The stock market is showing some serious signs of recovery after a disastrous 2020. Indeed, investors may not have expected the surge in stock prices we’ve seen over the past year.
Accordingly, many stocks are now trading well above the $25 level. For those on a budget who are looking to pick up high-quality companies at a lower per-share price, here are two great options.
WPT Industrial REIT
Booming asset prices have been great for real estate. Accordingly, REITs have turned out to be an excellent pandemic recovery play of late. In this space, I think WPT Industrial REIT (TSX:WIR.U) is among the best Canadian REITs for investors to consider today.
Why?
Well, the REIT is essentially entirely U.S. focused. For Canadian investors, this provides excellent geographical diversification. For those seeking access to the red-hot real estate market in the U.S., WPT is a great choice.
However, that’s not the only reason I like this stock. It’s an industrial REIT that’s focused on developing, managing, and acquiring warehouses and distribution centres. The company currently has over 100 distribution/logistics properties across 20 states. Given the importance of these assets to the e-commerce boom, there’s an underlying catalyst for this real estate asset class others don’t have.
And I like that.
Additionally, WPT is heavily focused on internal growth and is implementing various steps to improve customer value and long-term cash flow.
The company’s management team wants to capitalize on expansion opportunities within WPT’s existing portfolio. This minimizes the tenant turnover costs and increases the likeliness of lease renewals. This REIT is also focused on acquiring functional warehouses and high-demand properties to increase its portfolio diversification.
With exceptional occupancy and rental rate growth, WPT Industrial is definitely worth a second look for investors of all kinds.
BlackBerry
While the meme stock hysteria surrounding BlackBerry (TSX:BB)(NYSE:BB) has died down of late, it is still one of the most promising turnaround plays on the TSX. This tech firm has some impressive growth catalysts working in its favour, and its cheap $11 stock price is just a cherry on top.
BlackBerry’s weak fourth-quarter performance did weigh heavily on the stock price. However, those who believe in this stock may view this as an intriguing entry point. The company is still in turnaround mode and, as such, is a long-term growth play investors need to be patient with.
BlackBerry’s shift to cybersecurity-oriented software appears to be very well timed. As demand increases for software solutions with strong cybersecurity backing, BlackBerry’s core portfolio should do well. The company has built a strong reputation in this regard, and has built a number of partnerships on this business model already.
Indeed, I believe BlackBerry’s value lies in its untapped growth potential today. On its face, BlackBerry stock looks relatively unattractive today. However, should the company report some impressive numbers in the coming quarters, that could all change.
