Thursday tips round-up: Supergroup, Prezzo, IQE
8th Sep 2011 06:32
Fashion group Supergroup sells at 17 times this year's earnings. Lifestyle brands such as SuperGroup have done well over the recession and future growth looks assured, but the churl in me finds it hard to see immediate progress for a retailer on this sort of multiple in this market, says Martin Wall
Read moreBroker tips: Barclays, IPR, Go-Ahead
2nd Sep 2011 11:17
Delays to the Independent Commission on Banking's (ICB's) proposal to ringfence banks have prompted UBS to upgrade UK lender Barclays from neutral to buy. The broker highlighted "substantial potential value in Barclays if the proposals from the ICB did not precipitate a sharp near-term funding cost
Read moreBroker snap: Go-Ahead fairly valued, according to Nomura
2nd Sep 2011 10:52
Transport firm Go-Ahead reported steady results on Thursday, according to Nomura, but while the outlook remains solid, the broker believes that the stock is fairly valued and retained its neutral rating. Pre-tax profits and earnings before interest, tax and amortisation (EBITA) for the year ended 2
Read moreLondon close: Stocks close higher after choppy day
1st Sep 2011 16:39
The FTSE 100 finished in the blue having flitted between positive and negative territory for much of the day. Wealth manager Hargreaves Lansdown was the star performer after its results. Assets under administration climbed 41% in the year ended 30 June. The wealth management firm hiked its dividen
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Charter rises, Melroses falls after offer increase
1st Sep 2011 14:40
Charter International is in demand after engineering firm Melrose upped the price it is willing pay for its rival by 18p per share. Charter is valued at £1.43bn at this price. Melrose saw shares fall. International recruitment firm Hays jumped after reporting strong growth in profits last year, dr
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 falls but RBS leads banking surge
1st Sep 2011 12:30
London's leading share index has drifted into the red following strong gains earlier in the week, but there are still some notable risers. Wealth manager Hargreaves Lansdown has raced ahead. Assets under administration climbed 41% in the year ended 30 June. The wealth management firm hiked its div
Read moreLondon open: Miners drag Footsie lower
1st Sep 2011 08:30
The FTSE 100 began September trading on a dull note, falling lower in the opening minutes on Thursday, with the mining sector largely to blame. The mining sector dropped as copper, gold and silver prices declined. Fresnillo, Lonmin and Randgold Resources were among the worst performers. Sector pe
Read moreGo-Ahead's revenue rises 6%
1st Sep 2011 07:58
Train and bus services group Go-Ahead saw sales rose 6% in the year ended 2 July, as the group was able to offset a fall in revenue from its buses around London. The firm, which operates the Southeastern and Metrobus franchises, reported that revenue rose from £2.167bn to £2.297bn, as increases in
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Berkeley surges after full-year results
24th Jun 2011 14:51
London and south-east house builder Berkeley Group reported forecast-beating figures on Friday, on both the sales and the profit level, helping shares 9% higher. As a result, Panmure Gordon raised its target price by a fifth from 911p to 1,100p. Imagination Technologies, which makes graphics techn
Read moreLondon midday: Trichet comments heap more gloom
23rd Jun 2011 12:19
Gloomy comments from European Central Bank (ECB) President Jean-Claude Trichet have sent stocks further into the red. Trichet warned that the Greek debt crisis threatens to infect banks. Recycled packaging firm DS Smith is in demand after it overcame a sharp rise in input costs to grow pre-tax pr
Read moreLondon open: Stocks slip after Bernanke caution
23rd Jun 2011 08:32
Shares are in the red after the US Federal Reserve's more cautious stance last night on the growth prospects of the world's biggest economy. Asset manager The Carlyle Group is to buy roadside assistance provider RAC from insurance giant Aviva, a riser today, for one billion pounds. The transaction
Read moreLondon pre-open: Fed casts a shadow
23rd Jun 2011 07:34
The Federal Reserve's more cautious stance on the growth prospects of the US economy is having a knock-on effect in London, where stocks are expected to open lower. The Fed is now projecting growth of 2.7% to 2.9% for the US economy this year, having previously indicated it expected growth of betwe
Read moreGo-Ahead to beat expectations as drivers ditch cars
23rd Jun 2011 07:08
Train and bus operator Go-Ahead expects to post a full-year profit ahead of expectations as high petrol prices and tough economic conditions prompt drivers to abandon their cars in favour of public transport. Outgoing chief executive Keith Ludeman said the company has seen solid growth since the de
Read moreLondon close: Footsie recovers after steep fall
3rd Jun 2011 16:40
After a steep decline after lunch - on the back of a poor start on Wall Street - the Footsie recovered to finish above water, albeit only by around 0.1%. US economic data fuelled a brief sell-off just before 2pm after some much weaker than expected jobs data. Just 54,000 new jobs were added in the
Read moreLondon midday: Traders sit tight ahead of US jobs figures
3rd Jun 2011 12:23
Stocks are pausing for breath following some big losses lately, with traders now looking ahead to US jobs data due later this afternoon. With summer approaching, advertising giant WPP, the top riser in the FTSE 100 today, has decided the time is right to go for a Brazilian, and has acquired a 70% s
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