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Headlines say FTSE edges up as Rolls-Royce, BAE upgrade guidance; BoE in focus and all stock picks this week are 86% BUY, 7% HOLD and 7% SELL.

1. AVOID AB Dynamics

Top performing stock pick this week is AVOID AB Dynamics by Steve Moore in ShareProphets with a tip performance of 11%.

AB Dynamics is a global engineering company that designs, manufactures and supplies advanced testing, simulation and measurement products for the automotive and transport industries, specialising in autonomous driving systems, active safety testing and suspension dynamics.

AB Dynamics share price launched at 115p in 2013, rose to an all-time high of 2,750p in 2019 and is today at 739p.

On 28th July the company issued a Trading Update in this RNS reporting more challenging trading conditions due to geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain and logistics disruption and weaker confidence among automotive customers, leading to longer purchasing decision cycles and delayed order conversion despite a healthy pipeline of enquiries. The company has decided to exit its VadoTech business in China after customer demand remained below expectations, and this operation will be treated as discontinued. Management is responding by closely controlling costs, expects profitability to remain broadly in line with its medium-term objectives and highlighted that the group retains a strong balance sheet and remains confident in the long-term growth opportunities driven by vehicle safety, regulatory and technology trends. Shares fell following the announcement.

In his article Steve Moore highlights the decline in the share price since the previous trading update in April and notes that the company has fallen short of its earlier sales expectations.

In Stockomendation four analysts cover the stock: Shore Capital and Berenberg have BUY ratings; Jefferies has HOLD; and Steve Moore says AVOID.

2. BUY Everplay

Second top performing stock pick this week is BUY Everplay Group by Shore Capital with a tip performance of 6%.

Everplay Group is a British video game developer and publisher formerly known as Team17.

Everplay share price launched at 233p in 2018, rose to an all-time high of 870p in 2021 and is today at 245p.

On 28th July the company issued a Trading Update in this RNS stating that first-half trading was in line with expectations, supported by new game releases, resilient performance from its existing catalogue and strong seasonal sales. Management remains confident in the outlook for the second half, supported by a pipeline of major forthcoming launches, including key in-house and third-party titles. The company also highlighted encouraging early customer engagement for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam following a successful playtest and reiterated expectations for full-year results in line with market forecasts. Shares rose following the announcement.

In Stockomendation three analysts cover the stock: Jefferies and Shore Capital have BUY ratings, while Barclays has OVERWEIGHT.

3. BUY Bodycote

Equal third top performing stock pick this week is BUY Bodycote by Berenberg and Deutsche Bank with a tip performance of 6%.

Bodycote supplies heat treatment, metal joining, hot isostatic pressing and coating services. Founded in 1923, it is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

Bodycote share price launched at 94p in 1993, rose to an all-time high of 1,046p in 2018 and is today at 721p.

On 28th July the company issued its Interim Results in this RNS reporting a solid first-half performance in line with expectations, driven by strong demand from aerospace, defence, energy, medical and semiconductor customers, which more than offset continued weakness in automotive markets, particularly in Europe. The company delivered improved profitability, made further progress with its site optimisation programme, continued investing in growth opportunities and acquisitions, and maintained its full-year outlook. Management also expressed confidence in its strategy and medium-term targets despite ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

Berenberg and Deutsche Bank both reiterated their BUY ratings and maintained target prices of 900p and 960p respectively.

In Stockomendation four analysts cover the stock: Deutsche Bank, Jefferies and Berenberg have BUY ratings, while RBC Capital has SECTOR PERFORM.

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Disclaimer: The contents of this article should not be considered financial advice. Pricing data correct as at 30th July 2026.