Overnight all three major US indices of the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and tech heavy NASDAQ all hit record highs as investors warm to the perceived economic consequences of a Donald Trump presidency in the United States.
The prospect of lower tax rates and fiscal loosening have rocketed US shares to all-time highs, but Australian investors may feel a little left out with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) still 10% below highs hit back in early 2015.
Given the ASX's underperformance versus global peers it's more important than ever to identify the best businesses available for your investment dollars.
Below I have five companies that could help make your portfolio great again if bought at reasonable prices.
WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) is a software-as-a-service transport and logistics management business that helps international companies manage the movement of goods and information in cross border trade. At its AGM today WiseTech confirmed it expects EBITDA to come in between $50 million and $53 million for FY17. This represents growth of 59% to 68% on FY 2016's result and this business ticks the boxes as a serious growth prospect.
Lifehealthcare Group Ltd (ASX: LHC) is a small-cap supplier of medical devices to Australian surgeons and healthcare practitioners with a solid record of revenue and earnings growth. The shares tumbled on some regulatory concerns that now appear resolved and it now looks plain cheap at $2.26 on an estimated price to earnings ratio around 10 with a 5.7% dividend yield.
Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) is probably Australia's best and most successful fintech business with a strong level of recurring revenues, operating leverage and a super sticky customer base. It serves the financial services sector that has enjoyed a re-rating since the election of President Trump and shares look reasonable value at $11.25.
Volpara Health Technologies Ltd (ASX: VHT) is a micro-cap software business focused on delivering better breast cancer screening diagnosis, reporting, and management. It remains a highly-speculative bet, but the shares have more than doubled since July as the company kicks goals and starts to deliver on some of its reportedly big potential. However, this kind of speculative business is only suitable for experienced investors comfortable with taking on a lot of risk.
JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) is another business I like that will need little introduction to most investors as Australia's most popular electronics retailer. It has been delivering strong same-store sales growth thanks to a dominant market position and underlying consumer demand for the latest electronic goods will always remain strong. The stock has come back in value a little recently and investors could do a lot worse than adding it to their growth portfolio.
