2022 has been a year characterised by surging inflation. Caused by supply bottlenecks from Covid-19, ultra-low interest rates, and magnified by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, inflation reached 10.1% in the UK in July. Across the Atlantic, the situation was similar, with prices rising 8.7% year on year in July.

With inflation rising, central banks are hiking interest rates. This is placing big pressure on growth stock valuations, as people pull their money out of speculative assets. At historically low prices, I’m looking for bargain growth stocks that could land me some big returns in the future. Below are two stocks I currently have my eye on.  

NIO

NIO (NYSE: NIO) is a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer. It had a standout year in 2020, when its shares climbed over 1,100%. However in 2022, things haven’t been as easy with the shares falling 40% year-to-date. Over 12 months, the shares are down 47%.

The reason I like the look of this stock is due to its remarkable results. In Q1, the firm saw its year-on-year deliveries rising by 29%, with revenues climbing by 24%. Although NIO is still loss-making, its losses shrank 10% compared with the previous quarter, which is a good sign. In 2021, revenues soared by over 122%!

NIO also boasts some market-leading tech when it comes to battery charging. Its cars feature unique battery swapping technology that can be applied in a matter of minutes. Being the only manufacturer to offer this service, I think the stock is well poised to capture market share.

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) is a UK-based civil engineering and defence company. It was hit hard by the pandemic in March 2020 and recorded a hefty £4bn loss for that year. However, recently the firm reported a profit for the first time since then, signalling a strong recovery so far in 2022.

Rolls makes the majority of its money from servicing aeroplane engines. With global travel increasing, I think Rolls could be in a great spot for growth this year. In 2020, just 1.8bn travellers boarded planes. Fast forward to 2022, and it’s predicted that 3.5bn customers will board flights. This should help boost revenues so the group can keep delivering profits.

Rolls is also leading the stride in small-to-medium-sized nuclear reactor technology. It expects to receive clearance to roll out these reactors by 2024 and has already signed contracts with governments around the world to implement them.

The caveat

I think that both of these companies exhibit some great fundamentals. However, no matter how these firms perform over the coming year, rising inflation could continue to plague their stock prices. If this is the case, then they could fall even lower – regardless of their encouraging results. However, adopting a long-term view, I think these stocks could be great additions to my portfolio at their current prices.

The post Here are two beaten-down growth stocks I like the look of today appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

More reading

• After huge new nuclear deals, are Rolls-Royce’s sub-£15 shares set to power higher?
• Here’s how much I think Rolls-Royce shares will be worth by the end of 2027
• Could small modular reactors take Rolls-Royce shares to the next level?
• Is now the perfect time to buy Rolls-Royce, Babcock and BAE System shares?
• The SpaceX frenzy is over – is it time to look at Rolls-Royce shares again?

Dylan Hood has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

Director dealings are essentially insider transactions for shares between directors and the companies they work for. These dealings are always made public, and are often considered a good indicator of a company’s future prospects. However, they don’t get nearly as much attention as other company news due to their complex nature. Nonetheless, here I’m breaking down this week’s biggest director dealings from three FTSE firms.

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) is a British multinational aerospace and defence holdings company. It is one of the world’s largest makers of aircraft engines, and operates in four different segments. These include civil aerospace, power systems, defence, and new markets.

After a disappointing set of H1 results, Rolls-Royce shares saw yet another decline. But this week, a number of director dealings were carried out. Most notably, there was a huge purchase of shares from Chairwoman Anita Frew. The purchase from such a senior director should improve sentiment surrounding the stock.

• Name: Anita Frew
• Position of director: Chairwoman
• Nature of transaction: Purchase of shares
• Date of transaction: 5 August 2022
• Amount bought: 50,000 @ £0.83
• Total value: £41,300

• Name: Lee Hsien Yang
• Position of director: Non-Executive Director
• Nature of transaction: Share purchase plan
• Date of transaction: 8 August 2022
• Amount bought: 1,161 @ £0.84
• Total value: £980.23

• Name: Wendy Mars
• Position of director: Non-Executive Director
• Nature of transaction: Share purchase plan
• Date of transaction: 8 August 2022
• Amount bought: 2,156 @ £0.84
• Total value: £1,820.31

• Name: Sarah Armstrong
• Position of director: Chief People Officer
• Nature of transaction: Share purchase plan
• Date of transaction: 9 August 2022
• Amount bought: 175 @ £0.86
• Total value: £149.84

• Name: Rob Watson
• Position of director: President (Rolls-Royce Electrical)
• Nature of transaction: Share purchase plan
• Date of transaction: 9 August 2022
• Amount bought: 175 @ £0.86
• Total value: £149.84

Admiral

Admiral (LSE: ADM) is a British-based insurance company. It specialises in car insurance products, but also has a line of other offerings. These include home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, and van insurance.

The FTSE 100 firm released its H1 results earlier this week. Although profits slumped by almost half, the stock still shot up by 15% this week. This was most likely due to the announced special dividend of 15.8p. This would bring its total dividend to 60.0p per share. Investor sentiment was also further boosted when the Chairwoman purchased shares worth over £25,000.

• Name: Annette Court
• Position of director: Chairwoman
• Nature of transaction: Share purchase plan
• Date of transaction: 11 August 2022
• Amount bought: 1,181 @ £22.44
• Total value: £26,501.64

Dunelm

Dunelm (LSE: DNLM) is one of Britain’s biggest home furnishings retailers with an ever-growing market share. It operates over a 170 stores throughout the UK and offers over 50,000 products across a broad range of categories.

The FTSE 250 firm released its Q4 trading update not too long ago, and the interim numbers resonated well with investors. Nevertheless, its bottom line figure is yet to be released, and investors are wondering whether their expectations will be met. Therefore, the recent purchases by its CFO and another director could be an indicator of an earnings beat. The company is expected to report its official FY22 results in less than a month’s time.

• Name: Vijay Talwar
• Position of director: Non-Executive Director
• Nature of transaction: Purchase of shares
• Date of transaction: 4 August 2022
• Amount bought: 9,670 @ £8.50
• Total value: £82,156.32

• Name: Karen Witts
• Position of director: Chief Financial Officer
• Nature of transaction: Purchase of shares
• Date of transaction: 5 August 2022
• Amount bought: 1,174 @ £8.45
• Total value: £9,922.18

Types of shares

To provide context, there are a few types of shares that can be purchased by directors. Some directors opt to purchase shares via the open market. Having said that, directors also have the option to purchase shares via a share incentive plan (SIP).

A SIP is an employee plan for companies within the UK to flexibly award shares to employees. Publicly listed companies normally exercise this option because it’s tax-efficient for both the employer and its employees.

In this week’s set of director dealings, a certain number of directors opted to purchase shares via their companies’ share purchase plans. This allows employees to purchase shares through automatic deductions from their pay. And this was the case with a number of Rolls-Royce directors, as well as Admiral’s Chairwoman.

The post Director dealings: Rolls-Royce, Admiral, Dunelm appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

More reading

• After huge new nuclear deals, are Rolls-Royce’s sub-£15 shares set to power higher?
• Here’s how much I think Rolls-Royce shares will be worth by the end of 2027
• Could small modular reactors take Rolls-Royce shares to the next level?
• Is now the perfect time to buy Rolls-Royce, Babcock and BAE System shares?
• The SpaceX frenzy is over – is it time to look at Rolls-Royce shares again?

John Choong has positions in Dunelm Group. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Admiral Group. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) stock has lost a sizeable chunk of its value since the start of the year. Nonetheless, the share price staged a 9% recovery last month. As air travel continues to ramp up, Rolls-Royce shares could be worth a buy this August.

Wind’s blowing in the right direction

The FTSE 100 firm is set to report its half-year results in a couple of days (4th August 2022). So, this could be a buying opportunity for me, before the stock potentially rallies. Analysts in the UK don’t always publish earnings estimates for quarterly or half-year periods. But the upcoming H1 earnings can serve as an indicator as to whether guidance laid out by management for the year can be achieved by the year end.

Given that Rolls-Royce earns a substantial amount of its revenue from servicing commercial aircraft engines, the return of global air travel towards pre-pandemic levels should do its top line an abundance of good. This has also been evident with the engine supplier tying up a number of TotalCare deals with airlines in July.

Additionally, the UK government is expecting to increase its defence budget to 3% of total GDP by 2030. The current budget sits at 2.25%. If this were to happen, Rolls-Royce could stand to benefit from a further stream of government contracts.

A valuable asset

Rolls-Royce also recently announced the successor to its current CEO, in Tufan Erginbilgic, who will be taking over in January. The appointment is a bit of a head-scratcher though, considering Erginbilgic’s lack of experience in the aerospace and defence field. He spent 20 years at BP, and served as its CEO for over five years.

Nevertheless, Erginbilgic is known for his creation of “significant value“. During his tenure at BP, he managed to quadruple profits, while holding a strong track record of execution and delivery. With plenty of exciting and unproven projects in the pipeline for Rolls-Royce, I’ll be hoping that he can help to deliver these new ventures. He will also have an incentive to improve the manufacturer’s profitability, as 30% of his £1.25m salary will be paid in Rolls-Royce shares. As such, I’m eager to see how he plans to navigate the company out of its mountain of debt.

Rolling in cash?

Speaking of debt, Rolls-Royce has a ton of it. That being said, if it manages to achieve positive free cash flow (FCF) by the end of the year, the British-based company may be well equipped to start paying off its debt in 2024. This would then give it the dry powder to fund its future projects.

Taking everything into consideration, should I buy Rolls-Royce shares in August then? Well, it’s got plenty of exciting developments, and everything seems to be pointing in the right direction for the time being. This would normally entice me into investing. However, its financial position does leave me worried, as its earnings potential could be hindered by its debt repayments.

So, while I’m feeling rather upbeat about Rolls-Royce’s long-term future, I think there’s a possibility that its revenue and FCF could come in below expectations in H1 due to a slower than expected recovery in flying hours. For that reason, I’ll be putting Rolls-Royce on my watchlist for now.

The post Are Rolls-Royce shares worth a buy in August? appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

More reading

• After huge new nuclear deals, are Rolls-Royce’s sub-£15 shares set to power higher?
• Here’s how much I think Rolls-Royce shares will be worth by the end of 2027
• Could small modular reactors take Rolls-Royce shares to the next level?
• Is now the perfect time to buy Rolls-Royce, Babcock and BAE System shares?
• The SpaceX frenzy is over – is it time to look at Rolls-Royce shares again?

John Choong has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) is most renowned for its civil aerospace division. However, its other businesses in defence and power systems also hold plenty of potential. With the company disclosing a flurry of new deals, partnerships, and innovations this week, I think Rolls-Royce shares are worth a closer look.

Innovations taking off

As defence spending ramps up worldwide in light of the Russia-Ukraine war, Rolls-Royce stands to be a beneficiary. The FTSE 100 firm unveiled a new Orpheus engine this week for its defence segment. The radical new engine can be used for low-cost, unmanned, small engine applications. Furthermore, its agile approach allows it to be built in half the time of a normal engine. This changes the way products and technologies are developed for the UK’s Future Combat Air Strategy (FCAS), and will help deliver the capabilities to fight and win in most hostile environments.

Additionally, Rolls-Royce announced a collaboration with the likes of the Royal Air Force, UK government, and Reaction Engines to develop hypersonic technologies. This is thought to be groundbreaking as the UK lags behind the likes of China, Russia, and the US in that space.

Nonetheless, the most exciting development for me this week was the announcement of the H2ZERO partnership with easyJet. The purpose of the programme is to pioneer the development of hydrogen combustion engines for aircraft by the mid-2030s. If successful, this could be revolutionary and do the Rolls-Royce share price wonders, as it’ll have first mover advantage in the hydrogen fuel space.

Cutting edge technology

The exciting developments don’t just end there though. The manufacturer announced that it’s in the final build phase of its UltraFan programme, with tests set to start this year. The UltraFan is among the products Rolls-Royce has in its portfolio to encourage more sustainable air travel. It also boasts a suite of technologies that can be used in the group’s energy and power systems segments.

Additionally, the power and flexibility provided by UltraFan gives it the potential to power both narrow and wide-body aircraft. Given that the former is a segment of the commercial market that Rolls-Royce has no exposure to, this would expand Rolls-Royce’s market share in the aero engine space.

Total care of money

Despite all the exciting news, however, it’s crucial to note that the company can’t fund these projects if it doesn’t shore up its balance sheet. As such, Rolls-Royce will have to ensure two things. The first is to wrap up its ITP Aero sale, worth £1.5bn. The second would be to have free cash flow as soon as possible. If this can be achieved, the engine supplier should be able to start paying down its debt by 2024.

Nevertheless, strong tailwinds from the travel industry should help with free cash flow, while three TotalCare deals struck with flypop, Norse Atlantic, and ITA Airways should serve as further catalysts. The deals bring an additional 50 Rolls-Royce engines to the servicing line.

With all that in mind, will I buy Rolls-Royce shares? Well, this week’s developments are certainly enticing. However, I’m still wary about the company’s financials. So, until these show a concrete improvement, I won’t be buying the shares. Instead, I’ll be keeping it on my watchlist for now, and cheering on from the sides.

The post Rolls-Royce shares are in hyper innovation mode! Should I buy? appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

More reading

• After huge new nuclear deals, are Rolls-Royce’s sub-£15 shares set to power higher?
• Here’s how much I think Rolls-Royce shares will be worth by the end of 2027
• Could small modular reactors take Rolls-Royce shares to the next level?
• Is now the perfect time to buy Rolls-Royce, Babcock and BAE System shares?
• The SpaceX frenzy is over – is it time to look at Rolls-Royce shares again?

John Choong has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

Director dealings are essentially insider transactions for shares between directors and the companies they work for. These dealings are always made public, and are often considered a good indicator of a company’s future prospects. However, they don’t get nearly as much attention as other company news due to their complex nature. Nonetheless, here I’m breaking down this week’s biggest director dealings from three FTSE firms.

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) a British multinational aerospace and defence holdings company. It is one of the world’s largest maker of aircraft engines, and operates in four different segments. These include civil aerospace, power systems, defence, and new markets. This week, four director dealings were carried out, albeit in small volumes.

• Name: Lee Hsien Yang
• Position of director: Non-Executive Director
• Nature of transaction: Purchase of shares (Share purchase plan)
• Date of transaction: 7 July 2022
• Amount bought: 1,184 @ £0.83
• Total value: £950.59

• Name: Wendy Mars
• Position of director: Non-Executive Director
• Nature of transaction: Purchase of shares (Share purchase plan)
• Date of transaction: 7 July 2022
• Amount bought: 2,198 @ £0.83
• Total value: £1,820.38

• Name: Sarah Armstrong
• Position of director: Chief People Officer
• Nature of transaction: Purchase of shares (Share purchase plan)
• Date of transaction: 7 July 2022
• Amount bought: 147 @ £1.02
• Total value: £149.91

• Name: Rob Watson
• Position of director: President (Rolls-Royce Electrical)
• Nature of transaction: Purchase of shares (Share purchase plan)
• Date of transaction: 7 July 2022
• Amount bought: 147 @ £1.02
• Total value: £149.91

Lloyds

Lloyds (LSE: LLOY) is one of Britain’s biggest financial institutions. Its brands include Lloyds itself, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland. It earns the bulk of its revenue from mortgage loans. A large number of director dealings occurred with Lloyds shares this week.

• Name: Joanna Harris
• Position of director: Interim Group Director
• Nature of transaction: Partnership shares and matching shares
• Date of transaction: 11 July 2022
• Amount bought: 296 @ £0.42
• Amount received: 106 @ nil
• Total value: £124.91

• Name: Antonio Lorenzo
• Position of director: Chief Executive Officer (Scottish Widows)
• Nature of transaction: Partnership shares and matching shares
• Date of transaction: 11 July 2022
• Amount bought: 355 @ £0.42
• Amount received: 106 @ nil
• Total value: £149.81

• Name: Janet Pope
• Position of director: Chief of Staff and Group Director of Sustainable Business
• Nature of transaction: Partnership shares and matching shares
• Date of transaction: 11 July 2022
• Amount bought: 296 @ £0.42
• Amount received: 106 @ nil
• Total value: £124.91

• Name: Stephen Shelley
• Position of director: Chief Risk Officer
• Nature of transaction: Partnership shares and matching shares
• Date of transaction: 11 July 2022
• Amount bought: 355 @ £0.42
• Amount received: 106 @ nil
• Total value: £149.81

• Name: Andrew Walton
• Position of director: Group Corporate Affairs Director
• Nature of transaction: Partnership shares and matching shares
• Date of transaction: 11 July 2022
• Amount bought: 71 @ £0.42
• Amount received: 105 @ nil
• Total value: £29.96

Vodafone

Vodafone (LSE: VOD) is is a British multinational telecommunications company. It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. A significant director exercised their options to purchase Vodafone shares this week.

• Name: Nick Read
• Position of director: Chief Executive Officer
• Nature of transaction: Purchase of shares (Vodafone Sharesave Plan)
• Date of transaction: 11 July 2022
• Amount bought: 22,352 @ £1.01
• Total value: £22,499.52

Types of shares in a SIP

To provide context, there are a few types of shares within a company’s share incentive plan (SIP). A SIP is an employee plan for companies within the UK to flexibly award equity to employees. Publicly listed companies normally exercise this option because it’s tax-efficient for both the employer and its employees.

In this week’s dealings, directors at Rolls-Royce opted to purchase shares under a share purchase plan. This is a form of capital raising by Rolls-Royce which offers shareholders the opportunity to apply for new, additional shares.

As for Lloyds, the director dealings occurred with partnership shares and matching shares. Partnership shares give employees the opportunity to buy shares via deductions from their salary, before tax deductions. But where partnership shares are offered, the company can also offer matching shares, as was the case. This can range up to a maximum ratio of two free matching shares per partnership share purchased. Nonetheless, it’s important to note that matching shares must normally be held in a trust for at least three years, and held for five years in order to receive a full tax relief. However, these shares may be forfeited if an employee withdraws their partnership shares from the trust.

Finally, in the case of Nick Read, the CEO exercised his options to purchase shares under the Vodafone Share Save Plan. These options are exercisable five years from the savings contract start date, provided that the required monthly savings were made.

The post Director dealings: Rolls-Royce, Lloyds, Vodafone appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

More reading

• Is there any value left in Lloyds shares now they’re over £1?
• After huge new nuclear deals, are Rolls-Royce’s sub-£15 shares set to power higher?
• Here are 2 FTSE shares I’m excited about this July — and 1 I’m avoiding
• Here’s how much I think Rolls-Royce shares will be worth by the end of 2027
• Could small modular reactors take Rolls-Royce shares to the next level?

John Choong has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Lloyds Banking Group and Vodafone. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

The Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) share price is down 35% this year, having slid below the £1 mark since early April. As the travel industry rebounds, management has guided for the firm’s civil aerospace division to breakeven this year. With that in mind, Rolls-Royce shares could be a bargain at this price. However, there are also a couple of warning signs to look out for.

Why is Rolls-Royce flying so low?

Rising interest rates, rocketing jet fuel prices, and sky-high inflation — need I say more? Making matters worse are the recent airport disruptions. Pent up demand for air travel and a lack of workers has resulted in one of Britain’s main airport, Gatwick, placing flight caps. Additionally, staff at Heathrow Airport will be striking next month, during the industry’s busiest week. If we are to connect the dots, flight cancellations lead to fewer flying hours, meaning less revenue for Rolls-Royce.

The engine manufacturer also faces its own set of worker issues. The company offered a £2,000 bonus to workers last week to mitigate the cost-of-living crisis. However, unions rejected the offer and stated that it, “Falls far short of the real cost of living challenges”. A lack of resolution could lead to a walkout by Rolls-Royce employees, thus hurting its top line even further. But forking out bigger paycheques could impact its bottom line too. For that reason, the board is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Going nuclear

That being said, Rolls-Royce still has a ginormous backlog of orders. The firm reported a total deal value of £50.6bn in its FY21 results. It’s also managed to ink several large deals since, such as being the main engine manufacturer for the new Airbus A350-F and Qantas‘ Project Sunrise.

Nonetheless, Rolls-Royce is much more than just its civil aerospace division. In fact, its other segments (Defence, Power Systems, New Markets) could very well act as a hedge against a potential slow down in travel. This is largely due to the effects of the Ukraine war.

Aside from the potential increase in revenue from government defence spending, European countries are also desperately clamouring for energy independence. As such, the UK government has allocated £210m worth of funding to Rolls-Royce to further develop its nuclear, small modular reactors (SMR). If successful, this could end up positioning Rolls-Royce as a market leader in nuclear energy in the UK.

Rolls-Royce SMR is able to produce a repeatable factory-built power station, that relies on tried and tested nuclear technology, it can be constructed and made operational far more quickly than conventional bespoke nuclear design and build technology. The Rolls-Royce SMR approach lowers cost, reduces uncertainty and risk for developers and crucially, allows countries around the world to address their urgent need for low carbon energy.

Source: Rolls-Royce SMR

Civil agreement

Despite the exciting ventures however, its other segments rely on the success of its Civil Aerospace division, which generates the bulk of the company’s revenue. Without positive free cash flow (FCF), Rolls-Royce cannot further develop its other divisions and ventures.

Having taken on large piles of debt during the pandemic, the company is still very much recovering. With negative shareholders equity and a slim profit margin for the time being, most of its FCF will be spent on repaying its debt.

Therefore, even though the Rolls-Royce share price is trading at a low level, I’ll only be keeping it on my watchlist for now. Until its financials improve, I won’t be investing in its shares. Instead, I’ll be investing my money in other growth stocks with much better balance sheets.

The post The Rolls-Royce share price could be stuck below £1 for a while. Should I buy? appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

More reading

• After huge new nuclear deals, are Rolls-Royce’s sub-£15 shares set to power higher?
• Here’s how much I think Rolls-Royce shares will be worth by the end of 2027
• Could small modular reactors take Rolls-Royce shares to the next level?
• Is now the perfect time to buy Rolls-Royce, Babcock and BAE System shares?
• The SpaceX frenzy is over – is it time to look at Rolls-Royce shares again?

John Choong has no position in any of the shares mentioned at the time of writing. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.