Mark Watson-Mitchell – 27.10.2025 Data keeps the modern world running, from laptops to cars - but as demand grows, moving that data efficiently is becoming more challenging. The £308m-capitalised Filtronic (LON:FTC) specialises in keeping connections seamless, with higher bandwidth, lower latency, and rock-solid reliability. That’s why leading global companies turn to the company for solutions they can’t find anywhere else. Based in Sedgefield, it is a UK-based designer an

26.10.2025 I think that I disagree with former PM Rishi Sunak's latest proclamation that the UK should cut its Spend. Decades ago, my economics teacher taught me that 'You have to put in to take out!' So I ask now - is a big change required in which Rachel Reeves looks at the UK Balance Sheet? A Government should use the funds that are raised to spend out in the economy - new and repaired roads, new housing, a well-equipped defence sector, schooling facilities, health service

26.10.2025 Bina Gayadien, Tax partner at law firm Spencer West LLP, has commented that: With all the speculation around November’s Autumn Statement, one thing feels certain: tax rises are coming. Whether through direct tax rate increases or more structural reforms to the tax system, the Chancellor will need to find billions from somewhere without breaching Labour’s manifesto pledges. A number of possible changes are being suggested but their broad impact means that the Chan

Mark Watson-Mitchell - 24.10.2025 Ahead of the group’s AGM this morning Alumasc (LON:ALU) , the premium sustainable products and solutions group, updated investors upon its performance for the first quarter of its current year. It has reported continued volatility in its core UK residential and commercial markets; however, its Management is working hard upon its corporate recovery, supported by a healthy order book and a growing pipeline of opportunities. The group has cont

Mark Watson-Mitchell - 24.10.2025 Two weeks ago the shares of Northern Bear (LON:NTBR) reached 118p, following positive investor reaction to the building services group issuing a Trading Update just a few days earlier, lifting them from trading at around the 98.50p level. After hitting the highest point since December 2007, the group’s shares have subsequently drifted back to the current 108p, at which investors should now look to take a medium-term view on this very inter

Mark Watson-Mitchell - 23.10.2025 It has been interesting to note the recent strength in the share price of the £1.54bn-capitalised Currys (LON:CURY) group. After having fallen away to 106p at the beginning of last month, the subsequent rise in price really is noteworthy – they are now up over 35% at 144.5p. Obviously there have been repeated ‘takeover’ hints whirling around the marketplace since the group received two separate bid approaches in March last year – from Ellio

Mark Watson-Mitchell – 22.10.2025 Commenting on today's results for his group’s results for the year to end-June, Simon Tucker, CEO of SRT Marine Systems (LON:SRT) stated that: "The marine domain is critically important in many ways to everyone. And yet what goes on there is mostly unseen and remains a mystery. SRT is working to solve this global issue with our integrated marine domain systems that deliver Ai driven insight and intelligence to stakeholders that range f

Mark Watson-Mitchell – 21.10.2025 On the same day that EnSilica (LON:ENSI) , the Abingdon-based leading chip maker, announced a Trading Update, the group was told that one of its investors had dumped nearly 1m shares. Last Thursday, 16 th October, the company issued a Profits Warning due to contract delays, knocking broker expectations for six. The group’s shares, which hit 53.60p on Tuesday 7 th October, had eased back to 45.50p on profit-taking following a market push b

Mark Watson-Mitchell - 20.10.2025 In price, this group’s shares are the costliest that I have featured for some time – however, I consider that they are cheap, really cheap! The Business Yü Group (LON:YU) is a leading supplier of gas and electricity focused on servicing the corporate sector throughout the UK. It drives innovation through a combination of user-friendly digital solutions and personalised, high quality customer service. The Group plays a key role supporting b

Mark Watson-Mitchell – 20.10.2025 If you haven’t already done so, then this could well be a really advantageous opportunity to pick up some shares in Speedy Hire (LONLSDY) , the UK’s leading tools and equipment hire services group. At the start of this month the group’s shares were trading in the 22p to 24p range, ahead of a rather shrewd ‘significant’ deal that Speedy Hire has orchestrated with the HSS Service Group. The Business Speedy Hire is the UK and Ireland’s leading

Mark Watson-Mitchell – 19.10.2025 I am looking forward to a bullish Trading Update being issued by Filtronic (LON:FTC) just ahead of its AGM being held on Thursday of next week, 30 th October, which will create even more interest in the group’s shares. The Sedgefield-based £292m-capitalised group is on the leading edge of advanced micro electronics, in solving complex RF, microwave and mmWave challenges, Filtronic specialises in the design and manufacture of mission criti

Mark Watson-Mitchell – 17.10.2025 With the significant ‘insider’ purchase of a chunk of this group’s shares days after the company announced a massive piece of contract news, interest is growing again in the prospects for the business. Within the next week, we should be seeing a substantial uplift in investor attention as the SRT Marine Systems (LON:SRT) presents its Annual Results for the year to end-June, due next Wednesday, 22 nd October. At 8am that day, boss Simon Tu

Mark Watson-Mitchell - 16.10.2025 This month has seen quite a bit of interest being shown in the shares of EnSilica (LON:ENSI). On Wednesday and Thursday, 1st and 2nd October, there were some 2,313,855 and 2,250,424 shares traded on each of those days respectively, over ten times the previous daily volumes. The reason for such interest was a sudden flurry in the stock on the back of the valuation given to another such company within its sector, indicating that EnSilica was wo

Going to $5,000 an ounce? Mark Watson-Mitchell - 16.10.2025 When Napoleon escaped from Elba in 1815 and returned to France, he began to assemble an army. The price of gold was then equivalent to £4.32p an ounce; however, it leapt to £5.35p overnight on the back of extraordinary demand. The London Bullion House of Mocatta & Goldsmid declared that the big buyer was Nathan Mayer Rothschild, acting on behalf of the British Treasury. His orders were to dispatch the gold quickly

Mark Watson-Mitchell - 15.10.2025 Following the news from Norcros (LON:NXR) that it had received clearance from the UK Competition and Markets Authority, the group this week has completed the £46m acquisition of Fibo Holdings, a major wall panel supplier in Norway. That deal adds another market-leading brand into the group, which is the number one bathroom products business in the UK and Ireland, helping to create a leading presence in waterproof wall coverings markets ac

Mark Watson-Mitchell - 14.10.2025 A value investment is a strategy where investors seek to buy stocks or other assets that appear to be undervalued by the market. The goal is to purchase these investments at a price lower than their intrinsic value —what the investor believes the asset is truly worth based on fundamentals—and then hold them until the market corrects the price. Key Principles of Value Investing: Intrinsic Value : This is the estimated true worth of an asset,

Mark Watson-Mitchell - 14.10.2025 As Trump and China face up to each other with their tariff battles, I thought that it might be well worth identifying an important feature in their struggles - the control of Rare Earth resources. Rare earth elements (REEs) are vital for developing and operating technology we use daily. Despite their name, they are not as rare as one might think in the Earth's crust. The challenge lies in finding them in high enough concentrations for extract

Mark Watson-Mitchell - 13.10.2025 Last week the shares of YouGov (LON:YOU) closed weaker at 284.50p, which is 33% down over the last year. However, I now ask whether the fall has been overdone? Tomorrow morning sees the pollster group, which claims to have one of the world’s largest research networks, reporting its Final Results for the year to end-July. I do expect a certain positivity to be shown by its re-shaped Management for the current year and going forward. Which c

Mark Watson-Mitchell - 13.10.2025 Costain Group (LON:COST) has today announced that it has been selected by Sellafield Ltd as its Utilities Delivery Partner, a major part of Sellafield's Infrastructure Delivery Partnership. As Utilities Delivery Partner, Costain will refurbish and replace a variety of on-site and off-site utility distribution systems and services to enable Sellafield's decommissioning programme. The contract is expected to be worth up to £1bn to Costain and

Mark Watson-Mitchell – 13.10.2025 Last Friday the market saw a massive sell-off as a reaction to US President Donald Trump declaring...