London open: Markets fall ahead of busy day for economic data
25th Jul 2013 08:29
Markets opened lower on Thursday morning as investors digested a raft of economic data and looked ahead to a series of key economic indicators due for release later on. The IFO survey on the business climate in Germany during July is due out this morning, along with the first estimate of second-qua
Read moreCapita pays price for record sales wins
25th Jul 2013 07:58
Outsourcing colossus Capita saw margins shrink in the first half despite the booming market for its services. Although it enjoyed record levels of contract wins, the group's underlying operating margin was 80 basis points lower at 12.5% in the six months to end-June. The successes of its sales tea
Read moreThursday broker round-up UPDATE
11th Jul 2013 08:23
Afren: JP Morgan reduces target price from 195p to 165p and downgrades to underweight. Associated British Foods: Panmure Gordon increases target price from 1800p to 2100p upgrading from hold to buy. AVEVA Group: JP Morgan ups target price from 2300p to 2430p and retains a neutral rating. Aviva: M
Read moreThursday broker round-up UPDATE
27th Jun 2013 07:36
Antofagasta: Investec cuts target price from 892p to 691p downgrading from reduce to sell. Black Mountain Resources: Westhouse Securities shifts target price from 23p to 17p, while its buy recommendation remains unaltered. Bunzl: Numis upgrades to buy with a target price of 1505p. Capita: Jefferi
Read moreWednesday broker round-up UPDATE
19th Jun 2013 08:27
Aggreko: UBS cuts target price from 1975p to 1850p downgrading from buy to neutral. JP Morgan revises target price from 1870p to 1800p and retains a neutral rating. Alliance Pharma: Investec shifts target price from 35.20p to 35.80p, while downgrading from add to hold. Associated British Food: UBS
Read moreBroker snap: HSBC downgrades Serco, sees muted growth for outsourcers
4th Jun 2013 10:05
HSBC has retained its cautious view on UK public-sector outsourcers and has downgraded its rating for Serco from 'neutral' to 'underweight'. In a sector review, the broker said that the overall level of public-sector contract awards over the past six months has been "weak" and its analysis suggests
Read moreCapita's COO to take on enlarged role
30th May 2013 08:00
Outsourcing group Capita has piled more on to Andy Parker's plate by announcing that the Chief Operating Officer (COO) is to additionally take on the role of Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from the start of June. Parker, a chartered accountant who joined Capita in 2011 and was appointed to th
Read moreThursday newspaper round-up: Capita, Google, Mark Carney...
30th May 2013 06:48
The Telegraph says that outsourcing group Capita has secretly planned to shut down two O2 call centres and cut up to 1,200 jobs as part of the big deal it signed with the network provider last week. Financial Times says that Google is to launch a new gadget called the MotoX through its Motorola sub
Read moreBroker snap: Credit Suisse highlights challenging end markets for Michael Page
29th May 2013 10:44
Credit Suisse said it remains cautious over recruitment firm Michael Page International (MPI) and has kept a 'underperform' rating for the stock due to its challenging end markets. In its global labour survey, World at Work, Credit Suisse has analysed employment data from 11 major economies and fou
Read moreThursday broker round-up UPDATE
23rd May 2013 08:35
Amara Mining: Numis lowers target price from 80p to 70p, while keeping a buy recommendation. ARM Holdings: Exane downgrades to neutral with a target price of 1000p. Aveva: Panmure Gordon raises target price from 1900p to 2076p and retains a hold recommendation. Canaccord Genuity increases target p
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Great Portland Estates, Capita, Primary Health
23rd May 2013 07:09
At a 33 per cent premium to their net asset value one could be forgiven for worrying that shares of Great Portland Estates are considerably overvalued. After all, that was the valuation reached just before the Great Bubble burst, with an all too familiar ending. Further, the company is essentially a
Read moreWednesday broker round-up UPDATE
22nd May 2013 09:37
Afferro Mining: Panmure Gordon reduces target price from 279p to 100p, while keeping its buy recommendation. Amara Mining: Westhouse Securities cuts target price from 110p to 90p retaining a buy recommendation. Amlin: Westhouse Securities moves target price from 455p to 470p and upgrades to add.
Read moreLondon close: Stocks surge as earnings impress, inflation eases
21st May 2013 16:46
Well-received results from a number of FTSE 100 heavyweights and a sharp drop in consumer-price inflation in the UK lifted London's benchmark index to fresh multiyear highs on Tuesday. The Footsie finished at a closing price of 6,803.87 (up 0.7% on the day), trading at levels not seen in over a dec
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Carnival dives on profit warning
21st May 2013 14:51
Cruise ship operator Carnival, the world's largest, took a hit after it issued a brutal profit warning overnight for its full-year earnings per share, primarily as a result of lower net revenue yield expectations due to its current cruise ticket pricing. RBS was retreating one day after Numis rais
Read moreBroker tips: Capita, Burberry, Carnival
21st May 2013 11:42
Jefferies has kept its 'buy' rating and 1,010p target price for outsourcing giant Capita after a 'significant contract win' announced on Tuesday with O2. Meanwhile, the broker highlighted press reports that suggested that Capita could be in line for a large contract with the Metropolitan Police. W
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