my research
These stocks won’t go on to perform well for me just because I like them now. All companies can face operational challenges and setbacks. I could lose money on the shares and the directors could even cut the shareholder dividends.
Thorough research is required before buying any shares. But these three are near the top of my list and I’m tempted to dig into each opportunity right now with a view to holding some of their shares for the long haul. But that’s only if further research doesn’t uncover any nasties!
