Out of fashion? Don't ignore future prospects

Friday 15 February 2013 20:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Seeking out unfashionable shares could help you reap rewards. If they are at a low point, they're unlikely to slump much further but If they recover, investors can make decent profits, writes Simon Read.

The problem is in identifying languishing shares that have considerable potential. But two Fidelity fund managers have picked four unfashionable stocks that they predict are set for a revival: Mothercare, Speedy Hire, Lloyds Bank and Ladbrokes.

Investing in a retailer in a year which has seen a string of them go bust – including HMV, Jessops and Blockbuster – may seem unwise but Alex Wright, of the Fidelity UK Smaller Companies fund, says: "Following a change in management Mothercare has a credible strategy to reduce costs and return to profitability."

As for Speedy Hire, he points out: "There was a lot of negativity around the stock that meant you could buy its shares for less than the value of its equipment."

When it comes to Lloyds Bank, Sanjeev Shah of the Fidelity Special Situations funds says: "It's an example of a company where negative publicity obscures what could be a profitable future."

And Ladbrokes? Shah predicts the bookie is heading for a "period of positive change".

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in