Quartix Holdings is a good example of a High Flyer - a stock that has both high quality and high momentum characteristics.
The catch is that they often come with expensive valuations - which means you have to pay up for the privilege of owning them.
Quartix Holdings plc is a United Kingdom-based supplier of vehicle tracking systems and services, offering subscription-based vehicle tracking systems, software and services in the United Kingdom. While it qualifies as a High Flyer, most of its positive momentum came from a rerating post-IPO. In the years since, shares have remained relatively range-bound.
High Flyers are high quality...
High Flyers are very distinctive. They are good quality, both in terms of their franchise and financial strength. This tends to show up in high profitability and strong industry leading margins. They’re stable, growing and often have accelerating sales and earnings. They also have strong and improving financial histories and no signs of accountancy or bankruptcy risk.
Quartix Holdings 5-year Return on Capital Employed, which is a solid 40.0%. Good, double-digit ROCEs are a pointer to companies that can grow very profitably.
...and they have powerful momentum...
High Flyers also have strong momentum both in the price of their shares and their track records of earnings growth. It shows up in stocks trading close to their 52 week high prices and outperforming the market. They’ll often be beating broker estimates and getting forecast upgrades and recommendation changes.
This is true at Quartix Holdings, where the share price has risen by % over the past five years. That said, the performance has been more modest over the past year and Quartix Holdings' 1-year relative price strength is -32.1%. Depending on how you see this, it could be a sign that the market is overlooking it.
... but they can be expensive
The drawback with high quality, strong momentum shares is that the market loves these traits. So stocks like Quartix Holdings rarely look cheap, and that can put many investors off. Only with hindsight could you say they were a bargain.
Stockopedia's ValueRank scores stocks using a blend of the most important value ratios - from 0 (expensive) to 100 (cheap). On this basis, Quartix Holdings has a ValueRank of 36 - moving it towards the most expensive third of the market, even though its share price has fallen by almost 33% in the past year.
Overall, the High Flyer approach is appealing because it targets the best quality, strongest momentum shares in the market. That combination of factors can zero-in on the type of company that’s capable of compounding investment returns over many, many years.
If you can catch them at slightly less expensive valuations - perhaps when the market is distracted - then all the better.
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for information purposes only. The content is not intended to be a personal recommendation. The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser. The author has no position in the stocks mentioned, unless otherwise stated.