Thursday broker round-up
16th Apr 2015 13:42
AstraZeneca: Societe Generale reiterates buy and 6,660p target price. Tesco: Nomura reiterates neutral and lowers target to 185p from 190p. Burberry: UBS reiterates neutral stance and lifts target to 1,800p from 1,650p. Royal Dutch Shell: Barclays reiterates overweight. Persimmon: Shore Capital r
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Pearson plunges on refund demands, Unilever higher on strong Q1
16th Apr 2015 13:38
Publishing group Pearson plummeted on reports that the Los Angeles Unified School District is seeking a refund from the firm and its technology partner, Apple, over a botched $1.3bn effort to supply students with iPads, BAE Systems dipped following a downgrade from 'buy' to 'neutral' from analysts a
Read moreLondon midday: Greek fears hit sentiment as stocks retreat ahead of US session
16th Apr 2015 11:54
Ongoing uncertainty over Greece gave investors an excuse to take profits on Thursday, with UK stocks pulling back from record levels ahead of what is expected to be a busy session in the States. "Fears over Greece continued to dominate Thursday morning, leaving the Eurozone indices in a sorry state
Read moreBroker tips: Unilever, SABMiller, BAE Systems
16th Apr 2015 11:32
Shore Capital has reiterated a 'buy' recommendation on Unilever after the consumer products giant beat forecasts with its first-quarter update, with the broker labelling it as a long-term winner in the FMCG sector. "Unilever's valuation sits comfortably within a basket of its global FMCG peers, and
Read moreBAE Systems weighed down as UBS cuts rating and shares go ex-dividend
16th Apr 2015 10:56
Shares in aerospace and defence group BAE Systems were trading lower on Thursday after the stock went ex-dividend, though UBS was providing further downwards pressure after cutting its rating from 'buy' to 'neutral'. The bank said it was "taking a breath" after a strong performance in the shares has
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: BAE Systems, Smurfitt Kappa, Marks & Spencer
12th Apr 2015 15:55
While a change of government remains a distinct possibility, defence and aerospace giant BAE Systems has recently approached senior government figures to ask permission to hire a foreign chief executive for the first time. According to the Sunday Times, the FTSE 100 group has petitioned defence secr
Read moreWednesday broker round-up
18th Mar 2015 12:41
Johnson Matthey: Deutsche Bank reiterates buy and 3,850p target. BAE Systems: Morgan Stanley lifts target to 570p from 515p and reiterates equalweight. BT Group: Nomura and UBS reiterate buy. Ashtead Group: UBS raises target to 1,130p from 1,070p and reiterates neutral. Rotork: Morgan Stanley imp
Read moreBAE Systems secures £859m contract with British Government
20th Feb 2015 14:44
BAE Systems secured on Friday a £859m deal with the British Government for the production of Royal Navy frigates. The production will sustain 1,600 jobs in the UK and recruit apprentices and graduates, mostly in Glasgow. The Type 26 demonstration contract will start in April this year and the group
Read moreLondon close: Greek developments, central bank uncertainty keep UK stocks flat
19th Feb 2015 16:33
It was another subdued finish for London's stocks on Thursday as the market continued to fluctuate at a 15-year high on the back of mixed newsflow about Greece and uncertainty regarding global monetary policy. The FTSE 100 finished the session down just 0.1% at 6,888.90. The index has stayed broadly
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks recover as Greek hopes outweigh Fed uncertainty
19th Feb 2015 11:39
UK stocks had erased earlier losses by Thursday lunchtime as hopes about Greece outweighed uncertainty arising from the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve policy meeting. The FTSE 100 was up just 0.02% at 6,899.24 by midday, having bounced off an intraday low of 6,858.67 reached early on. The in
Read moreBroker tips: Centrica, SABMiller, BAE Systems
19th Feb 2015 11:33
The consensus stance of a 'hold' at Centrica is likely to see downwards pressure, according to Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, after the energy provider disappointed the market on Thursday. Analyst Keith Bowman said the dividend cut is a "major blow" to investors with the search for income yield b
Read moreInvestec highlights headwinds for BAE Systems as guidance disappoints
19th Feb 2015 09:46
Investec has kept a 'sell' stance on BAE Systems after the defence contractor's 2014 results and 2015 guidance came in below forecasts, saying the company faces a "number of headwinds" in the future. BAE sales annual revenues fell 8.6% to £16.6bn while operating profits declined 12% to £1.70bn, with
Read moreLondon open: Centrica and BAE lead markets lower after FOMC minutes
19th Feb 2015 08:43
Uncertainty surrounding the future of monetary policy in the States was weighing on UK stocks on Thursday morning, after the Federal Reserve showed it was wary of raising rates too soon. The FTSE 100 was down 0.3% at 6,879 early on, with energy provider Centrica and defence contractor BAE Systems le
Read moreBAE Systems sees marginal earnings growth after 2014 decline
19th Feb 2015 07:51
Sales and underlying profits at BAE Systems fell in 2014 though the defence contractor met guidance and said its larger order backlog of £40.5bn continues to provide good visibility for the future. The company also predicted marginal growth in underlying earnings in 2015, as it eased worries about d
Read moreBAE Systems wins Indian Hawk jet extension
18th Feb 2015 14:00
BAE Systems has won a five-year deal with an existing Indian state client to provide services for the Hawk trainer jet and begun negotiations on a further Hawk order. The FTSE 100 company said the contract was worth £18.5m and would involve providing Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with a compre
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