Broker Recommendations
JPMorgan downgrades Lloyds to 'neutral'
JPMorgan Cazenove has downgraded Lloyds Banking Group, warning that Brexit is weighing on the wider UK banking sector.
Liberum says ITV risks more than priced in, upgrades to 'buy'
ITV got a boost on Tuesday as Liberum upgraded its stance on shares of the broadcaster to 'buy' from 'hold'.
RBC lowers target price on Hastings amid 'challenging' market conditions
Analysts at RBC Capital Markets lowered their target price on British insurance outfit Hastings Group from 225p to 200p on Monday, reflecting lower estimates for 2020.
JP Morgan anticipates Sophos's billings will reaccelerate
Analysts at JP Morgan reiterated their 'overweight' stance on shares of software maker Sophos, telling clients that the reacceleration in billings over the first quarter of the new fiscal year supported confidence in the medium-term thesis for the stock.
Morgan Stanley sounds note of caution over tobacco in otherwise upbeat HPC review
Morgan Stanley has backed the household, personal care and cosmetics sector – but sounded a note of warning about tobacco companies.
Monday broker round-up
Rio Tinto: Morgan Stanley reiterates equal weight with a target price of 4,808p.
ShoreCap stands by 'hold' rating on Whitbread ahead of tender offer
Analysts at Shore Capital Markets reiterated their 'hold' rating on Premier Inn operator Whitbread on Friday.
Hurricane Energy's CMD delivered the right message, says Morgan Stanley
Analysts at Morgan Stanley sounded an upbeat note on Hurricane Energy's shares a day after the oil explorer told shareholders present at its Capital Markets Day that the so-called early production system at the Lancaster field was performing ahead of expectations.
Berenberg reiterates 'buy' rating on 'transformational' Hurricane Energy
Analysts at Berenberg reiterated their 'buy' rating on British oil exploration and production company Hurricane Energy on Friday as the de-risking of its fractured basements continued.
Jefferies cuts target price on Pagegroup amid labour market struggles
Analysts at Jefferies cut their target price on British recruitment business Pagegroup on Thursday, noting that a struggling global labour market throughout June had led it to downgrade its earnings per share estimates for the group by 5-7%.
Berenberg downgrades Sumo, sees better games in town
Berenberg downgraded its recommendation for shares of Sumo from 'buy' to 'hold', telling clients the in the medium-term, the best placed publishing companies in the UK Games sector would be those that managed to keep their intellectual property close to their chests.
Morgan Stanley ups target for Barratt Developments but still a tad cautious
Analysts at Morgan Stanley bumped up their target price for shares of Barratt Developments from 625. 0p to 675. 0p, following what they termed a "robust" full-year trading update and inexpensive valuation relative to peers, but remained a tad more cautious than the company when looking out to the medium-term.
Broker tips: London Stock Exchange, Chemring, Playtech
Berenberg has reiterated its ‘buy’ rating on the London Stock Exchange, arguing that listed exchanges are fairly valued, despite concerns to the contrary.
Berenberg downgrades 'fairly valued' Chemring to 'hold'
Analysts at Berenberg downgraded "fairly valued" aerospace and defence firm Chemring's shares from 'buy' to 'hold' on Wednesday following a solid run by the stock over the last quarter.
Jefferies backs Boeing despite slide in deliveries
Jefferies has reiterated its ‘buy’ recommendation on Boeing, despite a slump in second-quarter deliveries that left rival Airbus poised to overtake the US company as the world’s biggest plane manufacturer.
Berenberg ups price target on London Stock Exchange
Berenberg has reiterated its ‘buy’ rating on the London Stock Exchange, arguing that listed exchanges are fairly valued, despite concerns to the contrary.
JP Morgan starts Playtech at 'outperform'
Analysts at JP Morgan initiated coverage of Playtech at 'overweight', highlighting the recent stabilisation in the company's business-to-business arm, with its activities outside of Asia having turned higher, and its recent acquisition of Snaitech.
Cannacord stays at 'buy' on Bovis Homes going into autumn selling season
Canaccord Genuity stood by its 'buy' recommendation for shares of homebuilder Bovis Homes following what it described as a "solid" trading update.
Liberum raises target price on 'unchallenged' Autotrader
Analysts at Liberum raised their target price on classifieds advertiser AutoTrader from 620p to 640p on Tuesday, stating the company had gone from "strength to strength" of late.