It would be fair to say that many share market investors would be pretty disappointed with the performance of the S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX:XJO) over the past 12 months, especially when compared to the double-digit returns that have been generated from the property market.
Instead of dwelling on the past however, I think investors should remain enthusiastic and focus on shares that have the ability to climb higher independently of the broader market.
With that in mind, here are three shares that investors might want to take a closer look at:
Bellamy's Australia Ltd (ASX: BAL)
Despite presenting a pretty upbeat outlook at its AGM recently, shares of Bellamy's have fallen more than 15% in the space of five trading sessions.
Most of this decline can be attributed to Bega Cheese Ltd's (ASX: BGA) recent update that claimed the infant formula market is currently over-supplied. The report also implied that Bellamy's and other infant food manufactures have been discounting their products in an effort to move stock.
Although I wouldn't be surprised to see further falls from here, I think investors should remain on high alert as the company's long term growth prospects remain compelling.
Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP)
Bapcor shares have fallen around 20% since the middle of August as investors have had to digest a number of acquisitions and a $185 million capital raising. Some parts of the market are understandably worried about the integration risks involved with trying to manage so many new acquisitions, but I think this is likely to be a short-term phenomenon.
The company has an excellent track record of extracting synergies from acquisitions and operates in a market with very attractive fundamentals.
While I wouldn't rush out to buy the shares immediately, I think investors need to be ready to pounce should the shares fall much further from here.
Sirtex Medical Limited (ASX: SRX)
Sirtex is not really a share for conservative investors, but could be considered by those investors who are happy to accept a higher level of risk in search for higher returns.
The biotechnology company is expecting to deliver another year of double-digit dose sales growth, although it appears as though the market may be waiting for the results from a number of key clinical trials before getting too excited. These results are expected to be released during the course of next year and positive results could provide a big tailwind for Sirtex moving forward.
