Last year will perhaps be remembered as the year when Covid turbulence came back with a vengeance.
To add further uncertainty, some of the strongest performers from the previous year crashed, while rumours of private equity bids boosted many others.
Investors sought stability and predictability as Covid-induced nerves continued to buffet stocks.
Looking good: Revolution Beauty is an affordable and expanding global brand that sells in stores, but maintains its own online identity
Here, The Mail on Sunday team look back to assess whether their hunches bore fruit – or withered on the vine – and provide some food for thought for 2022.
Neil Craven Deputy City Editor: Revolution Beauty
I have spent the past two years tipping high street shares where I thought management efforts – and a bit of luck – could bring a turnaround, first in Marks & Spencer and then, last year, at WHSmith.
M&S let me down a little – slumping in the first year and then recovering this year as a pandemic survivor and (finally) delivering its turnaround story.
The WHSmith shares, meanwhile, flatlined this year. But, if the early signs of a less disruptive year are to be believed, then perhaps hold on a little longer for them too. With online pureplays down on their luck, I think it’s their turn.
But who to pick when most have specific issues difficult for investors to ignore from employment legislation (Deliveroo) and corporate governance challenges (THG aka The Hut) or supply chain issues (AO World, Boohoo and Asos)?
Revolution Beauty offers a bridge between both but without the pitfalls of either. No rents to pay and (let’s assume) no nasty corporate governance or margin surprises.
The shares floated at £1.50 each in July but with little new news since, have drifted from £1.70 in August to £1.23 last week.
An affordable and expanding global brand that sells in stores, but with its own online identity, it is a growing entity in a beauty market that can only, surely,…