Top British growth stocks for May

We asked our freelance writers to share the top growth stocks they’d buy right now. Here’s what they chose:

Stephen Wright: Rightmove

My top growth stock for May is Rightmove. Its business generates around £226m in operating income using just £12m in fixed assets, and its dominant market position is protected by a strong network effect.

As a result, earnings have increased by 200% over the last decade, pushed along by share buybacks. It also has an extremely strong balance sheet with more cash than debt. I’ve been admiring this company for a while, and I’m excited to have finally had the share price reach a level that I’m happy buying it at.

Stephen Wright owns shares in Rightmove.

Royston Wild: Hochschild Mining

I think there’s a good chance precious metals prices could soar as worries over global growth and soaring inflation increase. For this reason, I’d buy silver miner Hochschild Mining (LSE: HOC) for my portfolio in May. 

Mounting concerns over possible stagflation could boost silver prices in the near term. And over the longer term, they could increase as improving economic conditions likely supercharge industrial demand for the dual-role grey metal. 

City analysts think Hochschild’s earnings will rise 8% in 2022. They believe the company’s bottom line will improve 26% in 2023, too. 

Current projections leave the South American mining stock looking quite cheap as well. Today, Hochschild trades on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 9 times for 2022. FTSE 100-quoted silver miner Fresnillo’s forward multiple sits at double this level. 

Royston Wild does not own shares in Hochschild Mining or Fresnillo. 

Edward Sheldon: Calnex Solutions

My top growth stock this month is Calnex Solutions (LSE: CLX). It specialises in testing and measurement services for telecommunication networks.

Calnex has generated strong growth in recent years on the back of the rollout of 5G network technology and looking ahead, I think it’s likely to continue doing so. Recently, the group advised that it was seeing “high demand” for its testing solutions and that its order book was sitting at “record levels”. It added that the board was confident it can deliver “significant, sustainable growth” over the coming years.

It’s worth pointing out that Calnex shares have had a good run recently, so they could experience a pullback in the short term. In the long term, however, I think they could go much higher as the company grows its revenues and profits.

Edward Sheldon owns shares in Calnex Solutions.

G A Chester: Impax Asset Management 

My rule of thumb for asset managers is they may offer value if priced at less than 3% of their assets under management (AUM). 

The last time I looked at fast-growing sustainable investing pioneer Impax Asset Management (LSE: IPX), its shares were trading at over £11. The market capitalisation was £1.5bn, meaning it was priced at 4.7% of its £32.2bn AUM. 

As I’m writing, the shares are below £7, the market cap is £910m, and it’s priced at 2.4% of £38bn AUM. Despite market and fund-outflow risks, I think Impax now offers value. Its half-year results are scheduled for 1 June. 

G A Chester has no position in Impax Asset Management. 

Zaven Boyrazian: Focusrite

Focusrite (LSE:TUNE) is a global audio equipment manufacturer targeting music industry professionals and hobbyists at home. Despite live events being cancelled during the pandemic, demand for its award-winning products continued to rise as artists shifted to working from home.

Music festivals are now back in business, restoring a portion of lost income. Yet recent supply chain disruptions have led to a slowdown in sales, sending the share price in the wrong direction.

However, the nature of the problem is ultimately short term. And with management’s long-term strategy uncompromised, the recent tumble looks to me like a fantastic buying opportunity for my portfolio.

Zaven Boyrazian does not own shares in Focusrite.

Christopher Ruane:  S4 Capital

Digital ad agency group S4 Capital (LSE: SFOR) saw its shares fall sharply after 2021 results were delayed twice. That has made me more nervous about governance at the company. But boss Sir Martin Sorrell has promised to fix that. I expect him to deliver.

Meanwhile, the unaudited results showed very high sales growth. S4 says 2022 has started ahead of already strong expectations. Any further governance slips are a risk. But the selloff looks overdone to me at this point. I am strongly considering topping up my position.

Christopher Ruane owns shares in S4 Capital.

John Choong: Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) recently posted a trading update, and it showed quite a bit of promise in recovery. Despite its flawed balance sheet, the firm is making some progress as it estimates to achieve positive free cash flow by Q3 this year.

Its other segments in defence, power systems, and new markets also posted encouraging developments, as orders continued to increase. Rolls-Royce is also set to grow its revenue in the low-to-mid single digit percentage range. So, with the share price below £1, this could be an opportunity to grab shares on the cheap and capitalise on the potential rebound.

John Choong has no position in any of the shares mentioned.

Paul Summers: AJ Bell

The awful performance of stock markets combined with the rise in the cost of living has hit trading at investment platforms such as AJ Bell (LSE: AJB). However, this is just the sort of quality growth stock I’d want to load up on in anticipation of a big recovery. 

A P/E of 25 isn’t cheap but it’s a far more palatable valuation than a year or so ago. This company consistently generates great margins and returns on capital.

With more people recognising the importance of planning for retirement, AJ Bell is one to tuck away, in my view.

Paul Summers has no position in AJ Bell

Roland Head: Standard Chartered

A FTSE 100 bank might seem an odd choice for a growth stock. But shares in Asia-focused Standard Chartered (LSE: STAN) look very cheap to me when compared with City growth forecasts.

Analysts’ estimates suggest StanChart’s earnings could rise by 15% this year and by 30% in 2023. But despite this bullish outlook, the bank’s shares still trade at a near-50% discount to their 1,120p book value.

Property losses in China and recession risks are a concern. But if CEO Bill Winters can deliver on Standard Chartered’s turnaround potential, I think the shares could perform very well.

Roland Head has no position in Standard Chartered.