The UK stock market is treading water on Monday 8 December 2025, but under the surface there’s been a flurry of big individual moves — especially in micro‑caps, miners, biotech and UK tech.
The FTSE 100 is hovering around 9,660–9,670, little changed on the day, as investors look ahead to a crucial week of central bank decisions from the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England. [1]
Markets are largely pricing in a 25 bps BoE rate cut on 18 December, although economists warn the decision could be a “closer call” given sticky inflation expectations. [2]
Yet while the headline index is flat and Unilever, among others, drags on blue‑chips, some UK shares have jumped between 7% and 44% today, according to real‑time risers boards from London South East and shareprices.com. [3]
Below is a breakdown of the biggest UK stock gainers today (8 December 2025), why they’re moving, and what the latest news and forecasts are signalling.
Important: This article is for general information and news analysis only. It is not investment advice. Always do your own research or speak to a regulated adviser before investing.
Market snapshot: UK stocks steady, rate cuts in focus
- FTSE 100: just under 9,665, effectively flat on the day. [4]
- Backdrop:
- City AM’s live blog notes that investors are fixated on coming rate decisions, with Rachel Reeves due at the Treasury Select Committee and the BoE expected — but not guaranteed — to cut rates later this month. [5]
- Bloomberg’s live markets feed highlights that bonds have started the week on the back foot while traders price in roughly 22 bps of cuts at the BoE’s December meeting, keeping equities broadly steady rather than euphoric. [6]
- Sector tone:
- Proactive’s FTSE live coverage flags Unilever as a drag after investors digest the ice‑cream business spin‑off, while defence names help support the index. [7]
Against that fairly calm index backdrop, the action is in small caps and selected mid‑caps.
Biggest UK small‑cap gainers today (AIM & micro‑caps)
London South East’s “Today’s Share Risers” board shows double‑digit surges in a clutch of speculative names. [8]
1. Tern (LSE: TERN) – +44.4%
- Move: Tern has leapt to about 0.65p, up 44.44% on the day, putting it at the very top of the London risers list, with over 11.6m shares traded by the time of the last update. [9]
- What the company does: Tern is an AIM‑listed investment company focused on early‑stage Internet of Things (IoT) technology businesses. [10]
- Recent fundamentals & news:
- In its unaudited interim results (4 September 2025), Tern highlighted continued work on value creation across its IoT portfolio but remains very small, with a market cap of only around £3m as of early December. [11]
- Technical analysis and forecasting sites such as WalletInvestor estimate very tight trading ranges around today’s levels (their model has a 0.45p–0.51p band for 8–9 December), underscoring how little fundamental information the algorithms have to work with. [12]
Takeaway: The spike in Tern looks driven more by speculation and short‑term trading than by fresh fundamental news. With such a tiny market cap and a sub‑penny share price, volatility cuts both ways.
2. Anglesey Mining (LSE: AYM) – +33.3%
- Move: Anglesey Mining is up around 33.33% to 1.10p, extending a rally that has seen the shares more than triple in a few sessions. [13]
- Catalyst:
- On 3 December 2025, Anglesey announced a debt settlement and disposals package, including eliminating its £3.7m Juno loan via the transfer of stakes in Grängesberg Iron AB and Labrador Iron Mines, along with new funding and board changes. [14]
- Why it matters: The deal:
- cleans up the balance sheet,
- removes a key overhang,
- lets the company refocus on its core Parys Mountain project in North Wales.
Small‑cap commentators have framed the move as putting Anglesey on a “sounder financial footing”, which helps explain why the stock is snapping back from penny‑stock levels. [15]
3. Thruvision Group (LSE: THRU) – +27.6%
- Move: Thruvision, a specialist in people‑screening security technology, has climbed roughly 27.59% to 0.925p, after heavy trading in recent weeks. [16]
- Recent results & contract win:
- A late‑November interim results and trading update showed a 36% rise in revenue to £2.6m for the half year, driven by entrance security sales, but also a hit to gross margins and an adjusted EBITDA loss of £1.6m. [17]
- Today’s big news is a Notice of Intent to Award for Thruvision’s SpotCHECK worker‑screening solution at a large US airport in the Pacific Northwest. The contract, expected to be finalised by 13 December, underscores compliance with TSA mandates and helps validate the company’s technology in a key market. [18]
- Analyst tone: TipRanks’ AI‑driven “Spark” tool still flags a neutral rating, citing weak profitability, a negative P/E and a bearish technical trend despite the contract win. [19]
Takeaway: Today’s jump reflects relief and optimism that new US contracts could help Thruvision scale, but the balance sheet and earnings profile remain fragile.
4. Kloeckner & Co (LSE: 0KVR) – +22.4%
- Move: The London‑traded line of German steel distributor Kloeckner & Co SE is up about 22.41% to 7.43, making it one of the strongest movers across the market. [20]
- Context:
- On its primary German listing, the shares are trading around €7.3–7.4, more than 20% above the prior close and within sight of a 52‑week high of €8.18. [21]
There’s no major fresh UK‑specific announcement today; the move looks tied to improved sentiment toward European steel, short‑covering and cyclical positioning, rather than a single news headline.
5. Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals (LSE: HEMO) – +15.5%
- Move: Hemogenyx has climbed roughly 15.52% to around 536p, after a notably volatile spell in late November and early December. [22]
- What’s behind it:
- The company’s half‑year report for the six months to 30 June 2025 emphasised progress on its FLT3‑targeted CAR‑T therapy HG‑CT‑1 for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukaemia, plus positive regulatory steps such as clearance to begin paediatric enrolment. [23]
Given the lack of a big new RNS today, the bounce likely reflects trader positioning around prior biotech news, thin liquidity and the sector’s usual high beta.
6. Block Energy (LSE: BLOE) – +15.4%
- Move: Block Energy is up 15.38% to around 0.75p, propelled by a material project update. [24]
- Today’s catalyst – Project III farm‑out update:
- This morning, Block announced it has received a non‑binding farm‑in offer from a large energy company for its Project III gas assets in Georgia. [25]
- The indicative deal includes:
- a full carry of a multi‑well appraisal programme (three historical well re‑tests and two sidetracks), and
- funding for an early‑production facility of roughly 20 MMcf/d (~3,300 boe/d), with total gross carry estimated at US$25–30m. [26]
The offer is still subject to detailed agreements and government approval, but it directly addresses the funding risk that often hangs over small E&P stocks, hence the sharp market reaction.
7–10. Other notable small‑cap gainers
Also near the top of the London South East risers list today: [27]
- PYX Resources (PYX, +11.5%) – mineral sands producer with its main operations and reporting on the NSX in Australia. No major new London RNS in the last few days; today’s move appears to be thin‑volume buying rather than a specific catalyst. [28]
- Hercules PLC (HERC, +9.8%) – labour supplier to UK infrastructure and construction:
- Immupharma (IMM, +9.4%) – bouncing after late‑November weakness triggered by an extension of the timeline for its key P140 lupus drug deal to 2026, which previously sent shares lower. Today’s move looks like a technical rebound rather than a fresh fundamental shift. [31]
- Unicorn Mineral Resources (UMR, +9.1%) – Irish mineral explorer focused on Irish‑type carbonate‑hosted copper/lead/zinc and silver deposits in the Midlands Orefield. [32]
- No major new RNS today is evident; the rise likely reflects renewed speculative interest in small mining names.
FTSE All‑Share risers: larger, more liquid winners
Beyond the most speculative plays, shareprices.com’s FTSE All‑Share Top 10 risers list paints a picture of more measured gains in bigger names: [33]
| Rank | Company | Price (p) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kainos Group | 1,162.0 | +7.29% |
| 2 | Saga | 313.0 | +6.83% |
| 3 | Ultimate Products | 62.6 | +4.33% |
| 4 | Mears | 369.0 | +3.94% |
| 5 | Trustpilot | 152.0 | +3.83% |
| 6 | Oxford Biomedica | 640.0 | +3.39% |
| 7 | Prudential | 1,113.5 | +3.29% |
| 8 | Oxford Nanopore Technologies | 128.7 | +3.21% |
| 9 | Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust | 210.0 | +3.19% |
| 10 | AEW UK REIT | 111.4 | +3.15% |
Let’s zoom in on the most news‑driven names.
Kainos Group (LSE: KNOS) – quality tech leader still re‑rating
Kainos, the UK digital services and Workday partner, is the top All‑Share riser, up about 7.3% and trading around 1,162p, after already hitting new 12‑month highs last week. [34]
- Broker upgrades:
- MarketBeat/Longbridge summarises a string of bullish calls:
- Berenberg lifted its target from 1,025p to 1,185p.
- Canaccord Genuity upgraded to “buy” and raised its target to 1,500p.
- Shore Capital and Peel Hunt are also positive, clustering targets around 1,100p+. [35]
- MarketBeat/Longbridge summarises a string of bullish calls:
- Valuation & metrics: Kainos trades on a P/E in the high‑30s but boasts net margins around 13% and ROE above 30%, according to that same analysis. [36]
- Company news: Earlier in November, the group flagged rising bookings, an expanded share buyback and a higher dividend, signalling confidence in long‑term growth. [37]
Theme: Investors continue to pay up for high‑quality, cash‑generative UK tech exposed to digital transformation and cloud ERP rather than domestic UK consumer demand.
Saga (LSE: SAGA) – deleveraging and cruise strength rewarded
Saga — the over‑50s travel and insurance group — is up nearly 6.9% to 313p, extending gains that have already seen the stock rise over 17% in the past two weeks. [38]
Key drivers:
- Debt refinancing:
- In January and February 2025, Saga successfully refinanced almost £485–500m of debt out to 2031 with HPS Investment Partners, removing near‑term refinancing cliffs and repaying a costly bridge loan from its chair. [39]
- Insurance partnership:
- Saga has exited capital‑intensive underwriting via a 20‑year strategic partnership and sale of its insurance underwriting arm to Ageas, shifting towards a capital‑light broking model. [40]
- Travel recovery: FT and Reuters coverage earlier this year highlighted strong demand and rising underlying profits in travel, especially cruises, even as financing costs weigh on FY25/26 profit guidance. [41]
Analyst reports and technical commentary show Saga recently broke above its 50‑day moving average after an upgrade from Deutsche Bank to a 285p target, with short‑term trading models flagging strong upside momentum into early December. [42]
Mears (LSE: MER) – guidance at top end
Mears, the social‑housing and maintenance services provider, is up just under 4% and sits among today’s top risers after a concise but punchy trading update. [43]
- In a statement reported by TheBusinessDesk this morning, Mears said it has traded strongly in the second half and now expects adjusted profit before tax for 2025 to come in at the “top end of market guidance”. [44]
That’s exactly the kind of earnings‑upgrade language UK investors have been starved of, and the shares are responding accordingly.
Trustpilot (LSE: TRST) – fighting back after short‑seller attack
Trustpilot, the online reviews platform, is up nearly 3.8% to 152p on the All‑Share list, continuing a partial recovery from a bruising week. [45]
Recent timeline:
- Short‑seller hit:
- On 4 December, US short seller Grizzly Research accused Trustpilot of “mafia‑style” tactics, claiming it created unsolicited business profiles with negative reviews to push companies into paid subscriptions. Shares plunged over 30% to around 131p. Trustpilot strongly rejected the report as misleading and lacking context. [46]
- Analyst & insider support:
- A Reuters piece two days later noted a roughly 16% rebound after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to “overweight”, even while trimming its price target from 315p to 275p. [47]
- MarketBeat reports that insider share purchases over the weekend pushed the price up more than 13% on heavy volume, signalling management confidence. [48]
- Buyback & today’s move:
- Today, Trustpilot disclosed further progress on its share buyback programme, acquiring another 700,000 shares for cancellation and bringing total repurchases since September to over 11m shares. [49]
- Refinitiv’s intraday market note also flags Trustpilot as one of the top mid‑cap gainers, helped by the company’s reiterated denial of Grizzly’s claims and talk of potential legal responses. [50]
Bottom line: The stock is still well below where it traded earlier this year, and sentiment is fragile — but today’s gain highlights how short‑seller narratives can be contested when insiders, brokers and buybacks line up on the other side.
Prudential, Oxford Nanopore, Edinburgh Worldwide & AEW UK REIT – governance, Asia growth and rate‑cut hopes
Several other All‑Share risers are benefiting from broader themes:
- Prudential (LSE: PRU, +3.3%)
- The Asia‑focused insurer’s half‑year 2025 results showed 12% growth in new business profit and updated guidance on capital returns. [51]
- Ongoing share buybacks — including the purchase of over 270,000 shares on 2 December — underline management’s confidence. [52]
- With UK and US yields edging lower on rate‑cut expectations, insurers like Prudential look more attractive as growth plus capital‑return stories.
- Oxford Nanopore Technologies (LSE: ONT, +3.2%)
- Today the company released an AGM post‑meeting shareholder engagement update, explaining how it has engaged with investors over contentious Resolution 12 and emphasising long‑term strategic priorities. [53]
- The stock has been under pressure this year, so any sign of improved governance dialogue and strategic clarity can spark a relief rally.
- Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust (LSE: EWI, +3.2%)
- U.S. activist investor Saba Capital recently blocked a proposed £1.5bn merger between Edinburgh Worldwide and Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust, arguing the deal wasn’t in shareholders’ best interests. [54]
- The trust, run by Baillie Gifford and focused on high‑growth global equities, now faces pressure to narrow its discount to NAV via other actions — a dynamic that often supports the share price in the short term. [55]
- AEW UK REIT (LSE: AEWU, +3.15%)
- The trust recently reported half‑year results and on 5 December issued new shares from treasury, indicative of ongoing investor demand. [56]
- With markets increasingly pricing in BoE rate cuts, high‑yield property vehicles like AEW UK REIT can outperform as investors hunt for income that could look more appealing relative to falling bond yields. [57]
What today’s biggest UK stock gainers are telling investors
Across both micro‑caps and more established names, a few clear themes emerge from today’s UK gainers list:
- Corporate news still moves the needle
- Debt deals (Saga, Anglesey Mining),
- major contracts and farm‑outs (Thruvision, Block Energy, Hercules, Mears), and
- governance and activist developments (Oxford Nanopore, Edinburgh Worldwide)
are all being rewarded with strong single‑day moves.
- Rate‑cut hopes favour quality growth and yield
- High‑quality tech like Kainos and Asia‑growth insurers like Prudential are climbing alongside income‑oriented vehicles such as AEW UK REIT as markets tilt toward a lower‑rates narrative. [58]
- Small‑cap rallies are still high‑risk
- Tern, Anglesey, Hemogenyx, Block Energy, and Unicorn Mineral have all posted double‑digit gains, but they remain illiquid, highly speculative names where price can overshoot both up and down on modest newsflow. [59]
- Short‑seller battles create volatility
- Trustpilot’s rollercoaster week shows how quickly sentiment can swing when short reports, denials, broker upgrades, insider buying and buybacks collide. [60]
How to use today’s UK top‑gainers list (without chasing spikes)
If you’re scanning today’s UK stock market winners for ideas, a few practical pointers:
- Separate “news‑driven” from “noise‑driven” moves
- News‑driven: Block Energy’s farm‑in offer, Mears’ profit‑guidance upgrade, Thruvision’s TSA‑linked airport contract, Saga’s refinanced balance sheet.
- Noise‑driven: micro‑caps without fresh RNS where thin trading can inflate moves.
- Focus on fundamentals and liquidity
- Check recent results, balance sheets and cash flows (especially for small caps).
- Look at average daily volume before assuming you could easily enter or exit.
- Treat forecasts as just one input
- Quant and technical sites offering short‑term price forecasts (for names like Tern, Saga, AEW UK REIT) make many assumptions and can’t predict news. Use them as context, not as a roadmap. [61]
- Remember this is not advice
- The fact a share is a “top gainer today” doesn’t mean it’s attractive at today’s price — in many cases, it means the easy money has already been made by those who bought earlier.
References
1. shareprices.com, 2. www.cityam.com, 3. www.lse.co.uk, 4. shareprices.com, 5. www.cityam.com, 6. www.bloomberg.com, 7. www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk, 8. www.lse.co.uk, 9. www.lse.co.uk, 10. ternplc.com, 11. ternplc.com, 12. walletinvestor.com, 13. www.lse.co.uk, 14. www.angleseymining.co.uk, 15. global.morningstar.com, 16. www.lse.co.uk, 17. www.londonstockexchange.com, 18. www.tipranks.com, 19. www.tipranks.com, 20. www.lse.co.uk, 21. www.investing.com, 22. www.lse.co.uk, 23. www.biospace.com, 24. www.lse.co.uk, 25. www.stockopedia.com, 26. www.stockopedia.com, 27. www.lse.co.uk, 28. www.nsx.com.au, 29. www.londonstockexchange.com, 30. www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk, 31. global.morningstar.com, 32. unicornmineralresources.com, 33. shareprices.com, 34. shareprices.com, 35. longbridge.com, 36. longbridge.com, 37. joshthompson.co.uk, 38. shareprices.com, 39. www.reuters.com, 40. www.corporate.saga.co.uk, 41. www.ft.com, 42. www.marketbeat.com, 43. shareprices.com, 44. www.thebusinessdesk.com, 45. shareprices.com, 46. www.reuters.com, 47. www.reuters.com, 48. www.marketbeat.com, 49. www.tipranks.com, 50. www.tradingview.com, 51. www.prudentialplc.com, 52. www.stocktitan.net, 53. www.investegate.co.uk, 54. www.reuters.com, 55. www.londonstockexchange.com, 56. www.londonstockexchange.com, 57. www.bloomberg.com, 58. longbridge.com, 59. www.lse.co.uk, 60. www.reuters.com, 61. walletinvestor.com
