If you'd invested in: Sanne Group and Nanoco

If only

Sanne Group (LSE: SNN) provides administration services to hedge funds and corporate and private clients. It employs more than 1,000 people in 15 offices around the world, and is expanding steadily via acquisitions, its latest being two Luxembourg fund-services companies, adding a further 70 staff. Revenue for the first half of 2017 was up by more than 100% on the same period the previous year, with pre-tax profit up by more than 50%.

Be glad you didn't

Nanoco Group (LSE: NANO) develops and manufactures fluorescent semiconductor nanoparticles for use in lighting, displays and solar panels. The market for these products is developing "more slowly than anticipated", the firm said recently, which has led to disappointing results. It now plans to raise £8.6m in equity, to allow it to retain its manufacturing facility at Runcorn. The share price has slid by more than half in the last year.