Compass ahead of expectations in first half
16th May 2012 07:06
Catering firm Compass posted results that were slightly better than expected, driven by new business wins and a high rate of contract retention. Revenue of £8.6bn in the six months to the end of March was up 8.6% on the year before. Underlying pre-tax profit was up 7.7% to £572m, while earnings pe
Read moreWednesday preview: Compass, Cineworld
15th May 2012 16:01
Interim results from contract caterer Compass should show the benefit of new contract wins and high retention rates. The figures could show revenue growth of 8.5% and organic growth of 5%, according to Charles Stanley analyst Tony Shepard. The broker is forecasting pre-tax profit of £560m, up from
Read moreLondon close: Lacklustre day for Footsie
3rd Apr 2012 16:52
London's leading shares drifted lower, with little to encourage buyers into the market ahead of the release this evening of the minutes from the March 13th meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, the US Federal Reserve's policy-making committee. Sky grounded after Murdoch resignation Britis
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Aberdeen Asset on top form after Morgan Stanley boost
3rd Apr 2012 15:31
Aberdeen Asset Management, which is hoping to get the investment manager gig at Alliance Trust should the under-siege investment trust outsource its portfolio management, was the top performing blue-chip on Tuesday after Morgan Stanley recommended acquiring the shares. Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline
Read moreLondon midday: Whitbread blows froth off Costa speculation
3rd Apr 2012 11:47
The Footsie moved sideways in the morning session, prompting the suspicion that many traders have made an early start to the Easter break. Food - and drink - for thought Whitbread's Chief Executive Officer, Andy Harrison, moved to damp down speculation about the possibility of the Premier Inn and
Read moreSunday tips round-up: Zambeef, Electrocomponents, Compass
1st Apr 2012 16:04
AIM-listed Zambeef Products is perfectly positioned to benefit from Africa's growing wealth and could double profits this year.Last month, however, it received a nasty surprise when the Zambian tax authorities said it owed the equivalent of £6.7m relating to Zamanita, an edible oils business acquire
Read moreLondon close: UK GDP, Eurozone concerns weigh on stocks
28th Mar 2012 16:40
- UK Q4 GDP weaker than first thought - RSA leads ex-div stocks lower - Comments from ECB's Weidmann weigh on markets Just a dozen or so stocks on the FTSE 100 finished in the blue on Wednesday as the benchmark index sank a whole percentage point to its lowest level of the day. A weaker-than-expe
Read moreBroker tips: Smith and Nephew, Compass, Hansteen
28th Mar 2012 11:18
Investec has this morning downgraded its rating for medical devices maker Smith and Nephew from buy to hold and cut the target price slightly from 663p to 660p. "We move our recommendation from buy to hold as, whilst we think the business is making good progress, the combination of what looks like
Read moreBroker snap: Nomura not worried by flat margins at Compass
28th Mar 2012 10:39
Following yesterday's trading update from contract caterer Compass Group, Nomura has reiterated its buy rating and 800p target price for the stock, saying that it remains its preference in the European leisure sector. "CPG remains one of our top sector picks because of structural growth in the cate
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Compass, Enquest, Rio Tinto
28th Mar 2012 06:49
Tempus in The Times defends catering and contract cleaning group Compass from rather pernickety analyst notes about slowing growth. For the first half of the year organic growth (that is, stripping out acquisitions) was 5% versus the previous year's 5.5%. Tempus points out Compass is still a cash
Read moreLondon close: Oil and gas stocks slump after North Sea gas leak
27th Mar 2012 16:27
- Elgin gas leak weighs on stocks - Wolseley, Compass disappoint after updates - Banks rise, RBS wanted on speculation UK stocks slumped in afternoon trade as earlier optimism quickly faded with consumer confidence data from the US disappointing late on. Meanwhile, oil and gas heavyweights were pro
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: RBS in top spot following sale speculation
27th Mar 2012 14:09
RBS was in pole position following several reports which claimed that UK Financial Investments, the body which administers public holdings in RBS, has held meetings with Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund to sell between 10 and 30 per cent of the government's stake. Kazakhmys was on the up after th
Read moreLondon midday: Gains pared despite strong performance by banks
27th Mar 2012 11:55
- Government may cut stake in RBS - Defensives sold off - Resolution could split before sale The Footsie was nearly back where it started by midday, after gains were trimmed as heavy losses for Resolution, Compass and utilities stocks weighed on the blue chip index. The earlier rise for London's
Read moreTuesday broker round-up - UPDATE
27th Mar 2012 09:21
Aberdeen Asset Management: UBS ups target from 300p to 310p, buy recommendation maintained. Babcock: Investec raises target from 810p to 850p, buy rating kept; Peel Hunt reiterates buy rating and 855p target; Jefferies keeps buy rating and 780p target. Bellway: Investec downgrades from buy to hold
Read moreLondon open: RBS leads the rise early on
27th Mar 2012 08:46
- Government may cut stake in RBS - Rio Tinto considers offloading diamond interests - Resolution could split before sale A strong performance by the banks helped push the FTSE 100 higher on Tuesday morning as the market continues to be boosted by recent comments by US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben
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