When it comes to investing in the local share market one of the best ways to make big capital gains is to focus on technology companies with digital tailwinds and potential to grow strongly over the next five years or more.
Companies that own tech infrastructure such as the subterranean fibre-optic networks required to provide high-speed internet services, or the point of presence networks required to provide online voice communications look especially good candidates for strong growth.
For forward-thinking companies owning the right tech infrastructure generally means a high return on invested capital and the operating leverage required to grow profits faster than revenues. When you throw in the powerful tailwind of increased demand for cloud services and data usage then you have a potentially heady growth cocktail for companies in this space.
Below are five companies to consider in the fast-growing tech infrastructure space.
MNF Group Ltd (ASX: MNF) owns substantial online or voice over internet tech infrastructure across Australia and now globally via its recent acquisition of the Telecom New Zealand International Voice Network. The company is founder led and has a strong track record of earnings and dividend growth. Due to its high quality the shares do not come cheap at $4.10, although on a little price weakness the stock looks a buy.
TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM) owns extensive fibre-optic infrastructure providing high-speed internet services to residential and business addresses across Australia's major cities. It's also investing heavily in more tech infrastructure, while the most exciting potential corporate development is a move deeper into mobile services via a merger of sorts with Vodafone Australia. The shares look a buy at $11.88.
Vocus Communications Limited (ASX: VOC) also has extensive fibre optic tech infrastructure and owns a large amount of data centres used to provide cloud services to its data-hungry clients. The business recently merged with the residential broadband focused M2 Group and will look to take on TPG and Telstra in the battle for broadband market share. The stock also looks a buy at $8.89.
Superloop Ltd (ASX: SLC) is a junior version of Vocus communications as it looks to build underground fibre optic and data centre services infrastructure across high urban density areas of Asia like Hong Kong and Singapore, with several Australian cities also within its networks. Only setup in 2014 it has now achieved $10 million of contracted annualised revenue, although shares at $2.48 remain a speculative bet given it has yet to post an operating profit.
Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) is another speculative tech business that allows its corporate clients to manage their internet connectivity bandwidth depending on how much capacity they're likely to require inside and outside working hours for example. It does this via its high-speed ethernet interface that connects to Megaport fabric and different bandwidth speeds depending on the interface provided. The company has $18.7 million cash on hand to invest in global infrastructure and demand from large corporate clients is growing at a reasonable rate. Shares hit $3.62 back in February and although they now sell for $2.05 it remains a speculative bet.
