Thursday tips round-up: Lookers, Renewable Energy, ITV...
18th Aug 2011 06:54
Car dealership Lookers wants to use the cash to give it ammunition for acquisitions, in both the parts and motors divisions. Peter Jones, chief executive, believes it is a buyer's market at present and that sellers will seek it out. Making judicious acquisitions in today's climate would leave it wel
Read moreFTSE 100 Movers: BAE flies high after dividend boost
28th Jul 2011 08:23
Shares in BAE Systems were wanted after the firm boosted its interim dividend and announced a £500m share repurchase program. For the six months ended 30 June, the defence group reported a 13% drop in sales, saying that the fall was in line with expectations. Headline revenue was £9.2bn, compared
Read moreLondon close: Stocks slump after giving up rally
27th Jul 2011 16:49
Stocks finished deep in the red, giving up an earlier rally, after a poor showing on Wall Street. Energy supplier Scottish & Southern Energy suffered after going ex-dividend. Meanwhile, sector peer Centrica also fell, albeit by a lesser extent, after utilities firm British Gas (owned by Centrica)
Read moreBroker tips: ITV, Lonmin, Aquarius Platinum
27th Jul 2011 12:57
Peel Hunt says that everything's "going to plan" at ITV, and keeps its buy rating and 102 target price for the terrestrial broadcaster. "Now that the World Cup effect is behind us, we expect that a decent autumn schedule with the usual high audience entertainment shows will be supported by new dram
Read moreBroker snap: 'All going to plan' at ITV, says Peel Hunt
27th Jul 2011 12:57
Peel Hunt says that everything's "going to plan" at ITV, and keeps its buy rating and 102 target price for the terrestrial broadcaster. "Now that the World Cup effect is behind us, we expect that a decent autumn schedule with the usual high audience entertainment shows will be supported by new dram
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks still stuck lower
27th Jul 2011 12:03
The top share index nestles slightly in negative territory, perhaps waiting for US trading to start before striking into the blue. Energy supplier Scottish & Southern Energy is suffering after going ex-dividend. Meanwhile, sector peer Centrica also fell, albeit by a lesser extent, after utilities
Read moreLondon open: SSE leads the fallers in early trading
27th Jul 2011 08:31
The top share index saw a sharp decline in early trading, as the debt crisis in the US continues to weigh on market sentiment. Energy supplier Scottish & Southern Energy was the heavy faller, tumbling 4.85% after going ex dividend. Meanwhile, sector peer Centrica also fell lower, albeit by a les
Read moreITV's sales top expectations, but ad outlook uncertain
27th Jul 2011 07:09
Profits at terrestrial broadcaster ITV surged 87% in the first half ended 30 June, while sales beat expectations despite a tough World Cup comparator last year. Pre-tax profit reached £181m in the period, up from £97m the year before, as costs were significantly reduced due to the absence of the 20
Read moreWednesday preview: BATs, Autonomy, ITV ...
26th Jul 2011 17:35
Like an addicted smoker stubbing out one cigarette and going straight on to another, the market is bracing itself for interim results from tobacco giant British American Tobacco (BATs) just one day after its perennial rival, IMPs, issued a so-so trading update. Broker Charles Stanley thinks the Luc
Read moreNo major debt repayment till 2014, says ITV
30th Jun 2011 15:25
Broadcaster ITV, which broadcasts "The X Factor" and "Britain's Got Talent", said it has no major debt repayment until 2014 after repurchasing £183.6m worth of its debt. The company has repurchased all of its £110m Eurobonds due March 2013 and £73.6m of its £383m Eurobonds due October 2015. "The
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Morrisons, RBS, Betfair ...
22nd May 2011 11:15
Wm. Morrison, the number four player in the UK supermarket sector, is plotting a £1.5bn bid for Iceland, the frozen food retailer, according to The Sunday Times. A takeover of the chain would nearly triple the number of Morrisons stores and bring its market share to within a whisker of Asda and Sain
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Oil and metals stocks edge rise higher
13th May 2011 15:34
Commodity price-sensitive stocks were wanted today, as the prices of precious metals and oil recovered from the recent sell-off. Oil services group Petrofac is higher after saying it is "increasingly confident" that it will deliver profit growth in line with previous guidance after a strong perform
Read moreBroker snap: 'Buy on the dip' at ITV
12th May 2011 13:26
RBS advises to "buy on the dip" at terrestrial broadcaster ITV as monthly trading improves. "June advertising is weak, it's unclear to what extent driven by the tough year-on-year [comparators] or a deteriorating UK macro picture," the broker said. ITV is guiding to 6% advertising growth in April
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 back below 6,000
11th May 2011 16:51
After a calm start following good gains yesterday, shares took a sharp dive into the red as economic worries resurfaced. Despite a strong first start to the year, terrestrial broadcaster ITV, one of today's strugglers, has warned that it is facing tougher comparatives in the current quarter, meanin
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: ITV leads the fallers
11th May 2011 14:44
Terrestrial broadcaster ITV is the worst performing stock after warning that it is facing tougher comparatives in the current quarter, meaning that the firm could underperform the market in the first half. Banking giant HSBC is lower after announcing that it is to cut costs and may abandon some bu
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