The week’s best shares

Blue Prism Group The Mail on Sunday

A pioneer in robotic process automation. Blue Prism’s clients include Coca-cola and the NHS, for which it installs queue-busting self-check-in kiosks. Loss-making, but at the forefront of a growing market. Buy. £13.44.

Diploma Investors Chronicle

A new CEO has brought stability to this resilient industrial equipment distributor, which operates in seals, controls and life sciences. Strong cash flow, solid growth and stable margins. Buy. £12.53.

Joules Group Investors Chronicle

E-commerce investment has “taken a bite out of margins” at the clothing chain. But Joules’ licensing arm offers “huge growth potential”, with “top-line momentum” continuing over the festive period. Buy. 255p.

Quest Diagnostics The Daily Telegraph

Quest is the largest medical testing business in the US, benefiting from loyal customers and the opportunity to make cheap acquisitions. “Unglamorous”, but “produces high returns on capital”. Buy. $86.30.

Mondi Investors Chronicle

Mondi’s global reach and vertically integrated operations put it in a great position to ride the sustainable packaging wave. Margins are improving and shares have fallen too far on containerboard worries. Buy. £18.26.

Synthomer The Sunday Telegraph

This polymers specialist (formerly Yule Catto) should begin to see rewards from record capex. Well set to pounce on acquisition targets, and there are “gains to be had” from oversold shares. Buy. 365.8p.