Broker tips: Compass, Paragon, Afren
24th Nov 2010 13:03
Charles Stanley expects Compass Group to reinvest in growth and deliver steady margin expansion as it is well placed for significant structural growth opportunities in both food and support services around the world. The contract caterer's organic revenue growth improved from 0.4% in the first half
Read moreBroker snap: Rebased dividend reflects confidence in Compass
24th Nov 2010 12:46
Charles Stanley expects Compass Group to reinvest in growth and deliver steady margin expansion as it is well placed for significant structural growth opportunities in both food and support services around the world. The contract caterer reported a 4.7% increase in revenue to £14.5bn (in constant c
Read moreLondon midday: Shares holding on
24th Nov 2010 12:24
Shares remain in the blue after some well-received company updates this morning, although the euro crisis is still looming in the background. Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has cut its debt rating for Ireland as the Irish government puts the finishing touches to a four-year plan to
Read moreLondon open: Footsie opens higher
24th Nov 2010 08:46
London has opened better than expected thanks to a rebound by the miners and a smattering of good trading updates. There has also been some easing of tension in Korea, though not in Europe where the EU is heaping pressure on Ireland to agree to its bail-out. UK banks are weak again becasue of the
Read moreLondon pre-open: Bad news for Footsie
24th Nov 2010 07:35
A three-figure retreat on Wall Street overnight looks like turning City dealing screens red in opening deals, with tensions in Korea and debt fears in Europe casting a cloud. The Dow Jones fell more than 140 points Tuesday and London is expected to lose 40 points in no time at all, according to fut
Read moreCompass to focus on emerging markets
24th Nov 2010 07:13
A bullish Compass has upped its dividend by a third as cash and new business flowed through the contract caterer's door over the past year. Revenues rose by 7.6% (4.7% in constant currency terms) to £14.5bn in the year to September, with underlying growth of 3.2%. That represents a sharp improveme
Read moreWednesday preview: UU, Compass, Johnson Matthey
23rd Nov 2010 18:30
Like Severn Trent, which posted interim results on Tuesday, United Utilities' interims will be the first set of results under the new price control regime that runs until 2015. Charles Stanley expects profits of £163m and EPS of 17.5p. The dividend is expected to be 12% lower at 9.8p. "UU has head
Read moreWeek ahead: US GDP, Mitchells & Butlers, Severn Trent...
19th Nov 2010 15:22
Pubs group Mitchells & Butlers' recent nine week trading update highlighted a 3.6% like-for-like sales improvement on last year. Food sales were, as usual, the driver of growth but even the "wet" side of the business saw a pick-up. Brokers now expect the All Bar One and Harvester owner to post pro
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Brazilian optimism for BG
1st Oct 2010 13:40
BG is higher after its Spanish peer Repsol announced a deal with the Chinese refiner Sinopec, which will result in Sinopec holding a 40% stake in Repsol's Brazilian unit. BG and Repsol have been exploring for oil in the waters of Brazil in partnership and the deal is thought likely to be beneficia
Read moreFriday tips round-up: ICAP, Compass, Finsbury Foods
1st Oct 2010 06:07
Icap's shares took a fall yesterday, largely because its failure to do anything more than meet expectations after rallying sharply since February's 40 per cent slump. The recent development of an electronic market for euro interest rate swaps, by some measures the world's biggest financial market, i
Read moreLondon close: Footsie slumps in last hour
30th Sep 2010 16:48
A last hour slump sent Footsie into the red by the close of a roller-coaster day. The index had been over 50 points higher in mid-afternoon after US second quarter gross domestic product (GDP) was revised upwards to show a 1.7% quarterly increase. But the Dow turned down sharply soon after, draggin
Read moreLondon afternoon: US GDP data jolts Footsie into life
30th Sep 2010 15:02
Leading equities stormed higher after US second quarter gross domestic product (GDP) was revised upwards to show a 1.7% quarterly increase. Although this represented a slow-down from the 3.7% gain in the first quarter economists had not been expecting any improvement on the previous estimated gain,
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Burberry bid rumours
30th Sep 2010 13:42
Luxury brands supplier Burberry is continuing its strong rise during September. The shares are more than one-fifth higher this month. There are rumours of an overseas bidder. Man has made up much of the loss from earlier in the week when it disappointed the market by admitting that first half pr
Read moreBroker tips: Ryanair, ICAP, Compass
30th Sep 2010 12:56
Attention-seeking no-frills airline Ryanair held an investor day on Wednesday which mainly focused on the company's business model and medium-term strategy, Commerzbank revealed. "Management reiterated its intention to slow down growth until 2013," Commerzbank analyst Johannes Braun said. "Full-ye
Read moreLondon midday: Sluggish Footsie
30th Sep 2010 12:00
Investors are holding fire ahead of this afternoon's release of US gross domestic product data. The downgrading of the credit rating of Spanish sovereign debt came as little surprise and has had minimal effect on sentiment, as has news that the bail out of Anglo Irish Bank could cost Ireland as much
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