Is now the time to get a slice of the motion and make investments on this tasty progress inventory?

I really like a great progress inventory, virtually as a lot as I really like pizza. My favorite quick meals model is Domino’s. I’m such an enormous fan that I’m on the corporate’s e-mail circulation record. Final week, looking for to advertise its Weeknight Steal, I acquired a message claiming: “This one’s an absolute discount”.

I ponder if the identical could possibly be mentioned of DP Poland (LSE:DPP), the corporate that operates the chain in Poland and Croatia. Might I be tempted to purchase the expansion inventory? Let’s see.

Japanese Europe

The corporate opened its first retailer in Warsaw in February 2011. It now has 116 of them in Poland and 4 in Croatia.

Since 10 September 2023, its share worth is up 73%.

In April, the corporate raised £20.5m from shareholders. The cash will likely be used to purchase extra shops, refurbish present ones, shift to a franchise mannequin and pay down some debt. The share worth is now increased than the provide worth, which suggests many traders are inspired by the corporate’s progress plans – it desires to have 500 shops by 2030.

Impressively, regardless of Poland having one of many highest charges of inflation in Europe in 2022, the corporate has additionally managed to enhance its gross revenue margin. Through the six months ended 30 June 2023, it was 22.2%, in comparison with 20.7% in 2022, and 18.2% in 2021. This implies the enterprise is being rigorously managed and sells a product that individuals need to purchase.

However the firm is loss-making. For the primary half of 2023, it recorded a post-tax lack of £1.6m on income of £21m. Nevertheless, its losses are falling. However primarily based on its present margin, it wants to extend its income by over a 3rd to interrupt even. This seems to be a little bit of a tall order.

Additionally, with a inventory market valuation of £103m, it’s a small firm. This implies it doesn’t have the monetary firepower to face up to a major shock to its enterprise.

Subsequently, I don’t need to make investments in the mean time.

Nearer to house

But when I did need to get a slice of the pizza enterprise, there’s an alternative choice.

Domino’s Pizza Group (LSE:DOM) runs all of the eating places within the UK and Eire. It has a market cap of £1.35bn, which removes a few of my issues about investing in a small firm.

Over the previous 5 years, its share worth has risen 29%.

The takeaway market in Nice Britain is claimed to be value £14.4bn, with the corporate claiming to have a 7.2% share of this.

However its underlying earnings per share fell barely in 2023 to 18.4p (2022: 18.7p).

And its underlying revenue earlier than tax has remained pretty flat over the previous 5 years – £99m (2019), £101m (2020), £114m (2021), £99m (2022), and £102m (2023). It seems to be a stable, if unspectacular, performer.

Its gross revenue margin is 46.5%.

The corporate is clearly not rising as quick as its sister in Japanese Europe. Alternatively, it’s a extra mature enterprise so, maybe, this isn’t stunning. However I feel different corporations — in numerous sectors — have higher progress alternatives. Subsequently, I don’t need to take a place proper now.

So in the intervening time, I’m going to stay to consuming pizzas reasonably than spend money on the businesses that promote them.