These under-the-radar FTSE 250 stocks didn’t just hit the market. They crushed it!

While the UK economy is far from firing on all cylinders, the focus is at home FTSE 250 The index is up just under 7% in value since January (and 13% over the past 12 months).

However, this is nothing compared to the performance of its other components.

Magic stock

Harry Potter it has been a literary thing. However, I suspect that most people will not know that a company that puts books in the hands of students is listed on our stock market. That’s it Bloomsbury Publishing (LSE: BMY) has also been a great investment over the past few years.

Since September 2019, the share price has increased by 186%. But just buying the stock in January would still have yielded a 42% return.

Oh, and there were benefits on top of this!

Lockdown star

Bloomsbury’s purple episode really started during the pandemic. Locked behind our doors, many of us fall back into the habit of studying for a hobby and a growing income.

Unlike other jobs, this trend has endured since the bug was sent packing. Even the cost of living issue doesn’t seem to have an impact. In fact, the mid-cap has been busy to develop guidance.

The big question is how much money has now been imported.

More to come?

As I type, Bloomsbury stock is changing hands for a 20-fold gain in FY25. That’s above average for all UK stocks.

One could also argue that publishers cannot really predict which titles will be successful and that profits are overly dependent on a small group of highly popular authors. And writing books takes time.

On the other hand, management’s efforts to expand the company’s educational arm by prioritizing international sales, expansion of the academic area and digital scholarship can be fruitful. The balance sheet also looks very strong to me, with a net cash position.

Having said that, Bloomsbury continues to present itself as a classy business. But it’s also one I’d like to pick up during a general market malaise.

Amazing benefits

Another stock that delivers for independent investors willing to get off the beaten path has been CMC Markets (LSE: CMCX).

Shares in the online trading platform provider are up nearly 190% this year. Again, this does not take into account dividends received during the period (8.3p per share).

There have been a number of catalysts for this remarkable gain. Chief among these has been an increase in trading activity between clients as markets have worsened. In its latest update, the company maintained its guidance for full-year operating profit of between £320m and £360m.

But investors have been cheering on news of possible partnerships, product launches, and continued cost-cutting.

A dangerous choice

As good as the recent restoration is, one needs to know that long time CMC owners have endured a lot of pain. Between April 2021 and October 2023, the stock fell by more than 80 percent as the pandemic weakened the economy.

It is also worth noting that the share price has been moving sideways for several months. Perhaps it may need a salary upgrade to move up. In the absence of a significant political event, I’m not sure that will happen when the half-year numbers are announced in November.

For this reason, CMC also remains on my watch list.