Picture supply: Getty Photographs
In distinction to the scary strikes seen in sure shares throughout the pond, the FTSE 100 has been robust in 2025. An increase of 5% means itβs on the right track for its finest month in additional than two years!
At the very least a part of that is right down to some heavy-hitters setting contemporary 52-week highs.
London Inventory Change Group
Shares in monetary markets infrastructure and knowledge supplier London Inventory Change Group (LSE: LSEG) are additionally up almost 5% in January. However its worth has been steadily rising for some time β 35% within the final yr alone.
Look nearer and this begins to make sense. This yr, LSEG plans to roll out new AI options inside merchandise that itβs been engaged on with US tech titan Microsoft. If all goes to plan, this improvement might develop its market share.
The query is how a lot of that is now priced in. The shares now commerce at a forecast price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 30. That appears excessive contemplating margins have been falling lately. The variety of UK preliminary public choices (IPOs) β one other supply of earnings for the corporate β has additionally been woeful.
With this in thoughts, will probably be fascinating to see the marketβs response to full-year numbers, due on the finish of February. That is earlier than weβve even thought-about what would possibly occur if international markets have a sustained wobble. Worryingly, the inventory proved fairly risky throughout the post-pandemic tech crash.
Experian
World knowledge firm Experian (LSE: EXPN) is one other top-tier member thatβs been doing the enterprise for shareholders. Actually, itβs been flying in January β rising 14% as I kind.
At the very least a few of that is absolutely right down to an encouraging replace on buying and selling for the three months to the top of 2024. βOne other robust quarterβ led to the corporate reporting an 8% enhance in complete income. Buying and selling in North America was significantly strong, supported by its business-to-business phase.
Once more, this isnβt a inventory for worth hunters. Experian shares change palms for 32 instances FY25 earnings. So, that is arguably one other candidate for an enormous fall if (and the important thing phrase is βifβ) investor sentiment shifts downward for any motive. Itβs additionally value noting that competitors on this line of labor is rising.
Like LSEG, it goes on my watchlist for now.
Halma
Finishing our trio of shares experiencing nice momentum is life-saving tech provider Halma (LSE: HLMA). Its worth has climbed by the same share to Experian in January. Based mostly on the way it completed 2024, this isnβt a lot of a shock.
Again in November, the corporateβs shares soared by virtually 10% in a single day after it posted a 13% rise in half-year income (to Β£1.07bn) and 18% soar in revenue (to simply over Β£209m). Along with sustaining its steering for the full-year, administration additionally elected to boost the interim dividend by 7%.
However Halma is way from low cost to purchase. A P/E of 34 for the present monetary yr makes it the costliest of the three. And itβs growth-by-acquisition technique is of course depending on it discovering sufficient good companies to purchase.
Dealer Berenberg has a goal value of 3250p however that is one other one I desire to purchase when buyers are fearful.
Iβm watching all of them intently for now however not but shopping for.