Here’s why penny stock Abingdon Health (ABDX) has rocketed 140%

If I needed proof that investing in market minnows has the potential to dramatically increase wealth, I’d take a look at the Abingdon Health (LSE: ABDX) share price. In just five days, this penny stock has climbed 140% in value.

What’s behind this rise. And, importantly, can it continue?

Why the ABDX share price is flying

York-based Abingdon Health describes itself as a “world-leading developer and manufacturer of high-quality rapid lateral flows tests“. The reason why its share price has been soaring in recent days is down to the launch of the BioSURE Covid-19 IgG Antibody Self Test. BioSURE — Abingdon’s partner — already produces rapid tests for HIV. 

This test itself uses a minute amount of blood from a finger and gives results in around 20 minutes. Essentially, it allows people to monitor their own antibody status in the comfort of their home either before getting jabbed, after getting jabbed or post-infection. Based on the thickness of the line on the testing strip, people can quickly understand whether they are protected against Covid-19 or not. 

Such a test is patently useful as economies around the world continue to recover from multiple lockdowns and lost activity. So, could this just be the start of a sustained rise in the ABDX share price?

Revenue could soar

There are certainly reasons to be bullish on the outlook. Production of the test is now in full flow at the company’s facilities in York and Doncaster. Importantly, Abingdon is also the exclusive worldwide manufacturer of the test.

There are other positives. I’m not an expert on pricing. However, £32.95 (the cost of the test) doesn’t seem excessive. Moreover, it’s likely that demand for Abingdon’s test will exist for some time as more governments shift to the idea we all need to manage rather than defeat Covid-19. It may become especially useful if booster vaccinations are deemed necessary.

Another thing worth knowing is that the BioSURE Covid-19 IgG Antibody Self Test is just one of a number of Covid-19-related products being manufactured by the firm. Assuming others make the grade, revenue growth at Abingdon could conceivably soar.  

Buyer beware

As wonderful as the performance of the ABDX share price has been, it goes without saying that there are one or two things I need to remember before investing here. 

The first is that small-cap stocks, especially those in this area, are prone to ‘pop and drop’ behaviour. A quick peek at the share price graph of diagnostic firm Novacyt bears this out.

Will Abingdon follow a similar trajectory? Well, no share price rises in a straight line. It’s inevitable some traders will want to bank profits at some point. Whether the stock continues to multi-bag before then is, naturally, very hard to say.

A related issue for investors is that Abingdon has a very small ‘free float’. Just 25% of its stock is traded on the market. That may help explain why the share has done so well recently. It only takes a few trades to really move the needle. Since the ABDX share price has the potential to also move violently downwards, I think there’s one thing I can comfortably predict: volatility. 

Overall, I rate the shares as a (very) cautious buy for my portfolio. Nevertheless, I’d only ever play with money I could afford to lose.