US stocks often grab the headlines for growth, while UK shares dominate the income narrative. But this past year has thrown up some eye-catching performers on the FTSE 100 that deserve a closer look.

Computacenter and Antofagasta have delivered staggering returns that would make any growth investor sit up and take notice. Shares in the two companies are up 112.7% and 98% respectively over the past year, according to data from TradingView.

That kind of performance gets any investor’s attention. But what would it have meant in real monetary terms? And more importantly, where do we go from here?

What £8,500 could have become

If a savvy investor had split a lump sum of £8,500 between the two shares last summer (in August 2025), how much would they have now? The average gain is 105.35%, turning £8,500 into almost £17,455 — a massive £8,955 profit!

Let that sink in for a moment. In just 12 months, a modest investment could have more than doubled. That’s the kind of return most people only dream about.

But while that’s great news for long-term shareholders, it’s sadly not much use to new investors. After such a run, it’s highly unlikely they’ll repeat the same performance in the coming 12 months.

However, one stock on the FTSE 250 is forecast to make a similar gain of 105% in the next 12 months: clean energy technology developer Ceres Power Holdings (LSE:CWR). So what’s the realistic chances it’ll hit that target?

The numbers behind the hype

Ceres Power has had a tough run over the past few years. The share price is down 60% in the past five years, and the company’s currently unprofitable, with revenue down 37% year on year to £32.6m in 2025.

Latest figures show £145.8m in total assets, £38.15m in liabilities, £107.6m in equity, and just £2.41m in debt. That’s a relatively clean balance sheet with minimal borrowings, which is reassuring given the company’s loss-making status.

In June, it raised £103m via a share placing and retail offer to accelerate production of its solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology. That cash should allow the company to scale up operations and target opportunities, but execution matters. If things don’t go as planned, it’s back to the drawing board.

The retail offer was a deal between Doosan Fuel Cell and Reverion GmbH for the supply of SOFC stacks under licence from Ceres, worth around £60m. That’s exactly the kind of commercial validation the market wants to see.

Which may be why analysts see significant growth potential, with a consensus price target of around 886p (+105% from current levels). The most bullish analysts eye triple-digit percentage returns if execution goes to plan.

What this means for investors

Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, and chasing last year’s winners rarely works. Computacenter and Antofagasta had their moment – the question now is, who’s next?

I think Ceres Power’s worth considering as it offers genuine exposure to the clean energy transition. But it’s still loss-making, and execution risk remains high, so think carefully about allocation size.

For investors, the takeaway is simple: look forward, not backward. The next big winner won’t be found on last year’s leaderboard – it’ll be among those companies solving tomorrow’s problems, not yesterday’s.

Should you invest £5,000 in Ceres Power Plc right now?

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And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if Ceres Power Plc made the list?

Mark Hartley does not hold any positions in the companies mentioned.