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London’s AIM market might finally be getting its moment back. After years in the doldrums, boutique broker Turner Pope reckons the UK’s junior stock index is “quite dramatically oversold”, and could be set for a rebound in the second half of 2025.
Right now, AIM is trading almost 40% below its 10-year average and 60% behind the FTSE All-Share. That huge discount, Turner Pope argues, is getting harder to ignore. And with economic conditions shifting, investors may start paying attention again.
Why the optimism? For one, the index has shed a lot of weaker names. It now hosts just 586 companies, down from nearly 1,700 at its peak.
What’s left is a tighter group of better-managed businesses, often with global IP and solid growth prospects. Think clean tech, life sciences and digital infrastructure, all sectors with long-term tailwinds.
Add in the prospect of rate cuts, possible pension reform to boost small-cap flows, and a flurry of M&A talk, and AIM starts to look like a comeback story.
In fact, the comeback may already be underway. The AIM All-Share ended the week 3% higher and is up 15% over the past month, outperforming the FTSE 100 on both counts.
Symphony Environmental Technologies PLC (AIM:SYM) rocketed 100% after securing £2.5mn from new investor Quantum Leap, a Vermont-based wealth manager, subscribing at a significant premium.
Mosman Oil and Gas Ltd (AIM:LON:MSMN) rose 42% after unveiling its maiden resource estimate for the Sagebrush Project in Colorado, pointing to early potential for fast-track helium and hydrocarbon production.
Kromek Group PLC (AIM:LON:KMK)climbed 19% after flagging full-year revenue and profit ahead of expectations, underpinned by strong momentum in its imaging and detection businesses. A key driver was a landmark deal with Siemens (ETR:SIEGn) Healthineers.
Among the laggards, Argentex Group PLC (AIM:LON:AGFX) plunged 94% after lining up emergency funding from IFX Payments and announcing the exit of almost half its board, including Lord Digby Jones. The £20mn credit facility comes with a 15% interest rate and a 7.5% non-utilisation fee.
Ocean Harvest Technology Group PLC (AIM:OHT) dropped 76% after the animal feed group said it urgently needs new funding to survive beyond mid-June. Talks continue, but no commitments have yet been made.
Mirriad Advertising PLC (AIM:LON:MIRI, OTCQX:MMDDF) slumped 34% after warning it may enter administration within days unless fresh funding is secured. Talks over a takeover collapsed at the end of April.
And finally, Arecor Therapeutics PLC (AIM:LON:AREC) looks seriously mispriced, according to Panmure Liberum. The shares, trading around 40p, should be worth 245p, the broker says, pointing to the untapped potential of its insulin and peptide delivery platform.
At the heart of the bull case is AT278, the only ultra-concentrated, ultra-rapid insulin in clinical development. Its faster delivery in smaller volumes makes it a strong contender for next-gen mini pumps, especially in the large type 2 diabetes market.
Arecor also raised £500,000 this week through the sale of its Tetris Pharma subsidiary to Aspire Pharma, giving it more room to focus on its expanding drug pipeline.