Stock Analysis

European Small Caps With Insider Action: Undervalued Picks For May 2025

LSE:HAS
Source: Shutterstock

As European markets navigate a landscape marked by easing trade tensions and mixed economic signals, the pan-European STOXX Europe 600 Index has shown resilience, rising for a fourth consecutive week. In this environment, small-cap stocks in Europe present intriguing opportunities for investors, particularly those with insider activity that may signal confidence in their potential. Identifying stocks with strong fundamentals and strategic positioning can be key to capitalizing on these market dynamics.

Top 10 Undervalued Small Caps With Insider Buying In Europe

NamePEPSDiscount to Fair ValueValue Rating
Morgan Advanced Materials11.4x0.5x38.20%★★★★★☆
Savills24.6x0.5x41.18%★★★★☆☆
FRP Advisory Group12.4x2.2x14.87%★★★★☆☆
AKVA group15.2x0.7x49.12%★★★★☆☆
Close Brothers GroupNA0.5x49.44%★★★★☆☆
Eastnine17.8x8.6x40.61%★★★★☆☆
Tristel30.7x4.3x17.98%★★★☆☆☆
Italmobiliare11.2x1.5x-276.14%★★★☆☆☆
Arendals FossekompaniNA1.6x41.75%★★★☆☆☆
Seeing MachinesNA2.2x49.69%★★★☆☆☆

Click here to see the full list of 60 stocks from our Undervalued European Small Caps With Insider Buying screener.

Let's explore several standout options from the results in the screener.

Tristel (AIM:TSTL)

Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★☆☆☆

Overview: Tristel is a company specializing in infection prevention and contamination control products, primarily serving the healthcare sector with a market cap of £0.25 billion.

Operations: The primary revenue streams are Hospital Medical Device Decontamination (£37.68 million) and Hospital Environmental Surface Disinfection (£3.51 million). The gross profit margin has shown an upward trend over the years, reaching 81.42% by December 2024. Operating expenses have increased alongside revenue growth, with general and administrative expenses being a significant component of the cost structure.

PE: 30.7x

Tristel, a small European company, is navigating the healthcare sector with its innovative disinfectant products. Recent insider confidence was shown through share purchases in March 2025. The company's submission of additional data for FDA approval of Tristel OPH could significantly impact U.S. ophthalmic practices by June 2025. Financially, Tristel reported sales growth to £22.57 million for the half-year ending December 2024, despite a slight dip in net income to £2.73 million from the previous year. With earnings forecasted to grow annually by 19%, and an increased interim dividend to 5.68 pence paid in April 2025, Tristel presents potential growth opportunities amidst its funding challenges relying solely on external borrowing.

AIM:TSTL Share price vs Value as at May 2025
AIM:TSTL Share price vs Value as at May 2025

Hays (LSE:HAS)

Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★☆☆☆

Overview: Hays is a global recruitment company specializing in qualified, professional, and skilled recruitment services with a market cap of £1.95 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from its Qualified, Professional, and Skilled Recruitment segment. Over the periods analyzed, the gross profit margin fluctuated significantly, peaking at 14.34% and declining to 3.03%. Operating expenses include notable allocations for general and administrative purposes as well as depreciation and amortization.

PE: -82.0x

Hays, a prominent player in the recruitment sector, shows potential as an undervalued opportunity among smaller European companies. Despite a decline in sales to £3.37 billion and net income dropping to £3 million for the half-year ending December 2024, earnings are poised for substantial growth at nearly 97% annually. Insider confidence is evident with recent share purchases over several months. While reliant on external borrowing, Hays' strategic focus could enhance future performance amid industry dynamics.

LSE:HAS Ownership Breakdown as at May 2025
LSE:HAS Ownership Breakdown as at May 2025

Absolent Air Care Group (OM:ABSO)

Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★☆☆☆

Overview: Absolent Air Care Group specializes in providing air filtration solutions for industrial and commercial kitchen environments, with a market capitalization of approximately SEK 1.13 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from its Industrial and Commercial Kitchen segments, with the Industrial segment contributing significantly more. Over recent periods, the gross profit margin has shown fluctuations, reaching 44.10% in September 2023 before slightly decreasing to 43.36% by March 2025. Operating expenses include significant allocations towards sales and marketing as well as general and administrative functions.

PE: 24.8x

Absolent Air Care Group, a small European player, recently reported Q1 sales of SEK 312.76 million, down from the previous year's SEK 357.6 million, with net income also decreasing to SEK 12.85 million from SEK 49.7 million. Despite this dip, they announced a dividend increase to SEK 3.25 per share payable in May, signaling confidence in future prospects. Earnings are projected to grow by an impressive 31% annually, though reliance on external borrowing poses some risk factors for investors considering its potential value play in the market.

OM:ABSO Share price vs Value as at May 2025
OM:ABSO Share price vs Value as at May 2025

Turning Ideas Into Actions

Curious About Other Options?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

If you're looking to trade Hays, open an account with the lowest-cost platform trusted by professionals, Interactive Brokers.

With clients in over 200 countries and territories, and access to 160 markets, IBKR lets you trade stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds and funds from a single integrated account.

Enjoy no hidden fees, no account minimums, and FX conversion rates as low as 0.03%, far better than what most brokers offer.

Sponsored Content

Valuation is complex, but we're here to simplify it.

Discover if Hays might be undervalued or overvalued with our detailed analysis, featuring fair value estimates, potential risks, dividends, insider trades, and its financial condition.

Access Free Analysis

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com