RBC Capital Markets downgrades Centrica to 'sector perform'
3rd Oct 2016 09:38
(ShareCast News) - Centrica's shares fell on Monday as RBC Capital Markets downgraded the stock to 'sector perform' from 'outperform' and cut the target price to 240p from 250p. "With a growth strategy lacking in proof points, a domestic energy pricing position that remains uncompetitive and commodi
Read moreThursday broker round-up
22nd Sep 2016 13:35
(ShareCast News) - Dunelm: HSBC starts coverage at buy with a target price of 1000p. Brown N Group: UBS keeps at neutral, 190p target. Tesco: Barclays keeps at neutral with a 215p target. Associated British Foods: Credit Suisse reiterates outperform with a 3550p target. BBA Aviation: Barclays kee
Read moreBig Six energy company profits to drop 22%, Jefferies warns
22nd Sep 2016 07:59
(ShareCast News) - Seeing "significant headwinds" for the Big Six energy companies profits due to increased competition and lower power prices, broker Jefferies has downgraded Centrica and Drax to 'underperform' ratings. SSE was however felt better able to weather the storm and left at a 'hold' rati
Read moreSector movers: Electricity stocks buoyed by low interest rate expectations
7th Sep 2016 13:29
(ShareCast News) - Electricity shares were near the top of the leaderboard, with investors apparently growing more confident that interest rates worldwide may indeed remain 'lower for longer'. A drop in a key US manufacturing gauge to six-and-a-half year lows in the previous session was the main cul
Read moreWednesday broker round-up
7th Sep 2016 10:31
(ShareCast News) - Centrica: Goldman Sachs downgrades to sell with a target price of 213p. Ashmore: Barclays maintains underweight with a 270p target. Aviva: UBS upgrades to buy with a 505p target. Polymetal: Berenberg reiterates buy with a 1200p target. SSE: Goldman Sachs keeps at neutral with a
Read moreCentrica signs new five-year LNG deal with Qatargas
5th Sep 2016 09:05
(ShareCast News) - British Gas owner Centrica has entered into a new five-year supply agreement with Qatargas for the purchase of up to 2m tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The contract will start in January 2019 after Centrica's existing contract with Qatargas expires at the end of D
Read moreCentrica buys water technology capability FlowGem for £13m
30th Aug 2016 08:30
(ShareCast News) - Centrica has acquired FlowGem Limited, an early stage UK-based business developing technology to remotely detect water leaks, for £13m. The British Gas owner said the deal - which forms part of Centrica's plans to invest £500m of operating costs and capital resources in Connected
Read moreS&P Global Ratings warns of 'Big Six' margin pressure, earnings volatility
25th Aug 2016 12:09
(ShareCast News) - Energy market reforms may reduce market share and margins, and hike earnings volatility for the so-called 'Big Six' sector players in the UK, warns S&P Global Ratings. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and UK electricity regulator Ofgem have announced a number of reforms
Read moreLondon close: Stocks taper as sterling, commodity prices lose traction
19th Aug 2016 16:08
(ShareCast News) - UK stocks whimpered to a lower close on Friday as sterling lost traction on renewed Brexit fears and commodity prices headed south. The spectre of the Lisbon Treaty's Article 50 rose once more, following a media report that claimed UK Prime Minister Theresa May was sympathetic to
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: house builders, miners sag as easyJet firms
19th Aug 2016 14:32
(ShareCast News) - London's FTSE 100 tiptoed lower as a string of house builders sagged amid lingering concerns about the UK real estate market, and several miners slumped alongside metals prices. House builders were led lower by Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Developments, investors exiting t
Read moreCentrica interims hit by customer exodus, low commodity prices, warm weather in US
28th Jul 2016 07:03
(ShareCast News) - Adjusted interim operating profits at energy provider Centrica fell 12% to £853m as the departure of 399,000 customers in search of a better deal combined with extreme warm weather in North America and low commodity prices hit the bottom line hard. Revenue fell 13% to £13.38bn and
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Brexit, BT, Lloyds, energy companies
24th Jul 2016 11:22
(ShareCast News) - Plans to allow the UK an exemption from EU rules on freedom of movement for up to seven years while retaining access to the single market are being considered in European capitals as part of a potential deal on Brexit. Senior British and EU sources have confirmed that despite stro
Read moreWednesday broker round-up
20th Jul 2016 09:29
(ShareCast News) - Centrica: Berenberg reiterates buy with a target price of 230p. Rio Tinto: Deutsche Bank maintains buy with a 3160p target. IG Group: RBC reiterates sector perform with a 865p target. SSP: JP Morgan stays at overweight with a 358p target. Vodafone: Deutsche Bank reiterates buy
Read moreBritish Gas offers smart meter users free electricity at weekends
1st Jul 2016 07:56
(ShareCast News) - Centrica-owned British Gas is offering customers with smart meters eight hours of free electricity at the weekend. With one of the company's new Dual Fuel FreeTime tariffs, customers will get free electricity every Saturday or Sunday from 0900 BST to 1700 BST depending on the tari
Read moreBroker tips: Centrica, Travis Perkins, Reckitt Benckiser
30th Jun 2016 17:08
(ShareCast News) - Centrica's 'outperform' rating was left unchanged by RBC Capital Markets on Thursday but the British Gas owner's target price was cut to 250p from 280p. RBC said it advocates Centrica's strategy, announced last July, to put customers at the centre of growth ambitions and to scale
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