Sartorius, Intel, Royal Helium: How investors invest in the future

Sartorius: What follows after a 120% return on investment?

The shares of the Goettingen-based Company, Sartorius, were quickly named as a beneficiary of the pandemic. Indeed, the share price performance of the past years looks very impressive: The share price climbed like clockwork. Sartorius manufactures single-use products for the production of drugs and other laboratory supplies. At a time when millions of people are tested for a Covid-19 infection every week, and the race for a vaccine is entering a hot phase, the share price appears attractive.

The Company is also optimistic and recently increased its forecast. Although Sartorius has an ambitious valuation, additional business due to the pandemic is very likely. On a one-year horizon, the share price climbed nearly 120%. Although the dividend is only available in homeopathic doses, this is not important for investors. The share is a solid growth stock in a promising industry - but it is also a bit expensive.

Intel: chip giant does not get off the ground

In contrast, the Intel share is not expensive and currently offers an entry in the low double-digit price-earnings ratio range. Chips from Intel are found in many desktop PCs and laptops. The chip giant is also involved in many other areas and is indirectly considered an attractive investment in the leisure sector - gaming has long been a billion-dollar market, and the fastest chips often come from Intel. The chip manufacturer also covers topics like the Internet of Things.

In the year, there were rumors that Intel might in future rely on contract manufacturers from Taiwan for the production of chips. These plans have been rejected as it is vital to customers that high-quality chips come from Intel. The processors rightly have the reputation of being of high quality and often cost a little more than, for example, competing products from AMD. The share price trend shows the fact that digitization alone as a buzzword is no longer sufficient to attract investors. Intel shares have lost 26.2% over the past twelve months. Despite a low valuation and a stable dividend yield of well over 2%, the share currently shows no momentum.

Royal Helium: Investment in booming industries with a difference

Shareholders of the Canadian Company Royal Helium cannot complain about dynamics - the value has been volatile for months. The Company is searching for the noble gas helium in the south of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The gas is used as a propellant or packing gas and, is also used in medicine and chip manufacture. It is also known as a carrier gas for balloons and airships. Royal Helium operates in a traditional production area for the gas and expects long-term growth from its production.

As analysts from Cormark Securities report, the growing demand for helium could lead to a supply shortfall in the coming years, which will become even more significant. In the USA, about one-third of the need for helium comes from the medical sector. The noble gas is used in magnetic resonance imaging equipment. Other significant areas of application in the USA are carrier gas (17%), laboratory instruments (14%) or chip production (5%). In total, the analysts distinguish more than eight areas of application.

Given the market perspective around helium, the analysts of Cormark Securities see a price target of CAD 0.80 for the share - that is about 100% above the current price. Given the market capitalization of only about EUR 12.8 million, the share must be considered highly speculative. However, rapid price increases are possible, especially with such small caps. While shares like Sartorius are already expensive and stocks like Intel are not picking up speed, Royal Helium could be worth considering for speculative investors. After all, the helium market is also profiting from the booming healthcare and semiconductor industries.