Friday tips round-up: Standard Life, Monitise

23rd Jan 2015 22:12

Shareholders in Standard Life are sitting pretty after the relevant authorities cleared the way for the firm to payout £1.75bn in cash. That comes in the wake of the £2.2bn sale of its Canadian arm last September. That will result in a large outflow of capital, which will nonetheless be compensated for by a share consolidation. Yet what really matters is the company's constant solid performance.To take note of, the outfit has only a limited exposure to annuities, granting it a degree of immunity to George Osborne's recent pension reforms. In fact, it should see higher demand for its adaptable investment management products. The only rub is that the putative combination of Aviva and Friends Life will heighten competition in the sector.Even so, the firm has a good model and options for growth. Hence, there is no reason not to remain a buyer, writes The Times's Tempus.The share price of mobile payments technology firm Monitise has crumpled since reaching a peak less than twelve months ago at 80p, valuing the stock at £1.38bn. Its mobile banking app allows users to use their phones much like wallets, to transfer money and make payments as well as to check their accounts. Indeed, the AIM-listed company saw its revenues jump by 67% over the first six months of 2014, as the volume of transfers and payments more than doubled to reach $71bn.However, the firm's stock has floundered as its dream of turning mobile banking applications into a mobile marketplace met cold, hard reality. Instead of growing sales by 25% last year as it at first expected, revenues advanced by a more moderate 31%. Revenue growth this year is set to be even less impressive, with the company's projections having been revised down to either flat or down. Take what you can and sell, says The Daily Telegraph's Questor column.