Compass remains a 'buy' despite first-half miss, says Berenberg
13th May 2015 10:52
Berenberg has maintained a positive view on Compass Group despite the catering giant's first-half results receiving a cool reaction from the market on Wednesday. The broker kept a 'buy' rating and 1,300p target price for the stock. Compass said sales were up 5.7% organically at £9.06bn in the first
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise ahead of BoE inflation report
13th May 2015 08:20
London stocks rebounded slightly on Wednesday after a steep decline the previous session, as investors geared up for the Bank of England's Quarterly Inflation Report. The FTSE 100 was trading 0.53% higher at 6,970.37 early on, with results from blue chips Mondi, Barratt Developments and SABMiller im
Read moreCompass Group's full-year guidance unchanged after first half earnings gain
13th May 2015 07:14
Catering company Compass Group said its full-year guidance remains "positive and unchanged" as it reported an increase in first half earnings. The business posted a 4.9% rise in pre-tax profit to £637m in the six months to the end of March, as revenue jumped 5.7% to £9.1bn, driven by strong performa
Read moreMonday broker round-up
30th Mar 2015 18:40
Carnival: Numis upgrades to add with target price of 3,600p, Credit Suisse keeps at outperform, while Jefferies stays at underperform with 2,300p target. Barclays: JP Morgan Cazenove reiterates overweight. WPP: UBS reiterates buy, ups target to 1,700p from 1,500p. Marks&Spencer: Credit Suisse impr
Read moreLondon close: FTSE snaps four-day losing streak on China hopes and upbeat data
30th Mar 2015 16:45
London's Footsie managed to hold on to gains by the close on Monday, snapping a four-day losing streak, as hopes for stimulus in China and strong economic data gave sentiment a boost. The FTSE 100 finished up 0.53% at 6,891.43, though it remains well below its record closing high of 7,037.67 reached
Read moreLondon midday: Chinese stimulus hopes drive UK stocks higher
30th Mar 2015 11:57
UK stocks were in positive territory on Monday for the first time in five days as speculation about stimulus in China buoyed sentiment. Positive economic data also helped the mood in London, with UK mortgage approvals and Eurozone consumer confidence rising more than expected. The FTSE 100 was up 0
Read moreLondon open: Stocks snap losing streak on central bank hopes
30th Mar 2015 08:35
UK stocks were snapping a four-day losing streak on Monday morning as hopes for central bank support repaired sentiment. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.58% at 6,894.60 early on. "The FTSE saw tentative gains this morning as the UK index tried to stall the four consecutive days of huge losses that saw t
Read moreCompass expects interim revenue growth of 5.5%, warns of impact of lower commodity prices
30th Mar 2015 08:02
Catering group Compass Group said it remained confident of achieving first half organic revenue growth of approximately 5.5%. In a trading update on Monday, the company cited strong demand in North America and a return to growth in its European and Japanese businesses as the major driving factors be
Read moreCompass chairman raises stake following strong first quarter
6th Feb 2015 16:09
The chairman in Compass increased his stake on Friday following a positive trading update the previous session. Paul Walsh bought 5,000 shares for 1,133p each under the name of Cedar Farm Investments. The chairman spent a total of £56,650 in the transaction and holds now 16,411 shares in the catere
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks retreat as Greek concerns rise
5th Feb 2015 12:08
UK stocks fell for a second day on Thursday as optimism surrounding the situation in Greece began to fade and a raft of corporate earnings and updates received a mixed reaction from the market. London's FTSE 100 was down 0.4% at 6,830 by midday, though had bounced off a low of 6,808.19 reached early
Read moreBroker tips: Astrazeneca, Compass, Beazley
5th Feb 2015 11:47
The Share Centre has rated Astrazeneca a 'hold' for medium-risk investors after fourth-quarter results from the drugmaker disappointed, saying that investors may have to wait to see material improvements in the top line. Analyst Helal Miah said: "The company is in a transition phase investing heavil
Read moreLimited upside at Compass despite upgrade, says Numis
5th Feb 2015 10:20
Compass delivered a good start to its new financial year and Numis Securities has upgraded its estimates for the catering company, though the broker still maintained a 'hold' recommendation for investors. Numis lifted its target price for the stock from 975p to 1,150p, but said the share price was "
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks fall as Greek optimism fades, corporate earnings mixed
5th Feb 2015 09:09
UK stocks declined on Thursday as newsflow from Greece prompted an element of caution on financial markets, as the FTSE 100 continued to retreat from a five-month high. London's blue chip index was down 0.4% at 6,836 early on, with updates from a number of blue chips receiving a mixed reaction from
Read moreCompass starts 2015 strongly after Japan and Europe return to growth
5th Feb 2015 08:14
Caterer Compass reported a good start to its new financial year, with organic revenue up more than expected in the first quarter thanks to a return to growth for Europe and Japan. Analysts have upgraded their full year forecasts already after the FTSE 100 group unveiled organic revenue growth of 5.7
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Mining and telecom stocks on the rise
26th Nov 2014 15:29
MIning stocks were leading the risers on the FTSE 100 on Wednesday, rebounding after recent declines. Antofagasta topped the list, rising 3.7%, with peers Anglo American, Fresnillo and Randgold also registering decent gains. BT Group was continuing to rise after saying that it was in talks with vari
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