If you'd invested in: NEX Group and Carpetright

If only...

NEX Group (LSE: NXG), previously known as ICAP, runs a stock exchange for small and medium-sized companies, as well as financial systems to execute and settle forex and fixed-income trades. Its headquarters are in London, but it also has operations in Tel Aviv. The 2017-18 financial year saw revenue rise by 9%, while profits slipped by 3%. In March this year it agreed to a takeover bid from US exchange operator CME Group, which triggered a jump in the share price of more than 30%. In the past six months shareholders have been rewarded with a 70% rise in the stock.

Be glad you didn't buy...

Carpetright (LSE: CPG) , which was once considered a bellwether for the UK property market, has seen its fortunes shift dramatically in recent months as high rents and too many stores have taken their toll. In what it admits was a "very difficult year" the company slumped to a loss of £70m, down froma profit of £900,000 in the previous year. In April, it entered into a company voluntary agreement to stave off insolvency, closing 92 stores and renegotiating rents on the remainder. The share price has collapsed, sliding by more than 80% in the last six months.