£1,000 buys 398 shares in this red hot UK stock that’s smashing Raspberry Pi

Mini computer maker Raspberry Pi is one of the hottest stocks in the UK right now. Recently, it has seen a lot of interest from investors on the back of AI-related hype.

However, there’s another British stock that could be worth checking out instead. It’s not getting the same amount of hype as Raspberry Pi is, however, it has delivered much higher returns over the last year.

Quietly making investors a lot of money

The stock I want to highlight is Applied Nutrition (LSE: APN). It’s a UK nutrition and supplements company that makes a range of products including protein powders, vitamins, and electrolyte tablets.

Founded in 2014, it sells its products in over 60 countries worldwide today. Here in the UK, you can find them in a range of shops including Asda, Tesco, and Morrisons (and also buy them online through companies like Amazon).

Now, no one is talking about this stock right now. However, over the last year, it has risen about 80%, turning a £1,000 investment into around £1,800.

Going back to Raspberry Pi, its share price has fallen by around a third over the last year. So, a £1k investment there a year ago is now worth less than £700.

An investment opportunity?

Are Applied Nutrition shares worth a look today? I think so.

This company is growing at a phenomenal rate at the moment as people across the world focus more on health and wellness. Last financial year (ended 31 July 2025), revenue jumped 24% to £107m.

This financial year, revenue is expected to be about £138m. That would represent top-line growth of an impressive 29%.

Note that in January, the company advised that revenue for the first half of the financial year was £74.5m. That figure was up a huge 57% year on year.

We also have rapidly rising profits. This financial year, earnings per share are expected to come in at 11.2p – 23% higher than last financial year.

One other thing that jumps out at me is the return on capital employed (an important measure of profitability). It was near 50% last financial year, which is very high.

This tells us that the company is generating a huge return on its money. This means that it should have a lot of money to reinvest for future growth (and that in theory it should get bigger and bigger over time).

As for the valuation, it looks very reasonable. Looking at the earnings forecast for next financial year (12.4p), the forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is only 21.

That’s above the market average. However, relative to the growth being generated it’s not high at all.

Brokers are bullish

Of course, there’s no guarantee that the company will keep growing at this speed or get significantly bigger over time. It operates in a very competitive industry and it’s hard to know if it has a genuine competitive advantage.

I’m optimistic in relation to its prospects, however (I buy its products all the time). And so are City analysts – of the seven firms covering it, four rate it as a Buy and two have it as a Strong Buy.

The post £1,000 buys 398 shares in this red hot UK stock that’s smashing Raspberry Pi appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

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Edward Sheldon has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Amazon, Tesco, and Raspberry Pi Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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