One of the things I love about investing is the sheer number of possibilities for investment and the potential for lucrative profits and income.
Looking across different segments of the economy, there are some really intriguing opportunities for investors to capitalize on.
Here are a few of those opportunities that are worth considering.
Shopify: the future of online storefronts
Shopify Inc. (TSX:SHOP)(NYSE:SHOP) is a tech company with humble beginnings that has taken the market by storm.
For those who are unaware of what the company does, Shopify is a cloud-based commerce platform that helps businesses set up a complete e-commerce store that integrates with social media platforms and does so in a fraction of the time that’s been traditionally required.
To date, over $34 billion worth of goods from over 400,000 businesses have been sold on the platform, and those figures continue to grow. Shopify’s recent quarterly update confirmed this with total revenue surging 75%, handily beating the company’s own guidance for the quarter.
Why should you invest in Shopify? Shopify is simple, yet revolutionary. Shopify is being compared to an early Amazon, which has investors lining up to get in on the stock as it continues its trek upwards, which, mind you, is up over 110% year to date.
Shopify currently trades for $122.
BCE Inc.: the income producer
Some stocks are aimed at growth, others at producing income. While BCE Inc. (TSX:BCE)(NYSE:BCE) can offer both, the stock is primarily seen as an income producer, and for good reason.
BCE offers wired and wireless phone, internet, and TV subscription services with impressive coverage that blankets the country. That coverage is thanks to an extensive array of infrastructure that has been built and upgraded over the years, which provides BCE with a sizeable defensive moat over the competition.
Apart from those core services, BCE has an empire of holdings that includes radio and TV stations, real estate, and even professional sports teams.
Why should you invest in BCE? BCE provides investors with a juicy 4.75% yield, thanks to a quarterly dividend that pays out $0.72. BCE also happens to be one of the few companies on the market that has been paying dividends for well over a century, and that’s a trend that is unlikely to end anytime soon.
As a bonus, BCE’s defensive moat and extensive infrastructure allow the company to provide higher payout levels over the competition, which are very sustainable.
At just over $60 per share and a P/E of 18.38, BCE is a stock to buy and forget.
Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX)(NYSE:ABX) is a gold producer that is slowly becoming the envy of the precious metals industry.
Gold producers such as Barrick were reeling a few years ago, sinking under immense debt loads.
Why should you invest in Barrick? Thanks to an impressive and well-executed turnaround strategy, Barrick is making strides to become completely debt free within a decade thanks to cost-cutting and efficiency improvements made during the past few lean years.
Now that the price of gold has started to appreciate again, the efficiencies that Barrick implemented to lower costs are starting to translate into higher earnings, or at least they should be. Barrick’s recent quarterly update was weaker than expected due to weakened production in one mine that led to a significance guidance reduction. Worse still, Barrick’s all-in sustaining costs, which are typically the envy of the industry at about US$750 per ounce, will be closer to US$850 per ounce for the quarter.
Investors weren’t pleased with the results, and so the stock retreated. But here’s the interesting part: pundits still speculate that the price of gold could appreciate to over US$1,300 per ounce this year, which will drive further growth for Barrick. If anything, the current retreat could be a discount period for investors with an interest in precious metals.
Barrick currently trades at just over $22 with a P/E of 13.52.
