Shares in gas, electricity and water supplier Yu Group (YU.:AIM) have soared off the back of its latest profit upgrade (31 May). The shares gained more than a third in the wake of the announcement to 676p, extending gains over the last six months to nearly 70%.The company, which endured a big sell-off in 2018 thanks to accounting issues, aims to provide a one-stop-shop utilities service for UK...

Using data from Stockopedia, Shares has searched for the companies with the best earnings upgrades for this year and next over the last month.We also noted their performance over the same period to see how much the upgrades had lifted the share prices, and the evidence is clear: all else being equal, upgrades tend to lead to outperformance.Top of this month's list is 'challenger' gas,...

London's FTSE 100 added a further 117 points to trade at 7,470.5 on Monday, building on Friday's impressive rally thanks to some of the bigger constituents taking a small step forward including banks, miners and tobacco stocks.Mike Ashley's Sports Direct (SPD) sprinted 13.3% higher to 407.8p after the retailer reported a 58% rise in first half underlying pre-tax profit to £101.8m and insisted...

Shareholders in Metro Bank (MTRO) could be forgiven for thinking they had unwittingly booked tickets on the Oblivion vertical-drop ride at Alton Towers.On 23 January the shares collapsed 39% to £13.45 as the company missed its profit target and chief executive Craig Donaldson confessed it had wrongly accounted for some of its loans. The next day they rallied to £14.81 and the storm looked to...

Shares in blue-collar recruitment firm Staffline (STAF:AIM) remain suspended at 670p this morning at the company's request after losing a third of their value yesterday.Staffline shares fell 330p or 33%, wiping over £90m off its market value, after the company delayed the release of its full year results.Following the suspension of the shares yesterday afternoon the company released a...

UK stocks are on the front foot this morning with the FTSE 100 index up 1.3% to 6,833 points led by mining stocks ahead of the resumption of US-China trade talks.Evraz (EVR) adds 1.6% to 487p, Glencore (GLEN) adds 1.9% to 303p, Anglo American (AAL) adds 2.3% to £18.93 and Rio Tinto (RIO) is out front up 3% to £41.98.Company news is thin on the ground with London Stock Exchange (LSE) the main...

The FTSE 100 made a cautiously positive start, up 0.4% to 6,728.21, as investors await the US interest rate decision later.Pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) gains 5.8% as it reaches an agreement with Pfizer to combine their consumer health businesses into a new joint venture.The joint venture is expected to realise 'substantial' cost synergies and help GSK scale its consumer...

Two of our Great Ideas have been hit by recent negative news and exit the portfolio after trading below our stop loss.Insurer Hastings (HSTG) delivered poor third quarter numbers (25 Oct) which revealed premiums failing to keep pace with claims and a failure to grow the volume of customers.Shore Capital Analyst Paul De'Ath pithily summed up the negative outlook for the stock, noting: 'There is...

Shares in business energy services supplier Yu Group (YU.:AIM) have slumped by 82% to 107.5p after issuing a shocking announcement that will have many investors recalling the recent scandal at cake chain Patisserie (CAKE:AIM).The accounting bolt from the blue confirms massive miscalculations on previous accrued income, trade debtors and gross margins after an internal probe. The net effect is...

Yu Group (YU.:AIM) is one of a new breed of independent specialist energy suppliers to businesses. In an industry still dominated by the so-called big six providers this is a company carving a growth niche based on competitive pricing and better quality service.Readers should be aware that UK consumers can switch energy providers at the relative drop of a hat. That doesn't apply to businesses...

The UK energy supply sector's ability to pay generous dividends is the key attraction for many investors, helping to compensate for the industry being high regulated and having limited growth.Most investors should be familiar with British Gas owner Centrica (CNA), as well as SSE (SSE) and National Grid (NG.). However, there is one smaller player which is enjoying a superb time on the stock...

London's fabulous FTSE 100 firms 12.2 points to 7,678 on Monday, as engineer GKN (GKN) edges ahead 0.1p to 436.1p. The planes-to-car parts giant issues a new salvo against Melrose Industries' (MRO) hostile bid, warning that raising the company's debt ratio could reduce the strength of its covenants and thus increase the cash needed to fund its pension.Diamond producer Petra Diamonds (PDL)...

Investors eagerly await a full year trading update from Yu Group (YU.:AIM) on 29 January.The business energy supplier has released a string of upbeat announcements since making it on to Shares' Great Ideas list in April 2017, when the stock was trading at 287.5p.Today the shares change hands for 990p, a stunning return on the 185p per share stock market flotation price less than two years...

Independent gas and electricity supplier Yu Group (YU.:AIM) has increased its half year dividend by 33% to 1p and reported a 308% year-on-year hike in revenue to £20.7m for the six months ending 30 June.The £83m business says revenue for calendar 2018 is now expected to be 'substantially ahead' of current expectations, thanks to having already contracted £23.2m worth of sales for that...

Business energy supplier Yu Group (YU.:AIM) is on track to beat expectations for both revenue and operating profit this year to 31 December 2017.The company continues to disrupt the big six suppliers and will report 'at least £35m' of revenue this year, ahead of the £34m previously anticipated. The company already has more than £20m revenue committed for 2018.

Ideagen (IDEA:AIM) 93.5p TAKE PROFITGain to date: 45.5% Previous Shares view: Buy at 64.25p, 22 December 2016YU Group (YU.:AIM) 437.5p TAKE PROFITGain to date: 52.2% Previous Shares view: Buy at 287.5p, 13 April 2017Sometimes the speed of a share price re-rating catches everybody out, including us.Many investors love to 'run their winners', but sometimes we feel it is prudent to lock in decent...

To call Yu Group (YU.:AIM) fast-growing may seem at odds with its utility remit, but this is a unique company with substantial share price upside potential, in our opinion.Yu is shaking up a large UK business energy supply industry distinctly lacking in options.Still virtually monopolised by the big six, the company, which trades under the Yu Energy brand, is trying to leverage its...

Prime Minister Theresa May has warned of 'bumps in the road' for the economy as she prepares to start the difficult journey for the UK leaving the European Union. As such, the Bank of England may need to cut interest rates to avert a downturn.That situation would be awful for savers who are already getting next to nothing on cash deposited in the bank or building society. Thankfully, stocks...

Energy for businesses independent Yu Group (YU.:AIM) is fast delivering on its promise to shake-up a part of the supply industry distinctly lacking in options. Still massively dominated by the big six, the company, which trades under the Yu Energy brand, is trying to leverage its flexibility, value for money and high-quality service proposition to wrestle business customers away from the...

The UK energy supply market remains in a state of flux having already undergone years of substantial change. This spans from the privatisations of the 1980s to years of mega-mergers that have swallowed up a host of regional suppliers. The industry has faced, arguably, its biggest shake-up more recently as a swathe of small, independent operators have attempted to lever their way in to a market...