Thursday tips round-up: Hampson, Johnson Matthey, Sportingbet
25th Nov 2010 06:41
For investors in Hampson Industries, take-off has been a long time coming. A year ago the maker of tools and composite structures for the aerospace industry agreed new terms with lenders on its £141 million debt, but this was not enough to head off a £59.5 million rights issue in February. The share
Read moreLondon close: US jobs data lifts sentiment
24th Nov 2010 16:44
Footsie put its early uncertainty behind it to close with good gains, helped by strong jobs figures from the US which cheered global markets following the jitteriness of the last couple of days. First-time jobless claims fell by a bigger than expected 34,000 to 407,000 in the week ended 20 November
Read moreLondon afternoon: Rolls celebrates another big order
24th Nov 2010 14:36
Barely a dozen or so FTSE 100 constituents are in the red today as the blue-chip index sets about clawing back some of the losses of the last two days, despite continued concerns about the Irish debt crisis and the military tensions in Korea. Better than expected jobs data from the US put investors
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 moreJohnson Matthey expects good second half
24th Nov 2010 07:05
Speciality chemicals group Johnson Matthey saw good growth in most of its markets in the first half, especially catalysts for light duty vehicles in North America and Asia. Profit before tax rose to £144.1m in the half-year to 30 September from £109.5m the year before. Underlying profit before tax
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 moreLondon close: Weak end to dull day
14th Oct 2010 16:35
Leading shares closed lower on a poor day for the banks and a tumble for African Barrick. Fears that Standard Chartered's rights issue yesterday could be the start of a flood of cash calls unsettled Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays. Metal prices are back on the rise as the dollar heads
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Marston's, Greggs, Cranswick
7th Oct 2010 06:51
Marston's is for those who enjoy an old-fashioned pint and an old-fashioned pub company. Marston's shares sell on about ten times' earnings for the year to end-September and have the buttress of a 6 per cent yield. In a battered sector, a "hold" at least, says the Times. Greggs, the bakery chain, a
Read moreJohnson Matthey buys Intercat
6th Oct 2010 15:18
Johnson Matthey will increase its product range in the petroleum refining catalyst sector through the $56.2m purchase of Intercat. The purchase price is net of adjustments for debt of $29.4m. Georgia-based Intercat made an underlying operating profit of $8.4m on revenues of $58m in 2009. Intercat
Read moreLondon close: Good gains for FTSE 100
21st Jul 2010 17:04
Footsie's advance was pared slightly at the close of trading but shares still finished with strong gains. Mining stocks led the advance as copper inventories continue to contract, with Kazakhmys, Antofagasta, Vedanta and Xstrata at the head of the pack. Sticking with the resource sector, mining a
Read moreLondon afternoon: Three-digit gain for Footsie
21st Jul 2010 14:10
Footsie's gain burst through the triple digit barrier over the lunchtime session, helped by expectations of a solid start by Wall Street. Mining stocks lead the advance as copper inventories continue to contract, with Kazakhmys, Antofagasta, Vedanta and Xstrata at the head of the pack. Sticking
Read moreBroker tips: Johnson Matthey, Reckitt Benckiser, Euromoney
21st Jul 2010 12:39
Charles Stanley remains equivocal about the investment appeal of the shares of Johnson Matthey, despite a generally robust trading performance in the first quarter of the platinum refiner's financial year. The broker believes that Johnson Matthey's prospects are far from certain. "We note that US s
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