Two unique businesses | TSTL, BVXP, NET
A fresh batch of companies has cleared Richard Beddard’s 5 Strikes filter, with Tristel and Bioventix standing out for their unusual strengths and resilience. Netcall
3rd December 2025
Richard Beddard
Richard is a highly-respected investment writer well-known for his Share Sleuth portfolio, a model portfolio he runs for the investment platform Interactive investor. Richard eats his own cooking – buying good businesses at reasonable prices and holding them for the long-term in his Self Invested Personal Pension.
I’m a long-time ShareScope and SharePad fan and my aim is to help you find better companies faster using the fantastic tools at your disposal. My focus is on finding businesses we can reasonably expect to prosper for many years. As well as analysing data, I work out the strategies companies are following and try to verify that they are working in the real world by quizzing executives, visiting companies, trying their products and observing how they operate.
Two software success stories | SCT, DOTD
Softcat and Dotdigital are the only shares to pass Richard’s 5 Strikes filter. He explains why we shouldn’t worry about Softcat’s volatile turnover, but we
21st November 2025
When one strike is no better than three | EYE, JHD, FAN
Eagle Eye is an intriguing business with improving numbers that just fails to make the 5 Strikes cut. Richard also examines a trio of businesses
5th November 2025
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder | DNLM, WIL
Richard considers two shares that pass his 5 Strikes screening process. The first, Dunelm (DNLM), has almost flawless numbers. The second, Wilmington (WIL), is intriguing
22nd October 2025
All the 0s, 1s, and 2s
Richard collects all the shares that have passed his 5 Strikes system so far this year, a total of 81 businesses with good financial track
8th October 2025
So small it’s almost invisible | ARC, CHRT, RNWH
Richard is tempted by a growing business that employs 18 people and only earns £3m turnover. If it were up to him, all firms would
24th September 2025
Honey, I Shrunk The Business | PHSC, CHRT, CBOX
As directors go on holiday and annual reports dry up, only two companies make it through the 5 Strikes process. One is notable for how
10th September 2025
The Hare and the Tortoise
Although Richard prefers to invest in businesses that should grow steadily over the long term, one company is showing it can generate long-term shareholder returns
27th August 2025
People Power
Games Workshop, Kainos and James Latham pass the 5 strikes test. Richard ponders the future of people-focused businesses in a world in which AI is
13th August 2025
The Zig: Mortgage Advice Bureau
Nine shares pass the minimum quality filter but five fail to make the grade. That leaves Polar Capital, XPS Pensions and MS International in the
30th July 2025
Zigging as peers zag
Car marketplace Auto Trader and pork and poultry producer Cranswick pass 5 Strikes. Richard learns about animal welfare and finds a company is zigging when
18th July 2025
When a loss is a profit
Five companies pass the 5 strikes test. Richard takes a closer look at QinetiQ, the defence technology company underperforming in a booming market. 5 Strikes
2nd July 2025