Friday broker round-up UPDATE
1st Aug 2014 10:33
AstraZeneca: Deutsche Bank ups target price from 3950p to 4000p staying with its hold recommendation. Avacta: Numis places both its target price and its buy recommendation under review. Barclays: Berenberg upgrades from sell to hold with a target price of 220p. Bodycote: UBS shifts target price f
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Barratt Developments, GKN, Royal Mail
18th Jul 2014 14:35
Housebuilder Barratt Developments was leading the fallers after Liberum downgraded the stock to 'hold' and slashed its target price from 468p to 387p. GKN, which supplies British multinational automotive and aerospace components, declined as airliners were hurt by news of the Malaysia Airlines cras
Read moreSector movers: Defensive stocks sought as geopolitical tensions rise
18th Jul 2014 13:48
Defensive stocks were in demand in London on Friday as investors sold off 'riskier' assets in search for safety amid heightened geopolitical tensions across the globe. World leaders have demanded answers after the shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines jet over eastern Ukraine, with 298 people on boa
Read moreLondon open: Stock markets rattled by Malaysia Airlines crash
18th Jul 2014 09:17
- Malaysia Airlines crash rattles equity markets - Ukraine, rebels blame each other for shooting down plane - Bullard says Fed may need to move more quickly to tighten techMARK 2,782.92 -0.58% FTSE 100 6,713.50 -0.37% FTSE 250 15,463.12 -0.58% UK stocks opened firmly in the red on Friday morning a
Read moreSevern Trent going with the flow in Q1 as AGM battle looms
16th Jul 2014 08:45
- Trading in line with guidance - Opex, capex and bad debt all in line - Annual dividend expected to be up 5.6% to 84.9p Ahead of an annual general meeting where new Severn Trent Chief Executive Liv Garfield is expected to face fierce opposition to her bonus pay, the group assured that trading acro
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Tobacco stocks drop on Reynolds-Lorillard tie-up
15th Jul 2014 13:49
Share prices of tobacco rivals Imperial and British American both dropped on Tuesday as investors gave a cool reaction to the planned merger between US peers Reynolds and Lorillard, which involves both UK companies parting ways with a lot of cash. As part of the deal, Imperial is to buy a portfolio
Read moreAstraZeneca Chief buys round of shares worth £2m
1st Jul 2014 16:28
AstraZeneca's Chief Executive Officer, Pascal Soriot, has spent £2m on shares, the drugs giant announced on Tuesday. The director, who has held his role since October 2012, paid 4,345p for each of the 46,200 shares. It follows another large purchase made by a member of the Astra board last week,
Read moreSevern Trent submits revised business plan
27th Jun 2014 15:20
Severn Trent's wholly-owned subsidiary has submitted a revised final business plan to industry regulator Ofwat for the next five years. It has pledged to reduce its average customer bills by a further 0.3% to 1.5% in real terms, making it the lowest combined average bill in England and Wales. It
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks slip as investors weigh MPC comments, German data
24th Jun 2014 11:59
- MPC members grilled by MPs, sound dovish tone - Iraq tensions, German data weigh on sentiment - Domino Printing plummets on cautious outlook techMARK 2,807.14 -0.75% FTSE 100 6,788.81 -0.17% FTSE 250 15,563.07 -0.72% UK stocks erased early gains and were trading in the red by Tuesday lunchtime a
Read moreLondon open: Subdued start as investors await comments from MPC
24th Jun 2014 09:02
- Stocks open broadly flat ahead of German data - BoE members face grilling from MPs - Domino Printing sinks on cautious outlook - Imagination Technologies impresses techMARK 2,823.59 -0.17% FTSE 100 6,806.42 +0.09% FTSE 250 15,666.80 -0.05% UK stocks opened more or less unchanged in early trading
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Shire continues to soar on potential bids
18th Jun 2014 15:24
Shire's shares have spiked higher on rumours that Allergan could bid for the company in an effort to fend off a hostile takeover attempt by Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Bloomberg cited an analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey who said that a bid is "imminent" and "makes strategic sense" for the US compa
Read moreLondon midday: Oil stocks lead markets higher ahead of FOMC
18th Jun 2014 11:48
- FOMC meeting to keep traders cautious - Iraq tensions escalate as rebels attack refinery - BoE in focus amid rate-hike speculation techMARK 2,800.97 +0.23% FTSE 100 6,795.76 +0.43% FTSE 250 15,610.03 +0.16% UK equities rose on Wednesday ahead of a policy decision at the Federal Open Market Commi
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks rise as investors await BoE minutes, Fed
18th Jun 2014 08:29
- Supermarkets, telecoms lift markets higher - Fed in focus ahead of policy decision - BoE minutes closely watch amid rate-hike speculation techMARK 2,801.10 +0.23% FTSE 100 6,787.81 +0.31% FTSE 250 15,598.89 +0.09% UK stocks markets were putting a decent performance on Wednesday, helped by gains
Read moreBroker tips: Anglo American, Petra Diamonds, Water stocks
13th Jun 2014 12:55
Credit Suisse has maintained a 'neutral' stance on Anglo American but has said that the potential wage settlement with employees at its platinum operations in South Africa would be a positive for the company after 20 weeks of strikes. However, the bank explained the importance of the offer, saying
Read moreUK water stocks offer low-risk returns, says Deutsche Bank
13th Jun 2014 11:00
UK water stocks Severn Trent, United Utilities and Pennon offer "low-risk returns", according to Deutsche Bank, which recommended investors to buy a basket of the three stocks despite their recent strong run. The bank has raised its target price for Severn Trent from 2,000p to 2,150p and for United
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