Over the longer term, UK small caps have historically outperformed their larger cap brethren, but prevailing investor sentiment towards smaller companies remains poor due to stubborn inflation, higher interest rates and recessionary fears. It won't be like this all the time.One smart way to gain exposure to the asset class ahead of an eventual rally, with a turn in inflation among the likely...

Ashtead Technology (AT.:AIM) 414pGain to date: 65.6%We added Ashtead Technology (AT.:AIM) to our Great Ideas portfolio a little less than a year ago at 250p and since then it has made great strides, rewarding our faith in spades.We saw scope for the company, which hires out underwater equipment to the renewable and oil and gas industries, to benefit from two key themes - energy security and...

Ashtead Technology revenue soarsFull-year results seen 'comfortably' above forecastsWood Group inks $330 million dealAshtead Technology (AT.:AIM), the offshore energy services firm spun out of construction equipment hire group Ashtead (AHT) in late 2021, seems to be following in the tracks of its parent company with its latest trading update.After a 57% jump in first-half revenue, the firm now...

Ashtead Technology (AT.:AIM) 370pGain to date: 48%We said to invest in sub-sea equipment provider Ashtead Technology (AT.:AIM) at 250p in October 2022, suggesting the company could emulate its former parent, tool hire firm Ashtead (AHT).While it remains some way off the delivering the sort of returns the latter has chalked up over the long-term, it has nonetheless rewarded our faith in spades,...

Many investors will be familiar with tool hire business Ashtead (AHT), the best performing FTSE 100 stock over the past 20 years with a 21,934% total return.Lesser known is subsea solutions business Ashtead Technology (AT.:AIM) which was spun out of the FTSE 100 group. It was sold to a management-led buyout backed by Phoenix Equity Partners in 2008 and last year floated on the UK stock...

A healthy number of lesser-known businesses have done very well in share price terms since coming to market in the last two years, with price appreciation reflecting strong operational performances or the fact they sate voracious investor appetite for a particular theme.Readers will be familiar with high-profile post-pandemic newcomers on the London Stock Exchange (LSGE) trading above their...