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Searching for the best growth stocks to buy? I’ve found two that I believe deserve serious attention from savvy investors:
Each is expected to enjoy explosive earnings growth by City analysts this year. And here’s the kicker: their share prices are tipped to surge during the next 12 months. So what makes these growth shares worth consideration right now?
Going for gold
Pan African Resources’ share price has surged 216% during the last 12 months. One bullish analyst expects it to rise another 15% by next May. The average share price forecast among brokers suggests a 27% uplift from today’s levels of 179.2p.
This chiefly reflects the bright outlook for gold prices. Bullion remains below February’s peaks of $5,600 per ounce, at $4,718. But underlying metal demand remains rock-solid and prices are building momentum again.
Latest World Gold Council (WGC) data showed gold-backed ETFs last month enjoying inflows of $6.6bn, with strength across all regions. Total assets under management (AUMs) in these funds increased 1% to $615bn. Can this continue? I think so, as geopolitical tensions rise and economic growth cools.
This bodes extremely well for gold stocks. When metal prices increase, their earnings tend to rise more rapidly due to their fixed costs. This explains why Pan African Resources’ share price has leapt more rapidly than gold has over the past year.
City analysts are expecting the miner’s earnings to rise 229% in 2026. This stunning projection also reflects Pan African’s long-running expansion programme — full-year production is expected to increase to between 275,000 and 292,000 ounces, up from 197,000 in 2025.
Of course any production setbacks could derail these strong growth forecasts. So might an unexpected end to the gold price rally. But on balance, things are looking bright for the company right now.
How about this tech star?
I’m also excited about NCC’s growth stock credentials. So much so that I’m hoping to invest here myself when I have spare cash to hand.
The cybersecurity specialist hasn’t fared nearly as well as Pan African over the last year. In fact, its shares have sunk 20%. Yet City analysts are confident it’ll bounce back. The average 12-month price forecast is 15%. One particular broker thinks it can rebound 20% from 157.5p today.
The reason? Surging demand for online security products as the frequency and severity of threats grows. Cyber revenues at NCC rose 6% in the six months to March, driving adjusted EBITDA 28% higher. For the full financial year, City analysts expect earnings to increase 168% year on year as operational efficiencies also kick in.
There are threats to these forecasts as the Iran War raises inflation and hits economic growth. NCC also has significant competitive threats it needs to see off.
However, I still think this growth stock’s worth a close look for its excellent long-term potential. Analysts think the global security market will grow by 9% to 10% each year over the next decade.
