Citi expresses concern around UK water utilities' premium valuation
9th Mar 2016 13:26
(ShareCast News) - Analysts at Citi on Wednesday recommended investors turn off the tap, cautioning they were increasingly concerned about UK water utilities' premium valuation. Their share prices had run up by 83% since 2010, outperforming the wider sector by 101% during that time frame, analyst Je
Read moreUnited Utilities and Severn Trent set up non-household joint venture
1st Mar 2016 07:25
(ShareCast News) - Water groups United Utilities and Severn Trent have formed a joint venture of focused on their business customers, merging the billing, sales and customer services functions ahead of the business market opening to competition in England. With both companies sharing the development
Read moreHard work leads to improved outlook at Severn Trent
3rd Feb 2016 07:31
(ShareCast News) - Severn Trent was looking at a larger net benefit for the financial year on Wednesday, updating the market on its performance in the three months to 31 December 2015. The FTSE 100 water utility increased its guidance for the net reward from outcome delivery incentives for the finan
Read moreOfwat's 'Water 2020' plans credit negative for UK water sector, Moody's says
15th Jan 2016 14:47
(ShareCast News) - Changes proposed by the UK regulator for water and sewerage companies in England and Wales - Ofwat - in its approach for the 2019 consumer price review would, if implemented, be credit negative for the sector, according to Moody's. Following a request by the government, Ofwat has
Read moreFriday newspaper share tips: 'Hold' on Severn Trent, newspaper pundits suggest
27th Nov 2015 11:12
(ShareCast News) - The newspaper pundits were in agreement on what to do with FTSE 100 water utility company Severn Trent on Friday. Turnover was down marginally year-on-year, sitting at £896.1m (down 0.2%), while profit before interest and tax was up 2.6% on an underlying basis to £281m in the firs
Read moreSector movers: Utilities downgraded, banks hit by FSB capital rules
9th Nov 2015 16:05
(ShareCast News) - The utilities sector was the worst performer on Monday, with banks starting well but losing ground and fund managers well bought. Banks got off to a good start early in the session, with Barclays, RBS, HSBC and Standard Chartered all powering higher as, following last week's robus
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Financial companies' rises offset IHG and utility falls
9th Nov 2015 14:10
(ShareCast News) - The FTSE 100 started the day on a high but slowly started to sink into the red, with the market down 4.22 (0.07%) by mid-afternoon to 6,349.61 despite a strong performance from financials. Aberdeen Asset Management, Standard Chartered, Barclays and HSBC were all boosted by the ri
Read moreUtilities shares fall on back of downgrades
9th Nov 2015 09:57
(ShareCast News) - Utility companies have taken a hit on the back of downgrades from a number of investment banks. Societe Generale cut its rating for United Utilities from 'buy' to 'hold' despite an expectation of reassuring first half results due out on 25 November. It said the recent strong shar
Read moreSunday share tips: Dairy Crest, Cluff Natural Resources, tightening cycle stocks
20th Sep 2015 15:08
(ShareCast News) - Dairy Crest shares are worth buying, said Danny Fortson in the Sunday Times' Inside the City column. Investors are currently awaiting a Competition & Markets Authority decision on 19 October whether to allow Dairy Crest to sell its dairy business, roughly two thirds of group sales
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Anglo American leads miners higher, Burberry hit by weak Asian sales
15th Jul 2015 14:36
(ShareCast News) - London markets were subdued on Wednesday, as strong performances from telecommunications, insurance and property stocks were offset by weakness in the oil, engineering and software sectors. As of 14:30 BST, the FTSE 100 was trading flat at 6,762. On the corporate front, Anglo Ame
Read moreSevern Trent sees full-year in line with guidance; expects lower interest charge
15th Jul 2015 08:22
(ShareCast News) - Water company Severn Trent said there has been no material change to the business since it last reported on 22 May, but added that it expects its interest charge for the full year to be lower year-on-year. The company said wholesale total expenditure for the full year is expected
Read moreTuesday share tips: UK banks, Severn Trent
23rd Jun 2015 16:20
Banks may not be happy with the new 'ring-fencing' rules, but just a decade on from the financial crisis they need to learn live with them. Legislation passed in 2013 set out the need for lenders to separate their retail and small business operations by 2019. The aim was to avoid banks using retail
Read moreLondon close: Stocks end up 1.7% on Greek optimism, M&A provides a boost
22nd Jun 2015 16:28
UK stocks surged on Monday on hopes that Greece and its creditors would be able to reach a deal to secure the next tranche of bailout aid later this week. While there was no new cash-for-reforms agreement at meetings in Brussels, officials said a last-minute proposal by Athens was a good basis for f
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Sky soars on takeover rumours, miners lower
22nd Jun 2015 13:31
London markets rebounded on Monday, buoyed by hopes of a short-term funding deal for Greece and strength in the construction, telecommunications and real estate sectors. As of 2:30 BST, the FTSE 100 was trading 1.39% higher at 6,804. Sky was in demand on rumours that the Murdoch family may be consi
Read moreLondon midday: M&A propels stocks as Greek hopes rise ahead of EU summit
22nd Jun 2015 11:31
Rising hopes over a short-term funding deal for Greece lifted UK stock markets on Monday, with M&A activity providing a further fillip to shares. The FTSE 100 was trading up 1.18% at 6,789.43 by midday, with blue chips Sky and Severn Trent rising strongly on speculation the companies could be bid ta
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