Shares in Anpario (ANP:AIM) are up a portfolio-nourishing 67% over one year, the latest upward spike triggered by a fifth upgrade in a row (10 January) to full-year 2024 guidance from the natural sustainable feed additives supplier.Following a stronger-than-expected second half, Anpario now expects revenue for the year to December 2024 to be £37.5 million implying 21% year-on-year...

Stronger-than-expected second halfBenefiting from operational gearingRobust net cash positionShares in Anpario (ANP:AIM) soared 10.2% to a two-year high of 405p after the natural sustainable feed additives supplier delivered its fifth upgrade to full-year 2024 guidance on the spin.Following a stronger-than-expected second half performance, Anpario now expects revenue for the year to December...

There are many interesting businesses on the AIM market which fly under the radar as they do not get the same attention as their counterparts on the Main Market. Research coverage by analysts is thin, AIM stocks aren't discussed much in the media, and only fund managers with a mandate to look at small companies might even be aware of their existence.This means there is a big opportunity for...

Typically people invest in small cap biotechnology and pharmaceutical stocks in the hope they can enjoy returns of many times their initial investment as the share price reacts to the discovery of the next wonder drug.However, stories like these are actually few and far between and lots of companies in this space instead burn through their cash quickly and end up going bust.Profitable...

Cash shell Dorcaster is hoping to join AIM on 1 July 2016 and make investments in the consumer and leisure sectors. The directors include outgoing AO World (AO.) chairman Richard Rose and Cafe Rouge founder Karen Jones.Dorcaster has yet to disclose how much money it hopes to raise. Neither has it revealed any potential acquisition targets. It merely says that it will either buy quoted or...

The chairman of retailer AO World (AO.) and the founder of Cafe Rouge are bringing a cash shell to the London stock market that will seek to invest in consumer and leisure sector companies. Dorcaster plans to join AIM on 1 July 2016, raising an undisclosed amount of money.The IPO (initial public offering) coincides with Richard Rose's departure from AO World after eight years as chairman. He...

The stock market's smallest and riskiest companies have always held fascination for private investors. On the premise that 'elephants don't gallop, but fleas leap,' to borrow Jim Slater's often quoted phrase, it's easier for a tiny company to double its size, and investor's money, than for a big one. Let's face it, a blue chip company worth £1 billion will find it much harder to double or...

One of a flurry of retailers to float year-to-date, Pets at Home's (PETS) IPO (12 Mar) raked in £280 million to pay down debt and enabled private equity group KKR and members of management to reduce holdings. Vigilance is always required when weighing up private equity floats (see The Big Debate, Shares, 13 Mar '14) and Pets was a reminder of the potential pitfalls here, at 220p trading 10%...

Domino's Pizza (DOM) jumps 0.5% to 560.25p after unveiling impressive first quarter trading with UK like-for-like sales up 10.8%.Global online fashion store ASOS (ASC:AIM) dips 0.3% to £51.40 despite reassuring interim figures. Lower profits of £20.1 million meet forecasts downgraded last month on increased warehousing investment and bigger-than-expected losses in China. As already reported,...

September's half-year figures from animal and fish feed supplements producer Anpario (ANP:AIM) should have a healthy look to them. Shares believes forecast upgrades are on the way as the Worksop-based business generates growth in emerging markets and improves its margins.Anpario produces high-performance natural feed additives for the agriculture and aquaculture sectors. Its products improve...

Luxury goods leader Burberry (BRBY) strutted 3.5% higher to £13.10 on a soothing second-half update containing news of a better-than-expected fourth quarter. Sales of £503 million in Q4 were 11% up year-on-year and 4% higher than consensus as Burberry showed it still has momentum in critical Asian growth markets.For the six months to March, the £5.5 billion cap's core retail sales grew 13%...

Douglas Lawson is the co-founder of Amati Global Investors, where he co-manages the TB Amati UK Smaller Companies Fund as well as the £32.9 million cap Amati VCT (ATI) and £27.8 million cap Amati VCT 2 (AT2). Despite the poor picture of Aim painted in many quarters, the cerebral Scotsman insists now is a good time to buy an Aim venture capital trust (VCT). Indeed he is in the midst of a...

Better sales, earnings and cash flow than expected have pleased investors in telecoms giant BT (BT.A) as the shares jumped 4.6% to 260.1p in reaction to its third quarter results. Although revenue fell by 6% to £4.5 billion, cost cutting has helped to grow profits by 7% to £675 million. Investment bank Espirito Santo notes that BY has started the next phase of its group-wide restructuring...