However, looking further afield can help supercharge an investor’s long-term returns.

Small-cap companies like penny stocks are out of favour with many investors. This gives those who take time to explore the London Stock Exchange’s lesser-known companies a chance to snap up some undervalued beauties.

Here are two ‘secret’ value stocks I’d buy to boost my dividend income. Each costs less than £1 to buy.

Michelmersh Brick Holdings

Rising interest rates pose a near term threat to brick manufacturer Michelmersh Brick Holdings (LSE: MBH). Demand for the penny stock’s products could sink if they cause a housing market crash.

That said, I still think the company’s profits will soar over the long haul. Britain’s chronic property shortage and growing population mean that housebuilders will need to supercharge homes production over the next decade.

Analysts at the National Housing Federation believe the UK will have to build 340,000 new homes between 2019 and 2031. This should naturally provide a big catalyst to brick demand.

On top of this, Britain’s ageing housing stock provides Michelmersh with excellent long-term opportunities. The average age of a home here is among the highest in Europe. So product sales to the repair, maintenance and improvement (or RMI) sector could rise sharply as time goes on.

Michelmersh currently trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 8.7 times. This leaves a wide margin of safety.

The company carries a market-beating 4.9% dividend yield too. And the predicted dividend is covered 2.3 times by anticipated earnings.

This provides decent compensation for dividend investors should earnings disappoint.

Sylvania Platinum

Investing in mining stocks can be risky business. The complex business of mineral extraction can be costly. Common problems at the exploration, development and production phases can also leave revenues forecasts in tatters.

These hazards are reflected in the rock-bottom P/E ratios of many mining shares. Take Sylvania Platinum (LSE: SLP) for instance. This South Africa-based business trades on a forward earnings multiple of 3.7 times.

It’s my opinion that Sylvania’s price could soar as steps to combat the climate emergency accelerate.

Platinum and palladium are key materials in car and truck exhausts. And lawmakers across major regions are demanding higher loadings of the materials to filter out harmful emissions.

Platinum is also a key ingredient in the manufacture of green hydrogen. This provides excellent opportunities for shares like Sylvania as the switch from fossil fuels intensifies. Analysts suggest the green hydrogen market could grow at an annualised rate of almost 30% between now and 2030.

One final reason why I like Sylvania shares: at current prices the penny stock carries a mighty 8.2% dividend yield. In addition, forecast earnings cover the dividend by 3.3 times.

Metals giant

Investing in UK mining shares such as Central Asia Metals (LSE: CAML) can be risky business. Demand for their product can be highly cyclical so profits can sink when economic conditions worsen.

At the moment too, the near-term outlook is less that encouraging as China’s economy worsens. The Asian powerhouse is the world’s primary commodity market and sucks up around half of all copper shipments alone.

In a worrying omen, analysts at UBS have slashed their Chinese GDP forecasts in recent hours. They now expect growth of just 2.7% in 2022, down from a previous estimate of 3%. And a 5.4% prediction for 2023 has been slashed to 4.6% for 2023.

A clever dip buy?

Yet I believe the low valuations of many mining shares (including Central Asia Metals) reflects this troubled landscape. Today, this particular share trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 5.6 times.

Central Asia Metals’ share price has sunk 12% in 2022. And as a long-term investor, I think this represents an attractive dip buying opportunity.

You see I expect demand for the company’s products to soar as the transition towards green technologies accelerates. This will likely lead to a sharp share price recovery from current levels.

I think sales of the copper it digs out in Kazakhstan will soar as manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs) and related infrastructure increases. Meanwhile, consumption of the lead and zinc it produces in North Macedonia will step up as EV battery-building lifts off.

Another top mining stock

For the same reason I think Sylvania Platinum (LSE: SLP) could be a top buy. The platinum group metals (PGMs) it digs for also play a critical role in the fight against climate change.

The main industrial use of these commodities is in the manufacture of catalytic converters in cars and trucks. Legislative changes across the globe mean they are needed in increasingly large quantities to filter out harmful emissions.

However, platinum is also an important material in the production of green hydrogen. The World Platinum Investment Council reckons this role alone could boost platinum demand by a whopping 600,000 ounces over the next decade.

Big dividends

South Africa-focused Sylvania faces the same problems caused by China’s cooling economy. It also faces particular danger as interest rates soar to curb inflation. PGMs are also safe-haven investment metals that can fall in price when central banks tighten policy.

But like Central Asia Metals, I think this threat is reflected by the company’s low valuation. In fact Sylvania trades on an even-lower forward P/E ratio of 4.3 times.

Today, Sylvania boasts a big dividend yield of 6.7% for 2022. Furthermore, Central Asia Metals’ yield sits at a mighty 7.9%. I think both of these income shares are too good — and too cheap — to miss.

Bullion values haven’t soared so far due to fears of severe moves by central banks to tame inflation. Such unexpected action is a real risk which the move by Norway’s central bank this week perfectly illustrates. On Thursday, it hiked rates by the largest margin for 20 years, to 1.25%.

I’m still thinking of tailoring my portfolio for a sudden rise in gold values. And I’d do this by snapping up Centamin.

I like the company’s ultra-low price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 10.1 times. I also think it’s a better choice than buying physical gold, or a financial instrument like a gold ETF. This way I can receive a dividend as well as potentially ride a soaring share price. Centamin’s dividend yield by the way sits at a large 5.9%.

Inflation and other issues

I’m not convinced by the effectiveness of central banks in fighting the current inflationary boom. Frantic rate rises haven’t, so far at least, stopped inflation gauges in major regions hitting new multi-decade highs each month.

The pressure on central banks to cool their aggressive actions might mount too as recessionary risks increase. Tepid action from the Bank of England last week (when it raised rates just 0.25%) illustrates the difficult decisions policymakers currently face.

Meanwhile, a worsening Covid-19 crisis has the potential to deepen supply chain problems and boost inflation further. So does a long war in Ukraine that might drive up key commodity prices.

I wouldn’t just buy Centamin to own for the short-to-medium term either. I think the business could prove an excellent long-term pick as it ramps up mining production. It remains on course to produce 430,000-460,000 ounces of gold in 2022 and is on the road to eventually dig out half a million ounces per year.

Another inflation-resistant share I’d buy!

Gold isn’t the only precious metal that could soar in this high-inflation environment. Platinum group metals (PGMs) might also rebound strongly again before too long. It’s why I’m considering adding Sylvania Platinum (LSE: SLP) to my portfolio as well.

Like Centamin, this platinum producer carries a rock-bottom valuation. It trades on a forward P/E ratio of just 3.9 times. In addition, its dividend yield stands at a solid 5.6%.

I’d buy Sylvania even as weak economic conditions threaten industrial demand for its product in the near term. And I’d look to hold its shares for the long haul too.

I think demand for pollution-battling metal platinum could soar as the fight to reduce car emissions increases. I also reckon off-take of its material could soar over the next decade, thanks to its critical role in hydrogen production.

Penny stocks are shares of usually small-cap companies that cost less than £1 per share. Their cheapness means that they can be prone to bouts of extreme share price volatility. They tend to be financially weaker than larger-cap companies, too, making them vulnerable when times get tough.

These weaknesses and their relative unpopularity means that many of them are massively undervalued. This gives me an opportunity to nip in and grab a potential growth hero of the future at a knock-down price.

Here are two cheap dividend-paying penny stocks I’d buy right now. I think they could make me a lot of cash over the next decade.

A platinum-plated stock

I think the stage could be set for platinum prices to soar. And so I’m considering buying South African mining company Sylvania Platinum (LSE: SLP) for my portfolio.

There are several reasons why precious metals prices could surge. Rocketing inflation and a stuttering global economy. Rounds of fresh trade wars. A fresh Covid-19 crisis in China, and severe geopolitical repercussions from the war in Ukraine.

Platinum prices in particular could receive an extra boost from tightening supplies, helping Sylvania Platinum’s profits even further. This week the World Platinum Investment Council slashed its platinum surplus forecasts for 2022. It now expects the surplus to fall to 627,000 ounces from 1.12m ounces last year.

5.7% dividend yields!

A rising US dollar threatens to derail potential gains for precious metals prices. But on balance I think the possible benefits of owning Sylvania Platinum shares remain compelling. I expect demand for platinum group metals (PGMs) to soar as stricter emissions regulations demand higher amounts of the precious commodities be loaded into autocatalysts.

Besides, at current prices the mining stock trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 3.8 times. This represents some seriously-good value. It carries an enormous 5.7% dividend yield too.

Going for gold

In the current environment, getting exposure to the most popular precious metal of all is a good idea. Therefore Egypt-focussed gold miner Centamin (LSE: CEY) is also on my shopping list today.

Like Sylvania Platinum, Centamin offers exceptional all-round value right now. Its dividend yield for 2022 sits at a mammoth 5.6%. Furthermore, the gold stock trades on a sub-one price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of 0.8 for this year.

Centamin’s low share price reflects to some degree the risky nature of its operations. It’s a quality the business shares with Sylvania, of course. Setbacks with mineral exploration, mine development, and metal production can be common. And they can have a catastrophic impact on future profits.

However, this is a risk I’d be happy to take given the bright outlook for precious metal prices. I think Centamin and Sylvania are top penny stocks to buy today.

I haven’t sold any of my shares though. And I have no plans to do so. In fact, I’m searching for the best bargain stocks to buy following this recent round of heavy selling.

Taking a long-term view

I’m someone who invests with a long-term view in mind. And there are stacks of terrific UK shares I think might make me terrific returns, regardless of any near-term problems.

Here are two sinking stocks I think could be too good to miss following market volatility.

#1: Spire Healthcare

Private hospital group Spire Healthcare (LSE: SPI) has slipped to its cheapest for almost a year on Thursday. I think it’s a great buy though as Britain’s free healthcare service goes from bad to worse.

Spending on healthcare tends to remain stable even when economic conditions deteriorate. Our health is one thing that we can’t afford to skimp on, right? So I think the market has overreacted by heavily selling this UK share.

Today, news emerged that NHS waiting lists hit fresh record highs of 6.4m in March. This was up a staggering 200,000 month-on-month.

The government expects lists to keep growing too, which I think should continue driving patient volumes at Spire Healthcare higher. The number of self-pay patients at the company’s hospitals and clinics soared 115% year-on-year in 2021 as people turned their backs on the NHS.

My only concern with Spire Healthcare is its elevated earnings multiple. Despite market volatility, the business trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 43.6 times.

Stocks that carry high valuations can suffer extra-heavy sell-offs if newsflow disappoints. That said, I believe the possible long-term rewards of owning Spire still make it an excellent buy for me.

#2: Sylvania Platinum

I’d also load up on Sylvania Platinum (LSE: SLP) shares following fresh erosion in its share price. Its metals are critical materials in autocatalysts where they’re used to reduce car emissions. I think profits here could soar as the fight against climate change intensifies.

This week the European Parliament passed a law requiring carmakers to accelerate their pollution-cutting plans. It will require them to reduce carbon emissions by a fifth by 2025.

Climate change is a global issue and Sylvania Platinum could see demand for its material take off over the next decade. Sinking car production rates due to supply chain issues threatens company revenues in the near term. But the gradual transition to greener technologies presents opportunities that I find hard to ignore.

At 88p per share penny stock Sylvania trades on a forward P/E ratio of just four times. It also carries an enormous 5.6% dividend yield. I think this could be one of the hottest stocks for me to buy following recent market volatility.

Further market choppiness could be on the cards as concerns over rocketing inflation worsen. But this doesn’t put me off from buying British stocks. I’m happy to endure some discomfort in the near term if there’s a good chance the shares I buy will deliver solid long-term returns.

Here are two top stocks I’m considering buying right now. I think they could be too cheap for me to miss.

Software star

Around a year ago, I bought Keywords Studios shares for my portfolio. I thought the technical and creative services it provides to the video games industry made it a top growth share to buy.

I think now’s the time to boost my exposure to the fast-growing games sector. It’s why I’m thinking of investing in games developer Frontier Developments (LSE: FDEV).

The company’s share price has slumped in 2022 as higher costs have pushed it into the red. Frontier reported an operating loss of £1.3m in the six months to November because of higher licensing royalties and more disc sales (margins on physical formats are lower than they are on digital sales).

Buying on the dip

It’s my opinion though that recent weakness represents a great dip buying opportunity. City analysts think Frontier Developments’ earnings will soar 125% year on year in the upcoming financial year (to May 2023).

Consequently, the software designer trades on a forward price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of just 0.2. A reading below 1 suggests that a stock could be undervalued.

I think Frontier’s profits could soar this year and well beyond as the games industry — which is already worth more than the music and movie sectors combined — grows rapidly.

Analysts at Mordor Intelligence for instance think the global games business will be worth a whopping $340bn by 2027. That compares with the $198bn that’s it was valued at last year.

Takeover talk

Investing in games studios can be dangerous given how competitive the marketplace can be. There are thousands of software developers across the globe jostling to produce the next winning title.

This is why I like Frontier Developments in particular. I’m not saying the company is immune to the threat from rival developers. But it already has a range of ultra-popular games franchises on its books, like Jurassic World and Elite Dangerous, that already have large and established fanbases.

I also think buying a game developer like Frontier Developments could be a good idea as industry consolidation heats up. Latest action this week saw Japanese developer Square Enix sell several Western studios to Embracer Group for a cool $300m.

The sale also includes the rights to popular franchises like Tomb Raider and Deus Ex. I think Frontier (like Codemasters and Sumo Group before it) could be the latest London-listed software business to attract takeover attention.

A penny stock on my radar

I’d also use recent price weakness at Sylvania Platinum (LSE: SLP) to grab a brilliant bargain. The business has fallen back into penny stock territory below £1 as fears over the global economy have grown.

This means that Sylvania shares trade on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 4.1 times, well inside bargain-basement territory of 10 times.

On top of this, Sylvania Platinum now boasts a mighty dividend yield of 5.6% following these falls. And this year’s predicted dividend is covered 4.3 times by anticipated earnings, too, meaning there’s a good chance that payouts could meet broker expectations.

Safe-haven metals

I like South African mining stock Sylvania Platinum for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the platinum group metals (PGMs) it produces are safe-haven investment metals like gold and silver. This means that they often rise in value when inflationary pressures increase and doubts over global growth intensify (otherwise known as a ‘stagflationary’ environment).

This makes them ideal commodities for the here and now, then. What’s more, platinum and palladium prices could experience sustained strength if the ban on Russian metal exports carries on. Russia is the second-largest platinum producer on the planet.

There’s good reason then to expect Sylvania Platinum’s profits to impress in the current environment. Indeed, platinum has moved back towards $1,000 per ounce in recent days as concerns over stagflation have grown.

Cleaning up the environment

I also think Sylvania’s a good stock for me to buy as the fight against climate change intensifies. The material it produces is used in massive quantities to reduce the emissions that car exhaust systems create.

Legislation has tightened in recent years (and especially in China) in order to cut car pollution, meaning that greater loadings of platinum-like metals are needed in cars. I think the rules could become even stricter too as worries over global warming reach fever pitch.

Platinum’s extra role in the green revolution

It’s also important to note platinum’s critical role in the production of green hydrogen. Demand for this low-carbon power source is also tipped to balloon as the world moves away from fossil fuels.

Platinum is able to handle excessive temperatures and complex chemical changes, making it an ideal fuel cell catalyst in the electrolysis process. It’s why the World Platinum Investment Council believes that platinum demand for use in green hydrogen production could total 600,000 ounces between now and 2032.

It’s possible that the adoption of green hydrogen could pick up even further following the war in Ukraine, too, as the world turns its back on Russian oil and gas exports.

I am concerned about what impact subdued car-building activity will have on Sylvania in the immediate future. Auto production has slumped across the globe due to huge semiconductor shortages. But on balance I think the benefits of owning this cheap UK share over the long term outweigh these risks.

Playing the green economy

I believe Sylvania Platinum (LSE: SLP) will prove a great stock to own for two compelling reasons. I expect demand for the platinum group metals (or PGMs) it pulls out the ground to rise as lawmakers tighten emissions regulations. Around 40% of global supply is used to build catalytic converters in cars and trucks.

Secondly, I’d buy Sylvania on account of platinum’s role in producing carbon-free (or ‘green’) hydrogen. The metal is used, for example, as a catalyst in hydrogen-based fuel cells in cars, a technology tipped to grow rapidly as petrol- and diesel-powered motors are phased out.

Green hydrogen is seen by many as the future of low-carbon technology. Unlike other forms of hydrogen it doesn’t require the use of fossil fuels to be produced, making it the most environmentally-friendly option. It’s why the International Renewable Energy Agency thinks global green hydrogen demand will hit between 133m and 158m tonnes a year. That is, if the gas is used instead of fossil fuels in transport, industrial and heating applications.

4.9% dividend yield!

The danger for Sylvania Platinum is that the green hydrogen industry is quite small today. In theory it has potential, but there’s no guarantee that it’ll grow rapidly as it competes against other forms of hydrogen technology and green energy sources.

Yet this is a scenario I think could be baked into the penny stock’s current price of 96p. Today Sylvania trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 4.4 times. I think this, along with the commodities giant’s 4.9% dividend yield makes it an attractive buy for me right now.

Another ‘green’ penny stock to buy

Zinnwald Lithium’s (LSE: ZNWD) another attractive way for me to play the electric vehicle theme. As the name suggests, this penny stock is involved in digging for lithium, a critical component in the manufacture of battery-powered vehicles. However there are reasons why I like this business in particular.

It takes its name from a lithium project that’s located on the German-Czech border. That location is all-important as it puts it on the doorstep of Europe’s car-building country. What’s more, the Zinnwald project — which has a 30-year mining licence and contains around 125,000 tonnes of lithium — can be found in an area where mining goes back centuries. This means the company has a lot of the infrastructure in place to try and make it a success.

Risk vs reward

It’s important to remember that Zinnwald Lithium isn’t actually producing any of the material right now. Development of the project continues with a view to producing maiden lithium around the middle of the decade. It therefore has a long way to go and any setbacks could result in the business tapping shareholders for cash or raising more debt to keep going.

However, I believe the rewards of owning this penny stock could outweigh the risks. I’d happily add this UK share to my own portfolio alongside Sylvania Platinum.

Take latest consumer price inflation from the US, for instance. On Thursday, it was announced that prices rose 7.5% year-on-year in January, a fresh 40-year high. This was also up considerably from 7% in the prior month and above broker forecasts of 7.3%.

Gold prices sprung back above the $1,840 per ounce marker in response and to within a whisker of three-month highs.

With energy and labour costs surging and supply disruptions continuing it appears as if inflation should keep rising. In the UK, the Bank of England now expects consumer prices to be up 7.25% year-on-year in April. This is up from a prior prediction of 6% made just three months ago.

Limited firepower?

All this data doesn’t necessarily mean that gold prices will surge. Central banks have been raising rates to counter the scale of rising prices and they’re expected to keep doing so. This has certainly compromised gold’s ability to rise in recent months.

That said, a big question remains over how far central banks will be able to increase interest rates without choking off the economic recovery. I think the stage could be set for precious metals prices to run and run.

A golden penny stock

Centamin is a UK share I’m thinking of buying to make money against this backdrop. It pulls gold out of the ground from its Sukari mine in Egypt, a project from which it is steadily ramping up production. It also has exploration and development projects under way in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

Bringing new mining assets on stream can be extremely costly business. And any overruns on its capital expenditure plans could have a big impact on future dividends. But as things stand today, City analysts expect Centamin to continue paying big dividends over the short-to-medium term.

Dividend yields sit at 5.2% and 5.3% for 2022 and 2023 respectively. This makes it a very attractive dividend stock, in my opinion.

Another top dividend stock

I’m also considering investing in Sylvania Platinum today. The precious grey material that it pulls off the ground is a dual-role metal. This means that demand can rise when investors are nervous, and also when the economy grows. Platinum group metals (PGMs) are used chiefly to make catalytic converters for cars and creating jewellery.

This dual-role status however means that Sylvania’s profits could suffer if the economic recovery runs out of steam. This is something that gold miner Centamin’s investors don’t need to be worried about. Still, this is a risk I could be willing to take given the company’s cheap share price. It trades on a P/E ratio of below 4 times.

This, as well as Sylvania’s big yields of 7.2% and 5.6% for this year and next respectively, means the South African miner offers stunning value right now.

Assura’s profits may suffer if NHS funding declines. But, for the time being, things look pretty rosy for the business. In fact, investment in primary healthcare properties is rising as policymakers try to divert patients away from hospitals.

Assura has a strong record of annual earnings growth under its belt. And City analysts think earnings will rise 16% in this financial year (to March 2022), too. Today, the business carries a mighty 4.6% dividend yield. This, allied with its reliable profits and solid cash generation, makes it a top income stock for me to buy.

Go with the flow

Snapping up United Utilities Group (LSE: UU) for a potentially-turbulent 2022 might be another good idea for me. This FTSE 100 stock, like Assura, doesn’t have to worry much about whether the Covid-19 crisis rolls on.

The problem of soaring inflation also won’t hit its operations (though it might significantly push up the cost of its debt). The water United Utilities supplies to people’s homes and businesses will remain largely unchanged, whatever social, economic or political crisis comes down the pipe (so to speak). This will give it the confidence and the financial means to continue paying big dividends to its shareholders.

Speaking of which, for this financial year to March, United Utilities carries a chunky 4.2% dividend yield. I’d buy it even though its operations can be expensive and shareholder returns might suffer as a result.

A dirt-cheap UK dividend stock

Sylvania Platinum’s (LSE: SLP) a UK share that offers a brilliant bang for your buck across the board. For this financial year to June, the platinum group metal (PGM) producer trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 4.4 times. Meanwhile, the dividend yield clocks in at an inflation-mashing 5.6%.

The business of mining is extremely hazardous, of course. Exploring for metals, developing a mine, and finally pulling the commodities from the ground are all massively complex processes so problems at any stage can be highly expensive. Profits expectations can be rubbed out at a stroke and this can have a big impact on the share price of small operators like this.

This is a risk I’d be prepared to take with Sylvania however. Firstly, I find the terrific all-round value it offers highly appealing. And if the company gets it right, profits could potentially explode.

Demand for PGMs looks set to rise sharply as the amount required to build autocatalysts heads steadily higher. The precious metals reduce car emissions and so are critical components in the fight against climate change.

Dirt-cheap penny stocks

Vertu Motors (LSE: VTU) is a share I sold out of towards the end of last year after a strong share price run. The shares though are still cheap, trading on a P/E of 13.

Continuing shortages of chips leading to fewer new cars and higher second-hand car prices have been very positive for Vertu’s shareholders in recent times. That fortuitous set of circumstances won’t last forever though. But if the new car market remains constrained for much of this year, the company could do well.

What’s not clear right now is how much of the share price gains will fall away as and when market conditions normalise. That’s the biggest risk I see when it comes to investing in Vertu – or indeed any – of the car dealers right now.

I think Vertu is a very good penny stock and is potentially a bargain, but I won’t be re-adding it to my portfolio, simply because of the market uncertainty.

South African miner Sylvania Platinum (LSE: SLP) is a share I hold. It’s also cheap. The shares trade on a P/E of only three. That’s staggeringly low, even compared to many other miners.

That’s a reflection of 2021 being a tough year for the company. Prices of the metals it processes – particularly rhodium – fell substantially in the second half of the year. At the same time costs rose. That’s a double whammy that really hit the shares. As I’ve cautioned before, mining is an inherently difficult and cyclical business. And operating in South Africa, which has seen civil unrest, won’t have helped the share price either. 

Overall though, the shares are dirt-cheap and I’ll be keeping them in my portfolio for the foreseeable future. If the price of rhodium, in particular, rises this year the shares could recover strongly.

Building back better

Another cheap penny stock I’ve come across is Speedy Hire (LSE: SDY). Its price-to-book ratio is 1.47, which is incredibly low. As an aside, it was a key metric for Warren Buffett’s mentor, Benjamin Graham, and is important for many value investors. 

The tools and equipment rental specialist recorded a 29.9% year-on-year improvement in EBITDA for the six months ended 30 September, to £49.1m, while its adjusted operating profit was £9.9m higher at £16.2m.

The company said artificial intelligence has meant it’s been better able to utilise its assets, which in an asset-heavy business is important. The more it rents out, the better it’s going to do financially and in turn for shareholders.

The concern with such a business is the need for continuous investment in equipment. Many investors prefer asset-light businesses that can scale more easily. Speedy Hire is also very exposed to the construction market. Any slowdown in building in the UK, in particular, would hurt the company and the share price. I’ll keep an eye on Speedy Hire but have no plans to add the penny stock as a new investment.

Vertu Motors, Sylvania Platinum and Speedy Hire all look cheap on slightly different metrics. The standout one that appears very undervalued to me though is Sylvania Platinum. That’s why I hold the shares and will likely add more.