My SIF screen continues to provide slim pickings in this buoyant market. But one new qualifying stock has emerged this week.

Geotechnical specialist Keller Group is essentially a groundworks contractor. But the firm operates at the top end of this market, delivering large and complex projects in more than 40 countries.

Case studies from the firm’s website include £80m of work on Crossrail, providing support for historic London buildings under which new tunnels were being dug. Keller says that it was able to “control movements at the ground surface to within 1mm”, which sounds impressive. Other examples include providing foundations for power stations, oil refineries - and most recently for Australia’s tallest building.

I missed the chance to buy at under 900p last year, but Stockopedia’s never-sleeping algorithms have picked up on the improving performance of this company. Strong scores across the board have given the firm a StockRank of 98 and a StockRank style of Super Stock.

Keller also passes all 14 of my screening rules. So it’s time to decide whether I should add it to the SIF portfolio.

But before I do that, I’m going to take a quick look at this week’s profit warning from portfolio stock McBride.

A quick word on McBride

McBride produces private label consumer goods products. A bit like Reckitt Benckiser or Unilever, but without the premium brands. It joined the portfolio in April last year, since when performance has been disappointing. And things got worse this week.

Prior to Monday, earnings per share were expected to rise by around 20% during the year to 30 June. But in a profit warning on Monday, the company said it expects full year earnings to be “broadly in line with the prior year”. So a small drop in year-on-year earnings is possible.

The firm has reported two problems. The first is that revenue in its Personal Care & Aerosols (PCA) division fell by 12% during H1. The second problem is general cost inflation, with raw materials, labour and transportation costs all cited.

I suspect there could be a third problem, not yet apparent. The company says that its other division, Household, is taking market share from rivals. But at what cost? To free up resources to satisfy a recent surge of orders, the firm has “decided to defer…

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