Pace (LSE: PIC), UNITE (LSE: UTG) and Workspace (LSE: WKP) reach higher.
The FTSE 100 (UKX) is slowly recovering from last week's fall inspired by fresh eurozone panic, and at 5,830 points it's currently nine points up on the day. That's 258 points, or 4.6%, up since the start of 2012, which is really quite a decent return.
But there are plenty of individual companies in the various indices that have had a much better year to date than that. Here are three pushing new 2012 highs...
Pace
Digital TV technologist Pace (LSE: PIC) has had a cracking year so far, with its shares having more than doubled to 170p from their 72p level at the start of 2012. The world's largest set-top box maker has had a tough couple of years, falling from around 240p in 2009 after inventory concerns and natural disasters in Asia hurt its business.
But July brought us welcome news of the interim stage, and though income was down, a positive outlook for the second half helped boost the shares. Forecasters are expecting an earnings fall of around 7% for the full year, with growth of more than 20% predicted to return by 2013. And with the shares on a prospective 2013 price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of only 8, they could still be cheap.
UNITE Group
Student accommodation provider UNITE Group (LSE: UTG) has also had a cracking year, and at 266p the shares are up 98p (58%) so far this year. The company's first half to 30 June brought a very nice doubling of profits to £14m, from £7m at the same stage last year, and full-year forecasts have us expecting earnings of 9.95p per share.
That puts the shares on a P/E of 26 but Unite is a property company, too, and at the interim stage its diluted net asset value per share (NAV) was estimated at 335 pence, so there appears to be value there on that measure.
Workspace Group
Also related to the recovering property sector, Workspace Group (LSE: WKP) is up 23%, having gained 51p since the start of the year to reach 271p today. Workspace, which invests in commercial property to let in London and operates as a real-estate investment trust, has unsurprisingly been in a bit of a slump, but its share price started to take off in May this year in anticipation of full-year results, which turned out strong.
Forecasts for 2013 put the shares on a P/E of 22, but there's a 3.6% dividend expected and NAV at the results stage hit 308p per share.
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> Alan does not own any shares mentioned in this article.
