London’s AIM Index managed to put in a rare day of gains on Thursday, despite that 0.15% rate hike at the Bank of England, leaving the junior market almost four points higher at 1168.08
- Shield Therapeutics +32%
- Blue Star Capital +23%
- Quantum Blockchain +11%
- Trackwise Designs -36%
- Boohoo Group -23%
Shield Therapeutics LON:STX topped the board on Thursday, advancing 32% by the closing bell. This morning the company announced that it had reached agreement to give access to US commercially insured patients. Clearly this has lucrative upside for the business as it will enable more patients to receive its iron deficiency therapies, although the shares have this week simply bounced off multi-year lows. Could there be more upside potential here?
Blue Star Capital LON:BLU also had a good day, adding 23% and extending that run higher that’s been underway since the start of the month. There’s a degree of optimism that e-Sports could truly catch the interest of investors soon and it’s pure sentiment rather than hard news which is driving gains.
A notable mention for Quantum Blockchain Technologies LON:QBT whose shares surged 11% today. There’s a degree of irony that this move coincided with the Bank of England cautioning – again – that digital assets could end up being worthless, and the stock still sits well below highs seen after the summer. The wider spread and limited order flow also suggest there’s a scarcity of stock – if that persists as we run into the Christmas break then the risk could be this one goes too far too fast.
Trackwise Designs LON:TWD found itself at the bottom of the board today, off some 36% by 4.30pm. The move coincides with news of a discounted share placing but investors seem buoyed by the outlook for the business, with management noting that 2021 will be a record year for sales.
Boohoo Group LON:BOO also took a beating after publishing a rather subdued trading update this morning. Trading headwinds compounded by the Omicron variant have resulted in a significant downward revision of sales growth, with the company now expecting to see revenues up by 12%-14% rather than the previously forecast 20%-25%.
