Image source: Getty Images
Many income investors use the FTSE 100 as their hunting ground for lucrative dividend stocks. However, there’s still plenty of potentially lucrative opportunities among the small-cap segments of the stock market. And one such opportunity might be Ultimate Products (LSE:ULTP).
The branded homewares business has run into a bit of trouble lately, with the share price tumbling more than 50% over the last 12 months. Yet despite the downward momentum, analyst conviction remains strong, with one projecting the stock could climb to as high as 165p!
Considering the stock’s currently trading closer to 71p today, that’s a 132% potential upside, which comes paired with a 9.1% dividend yield right now. So is this a screaming buying opportunity? Or is the dividend yield and share price forecast simply too good to be true?
Inspecting the fall
Whenever exploring a stock that’s seemingly in free fall, it’s essential to understand what investors are so nervous about. In the case of Ultimate Products, it seems to be a combination of factors.
Due to a challenging economic environment within the UK, demand for premium brands such as Russell Hobbs and George Wilkinson hasn’t exactly been strong. This impact has only been exacerbated by cheaper alternative products entering the market (especially for air fryers). And the overall effect of these headwinds has been reflected in the group’s latest financial results.
Earlier this year, shareholders were greeted with an unwelcome profit warning where guidance for underlying earnings came in significantly lower than expected. A few months later, the group’s interim results for its 2025 fiscal year (ending in July) confirmed the worst, with revenues falling by 6% and pre-tax profits essentially slashed in half. Even on an adjusted basis, profits didn’t fare well, with underlying earnings tumbling 38% year on year.
However, with the Bank of England slowly cutting interest rates and the British economy steadily getting back on track, is this just a temporary downturn?
Room for optimism
Despite sales landing flat its the first half, the group’s orderbook is still in growth mode as retailers call for more stock, particularly in international markets. That’s an encouraging sign given that management is aiming to boost international revenue to 50% of total sales versus the current 37%. And with relationships already established with five of the top 10 retailers in Europe, the company appears to be on track to hit this target.
At the same time, management hasn’t been sitting idle during this downturn. Investments into automation and AI have been helping boost internal efficiency, paving the way to superior profit margins in the future.
In other words, Ultimate Products is reducing its reliance on the strength of the UK economy, diversifying its revenue stream while seeking ways to boost efficiency. Pairing all this with a portfolio of reputable brands certainly suggests the company has the potential for an impressive rebound if it can successfully capitalise on the tailwind of international expansion and recovering consumer demand.
With that in mind, investors may want to dive deeper into researching the potential value and high-yield investment opportunity that Ultimate Products might be offering today.
