Thursday broker round-up UPDATE
23rd Jan 2014 09:12
Afren: Investec ups target price from 170p to 200p and maintains a buy recommendation. AG Barr: Investec raises target price from 585p to 620p retaining an add rating. Canaccord Genuity ups target price from 630p to 650p and keeps a buy recommendation. Arbuthnot: Numis downgrades from add to hold
Read moreBroker snap: Morgan Stanley upgrades United Utilities ahead of Ofwat pricing review
16th Jan 2014 09:09
Morgan Stanley has raised its rating for United Utilities as part of its review into the UK water sector ahead of the Ofwat regulatory price review that will set prices for 2015-20. "The 2014 regulatory review will clearly be tough but this is surely well known," the US bank said in a research repo
Read moreThursday broker round-up UPDATE
16th Jan 2014 08:59
Aberdeen Asset Management: Canaccord Genuity cuts target price from 586p to 540p, while its buy recommendation remains unchanged. Anglo American: UBS ups target price from 1500p to 1580p upgrading from neutral to buy. Antofagasta: Investec reduces target price from 716p to 685p maintaining a sell
Read moreBroker snap: JP Morgan waters down Severn Trent rating
7th Jan 2014 12:51
After tough talk by the water regulator about the upcoming regulatory review period, JP Morgan has issued a cautionary note on the UK water companies, saying the chance of mergers and acquisitions is now less likely this year. "We believe that Ofwat's decision to alter the price review timetable
Read moreLondon close: Stocks fall one per cent on earnings, taper fears
12th Dec 2013 16:39
- Perform plummets after profit warning - Sports Direct and Wood Group fall sharply after results - Taper bets increase ahead of Fed meeting, US data in focus - FTSE 100 at lowest level since mid-October techMARK 2,652.61 -0.83% FTSE 100 6,445.25 -0.96% FTSE 250 15,211.54 -1.20% The FTSE 100 finis
Read moreSector movers: Defensive utilities gain amid wider market weakness
12th Dec 2013 15:25
The utilities industry was the only sector trading in positive territory on Thursday as investors turned to defensive assets amid a wider market sell-off. London's FTSE 100 was trading as much as 1% lower during today's session as investors scaled back their risk appetite ahead of a potential taper
Read morePennon's Viridor signs 25-year waste-to-energy deal
10th Dec 2013 13:04
Pennon's Viridor subsidiary has won a 25-year waste treatment deal with a group of five Welsh local authorities. FTSE 250-listed Pennon said the public private partnership contract will help enable Viridor's £223m energy-from-waste (EfW) facility being built at Trident Park in Cardiff to be earning
Read moreMonday broker round-up UPDATE
2nd Dec 2013 08:22
Aberdeen Asset Management: Credit Suisse raises target price from 465p to 515p and maintains a neutral rating. Admiral Group: Citi moves target price from 1215p to 1220p and retains a neutral rating. AVEVA Group: Numis upgrades to buy with a target price of 2980p. AZ Electronic Materials: Deutsch
Read morePennon grows profits in H1 despite Viridor weakness
28th Nov 2013 07:44
- Pre-tax profit rises 3.5 per cent in H1 - South West Water makes up for Viridor weakness - Dividend raised by 7.2 per cent Strong growth at Pennon's South West Water business made up for a slump in profits at its Viridor waste management business during the first half, helping the group's bottom
Read moreFriday broker round-up UPDATE
8th Nov 2013 09:21
Abcam: Canaccord Genuity moves target price from 396p to 386p and keeps a sell recommendation. N+1 Singer shifts target price from 450p to 445p downgrading to sell. Aberdeen Asset Management: Jefferies lowers target price from 440p to 430p and reiterates a hold recommendation. Anglo American: Gold
Read moreBroker snap: Market overly cautious on SSE and Shanks, says Credit Suisse
18th Oct 2013 09:25
Credit Suisse has labelled SSE and Shanks as buying opportunities, saying that the market is overly cautious about these utility providers. Proposals by the Labour Party to freeze tariffs may have increased political risk perceptions in the industry, but this could be mitigated by reduced spend, Cr
Read morePrezzo founder and family slice off 3.9m shares
26th Sep 2013 15:53
Restaurant chain Prezzo, which has seen its share price double to around 120p in the past year, on Thursday announced that three of its directors, including its founder, had each sold a 1.3m share slice of the company. Jonathan Kaye, the group's Chief Executive Officer, only made a slight dent to
Read moreSector movers: Utility stocks hit by Labour plans to freeze energy bills
26th Sep 2013 14:50
Electricity and multi-utility stocks were falling sharply again on Thursday as investors continue to show concern over comments from Labour leader Ed Miliband who pledged to freeze energy bills if the party is voted back into power in 2015. Shares in British Gas owner Centrica were falling heavily
Read moreSector movers: Centrica drag utilities lower after shelving gas storage plans
23rd Sep 2013 15:04
Centrica was weighing on the utilities sector on Monday after the British Gas owner announced plans to shelve two gas storage projects. The group said it has decided not to proceed with its new-build gas storage project at Baird in the UK Southern North Sea and to put its project at Caythorpe in Ea
Read moreLondon close: Markets trim losses to finish flat
13th Sep 2013 16:34
The FTSE 100 trimmed losses on Friday afternoon but markets still finished broadly flat as traders scaled back risk appetite ahead of the weekend with the focus now turning to the Federal Reserve meeting next week. London's benchmark index closed down just 5.18 points at 6,583.80, pulling back slig
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