Should you buy these FTSE 250 shares before next week's updates?
Investor appetite for drinks leviathan Britvic(LSE: BVIC) has seeped through the floor in recent times, the firm tapping levels not seen since August 2013 just last month. But I believe the share could receive a hefty boost if Britvic can demonstrate further strong sales growth in its full-year results (scheduled for release on Wednesday 30 November).
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The J2O and Fruit Shoot manufacturer announced in September that revenues rose 5.3% during April-June, speeding up from growth of 5.1% during the previous six months.
While conditions at home remain difficult -- particularly following the EU referendum -- Britvic's ongoing expansion drive provides the firm with splendid revenues opportunities. The beverages play saw sales in the US expand by double-digits in the most recent quarter, for example, while takings in Brazil exploded 37% compared with the same period in 2015.
The City expects Britvic to follow a 4% earnings rise in the period to September 2016 with a 1% decline this year. Still, this projection produces a P/E ratio of 11.9 times, well below the benchmark of 15 times widely considered to be attractive value.
Furthermore, a dividend of 24.3p per share is predicted for fiscal 2017, up from an expected 23.9p for the year just past. This figure yields a mammoth 4.3%.
I reckon now is a great time to latch onto Britvic's compelling growth story.
On the floor?
Shares in flooring specialist Topps Tiles (LSE: TPT) have also endured huge selling pressure in recent sessions, the firm furrowing three-year lows just this week.
And I believe the firm's full-year results announcement -- scheduled for Tuesday 30 November- could extend this downtrend should signs of further sales struggles emerge.
Topps Tiles took a smack in early October when it advised in its pre-close update that "market conditions weakened over the final quarter as a result of reduced levels of consumer confidence." The company saw like-for-line revenues rise just 1.4% during April-June, sliding from the 6.2% rise punched in the previous three-month period.
The number crunchers expect earnings at Topps Tiles to rise 4% in the period to September 2017, building on a predicted 10% increase last year. But although this projection produces a mega-low P/E ratio of 9 times, stock pickers should be prepared for a sharp downgrade to broker estimates.
Indeed, while British construction PMI hit a seven-month high in October, survey producer IHS Markit commented that "the recent phase of new order growth has been the weakest for three-and-a-half years."
The trading landscape has changed drastically since June's EU referendum, and the government's painful Brexit negotiations mean that sales at Topps Tiles could come under significant pressure in the near-term and beyond. Risk-averse investors should steer well clear of the retailer at the current time, in my opinion.
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Royston Wild has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Britvic. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.
