Broker tips: Shell, Barclays, British Land, St James's Place

Broker Charles Stanley has lifted its recommendation for Royal Dutch Shell from 'accumulate' to 'buy', saying that the company should be resilient to the recent slump in oil prices.

The broker said Shell was "well-placed to improve its returns and deliver its objectives" over the medium term in spite of crude's current volatility.

Shore Capital has retained its 'buy' rating on shares of Barclays after the UK bank reported third-quarter profits well ahead of the broker's forecasts.

Shore analyst Gary Greenwood said that the stock's "depressed valuation" - trading at just 0.77 times tangible net asset value of 287p - "more than compensates investors for the inherent risks in the business".

Broker Liberum reiterated its 'buy' recommendation for British Land after reports the company let one floor of the 'Cheesegrater' building in London's Leadenhall Street for a record amount.

Liberum said the deal underlined British Land's "success in bringing West End rents to the City core", with the building becoming a hub for insurance companies.

Wealth manager St James's Place (SJP) has delivered "yet another strong quarter", according to Berenberg which repeated its positive stance on the stock on Thursday.

The broker, which kept a 'buy' rating, said that with the shares trading at just one times 2015 estimated embedded value, "we believe that investors are receiving future growth at SJP for free".