2 under-the-radar UK stocks to consider buying in February

Looking for stocks to buy for an ISA in February? Our writer highlights a couple of potential hidden gems he thinks are worth uncovering.

| More on:
photo of Union Jack flags bunting in local street party

Image source: Getty Images

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

When deciding which stocks to buy, many investors naturally gravitate towards the largest and most obvious. However, there are lots of potentially lucrative opportunities found hiding in less explored parts of the market.

Here are two under-the-radar UK stocks I think are worth checking out as we move — already! — into February.

Infrastructure-as-a-service

Let’s start with Beeks Financial Cloud (LSE:BKS). This AIM-listed company, which only has a market-cap of about £150m, provides low-latency, high-speed, cloud computing infrastructure for financial markets.

It’s built a network of data centres in the world’s top financial hubs, enabling trades to be made rapidly and securely for banks, brokers, and asset managers.

Beeks already counts the Mexico, Australia and Johannesburg stock exchanges among its clients, as well as Kraken in the crypto space. It has multi-year contracts in place with six of the world’s top 30 exchanges.

Revenue grew from less than £10m to £36.6m in the space of five years. For FY26, which ends in June, revenue’s expected to rise above £40m, alongside a doubling in earnings.

As Beeks has largely already built its global network infrastructure, adding new customers costs very little. As a result, I expect the business to continue growing profits at a decent clip as it increases operational leverage.

With further exchanges and major institutions in the sales pipeline, the Board sees considerable growth runway ahead.

Beeks Financial Cloud

The price-to-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio here is 0.8, which is under the benchmark of 1 that investors tend to look for. Therefore, this looks like an attractive entry point for growth investors to consider.

With the share price down 19% since October, the average 12-month price target among analysts is now around 54% higher. This doesn’t mean it will ever reach this price, of course, but the disconnect’s worth noting.

Local payments

Next up is Boku (LSE:BOKU), a fast-growing fintech that enables people to quickly pay for goods and services through their phones (digital wallet, phone bill, etc).

In particular, it’s enjoying rapid growth in the adoption of its bundling solutions, which allow merchants such as Amazon, Netflix, and Spotify to partner with telecom carriers to offer packaged deals. In H1 2025, bundling revenue jumped 70% year on year.

Nearly 60% of revenue comes from Asia Pacific, where digital payments among unbanked people are exploding in popularity. This provides a significant long-term opportunity for enablers like Boku, which is also seeing strong growth in account-to-account payments.

The firm’s profitable, with analysts expecting net earnings of $34m on revenue of $153m this year. And the board’s recently authorised a buyback programme to repurchase up to 5% of shares.

Risk and reward

It goes without saying that there are risks. Beeks is a small company with just a 7.5% operating margin today. As such, any setback or loss of a key contract could severely dent its profitability.

Meanwhile, Boku’s moving ever deeper into local payments, which increases regulatory risk. For example, a change in local law in a high-growth market could suddenly increase the cost of doing business there. 

Investors should always weigh up the risks as well as the potential rewards. But these two under-the-radar UK stocks are opportunities worth exploring further, in my opinion.

Ben McPoland has positions in Beeks Financial Cloud Group Plc. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Amazon and Beeks Financial Cloud Group 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.

More on Investing Articles

Black woman using smartphone at home, watching stock charts.
Investing Articles

UK shares: a once-in-a-decade chance to grow rich?

Dr James Fox explores a handful of UK shares that are trading at deep discounts to their perceived intrinsic value…

Read more »

Front view of a young couple walking down terraced Street in Whitley Bay in the north-east of England they are heading into the town centre and deciding which shops to go to they are also holding hands and carrying bags over their shoulders.
Investing Articles

How a stock market crash could help set you up for lifelong financial freedom

The best returns from the stock market come from buying when prices are low. But investors don’t have to wait…

Read more »

Logo outside Admiral offices
Investing Articles

I missed my chance to buy this FTSE 100 stock last year. Now it’s back at the same price…

Admiral shares are back where they were 12 months ago. But is the FTSE 100 firm still the powerhouse it…

Read more »

Snowing on Jubilee Gardens in London at dusk
Investing Articles

By January 2027, £1,000 invested in Greggs shares could be worth…

Greggs' shares have lost 47% of their value inside 18 months. Where do City analysts see this FTSE 250 stock…

Read more »

Investing Articles

2 exciting UK stocks tipped to double in 2026

These UK stocks have performed well for investors recently. However, analysts believe that they can climb much higher in the…

Read more »

A black male doctor chats to a senior patient on the hospital ward ,with a young female nurse wearing a hijab attending to a dressing
Investing Articles

Meet the S&P 500 stock I’ve just added to my portfolio…

Molina Healthcare's one of the worst-performing S&P 500 stocks of the last 12 months. But Stephen Wright thinks he sees…

Read more »

UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

After crashing up to 63%, are these among the best UK stocks to buy now?

Some of the best shares to buy are hidden among the worst short-term performers. James Beard takes a look at…

Read more »

Smiling family of four enjoying breakfast at sunrise while camping
Investing Articles

How I’m targeting £3,000 a month in passive income with just £50 a week

Mark Hartley outlines his strategy to target a lucrative passive income for retirement, highlighting the potential pitfalls and the importance…

Read more »