Shares in the pawnbroker Albemarle & Bond rose by more than 10% today after it issued a positive trading update.
Albemarle & Bond, which has 114 branches across the country, said it had traded ahead of expectations in recent months and that results for the year ending on 30 June were expected to be "significantly ahead of market expectations".
The company attributed its performance in part to the strength of the gold price.
It has seen the yield on its unredeemed loans enhanced and also started gold buying across its stores in January.
Retail sales have been ahead of last year too and the company is pressing ahead with plans to grow by opening new sites and acquiring shops.
"We estimate that Albemarle has headroom of [around] £12m over its facilities which clearly provides significant scope for organic growth alongside appropriate bolt-on acquisitions," wrote Collins Stewart analyst Michael O'Brien in a note headed Golden Balls.
The positive picture at Albemarle & Bond chimes with the latest update from rival pawnbrokers H&T Group, which earlier this month credited the gold price for the boom in its business.
The so-called alternative credit industry has been thriving during the downturn, with the City of London's first pawnbroker for the best part of a century opening its doors earlier this year.
Shares in Albemarle & Bond were up 10.5% to 216p.
