Broker Recommendations
Broker tips: Rio Tinto, AO World, WPP
Bank of America Merrill Lynch cut its stance on miner Rio Tinto to 'underperform' from 'neutral' on Thursday, slashing the price target to 4,150p from 4,770p as it noted limited positive catalysts in the near term.
Broker tips: BT, IG Group
Analysts at Berenberg downgraded UK telecoms giant BT to 'hold' on Tuesday as it questioned whether the group's normalised free cash flow would be enough for it to meet its strategic targets while maintaining its dividend payout.
Broker tips: Pearson, Associated British Foods
Shares in publisher Pearson were under the cosh on Monday as Berenberg said the company was "far from a turnaround" and profits are likely to decline in 2020.
Broker tips: Centrica, Purplebricks, Anglo American
Goldman Sachs downgraded Centrica shares to ‘neutral’ from ‘buy’ on Friday, cutting the price target to 132p from 158p following the company’s "weak" full-year results a day earlier.
Broker tips: Sainsbury's, Whitbread, Petra Diamonds
Analysts at Berenberg downgraded their stance on Sainsbury from 'buy' to 'hold' on Thursday, stating that the supermarket's merger with Asda is now "unlikely" following the publication of provisional findings by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.
Broker tips: HSBC, RBS, Marston's
Analysts at JPMorgan downgraded global banking giant HSBC to 'underweight' from 'neutral' on Wednesday, noting the troubled outlook for revenue growth might weigh on prospects for the lender's return on tangible equity for longer than previously thought.
Broker tips: Standard Chartered, Petra Diamonds, Greggs
Analysts at Jefferies reiterated their 'underperform' rating on Standard Chartered on Tuesday as it sounded a cautious note on the group's shares.
Broker tips: Inmarsat, Plus500, Centrica
Inmarsat's shares are being valued all wrong, Jefferies argued on Monday, setting a price target almost three times higher.
Broker tips: The Restaurant Group, Domino's Pizza, BT
As part of a cross-sector report on Friday, Berenberg highlighted the big shift in consumer demanded for purchased items to come to them, something analysts believe will put several UK mid-cap outfits in a position to take advantage of emerging structural trends.
Broker tips: Royal Mail, Cineworld
Analysts at Morgan Stanley upgraded Royal Mail to 'equal-weight' on Thursday but lowered their target price on the postal service firm as it adjusted for medium-term pressures on letter volumes and lowered its dividend payout assumptions.
Broker tips: Derwent, Great Portland, Rolls Royce
Analysts at Berenberg initiated coverage on real estate firms Derwent and Great Portland at 'sell' on Wednesday as part of a note on the broader sector.
Broker tips: Rio Tinto, BHP, Spire Healthcare, Ashtead, Greggs
Goldman Sachs upped its stance on Rio Tinto but downgraded its recommendation on BHP on Tuesday as it took a look at the metals and mining sector.
Broker tips: Shell, BP, Petrofac, Metro Bank
Royal Dutch Shell has overtaken BP as the "top pick" in the sector for Barclays, which feels the oil giant still needs to improve free cash flow growth to boost shareholders returns.
Broker tips: Centrica, Travis Perkins, Land Securites
British Gas owner Centrica was under the cosh on Friday as Citi cut its stance on the stock to 'neutral' from 'buy' and trimmed the price target to 144p.
Broker tips: Compass Group, Barratt Developments
Analysts at RBC Capital Markets reiterated their 'outperform' rating on British contract foodservice Compass on Thursday following a strong European performance by the group in the first quarter of its trading year.
Broker tips: Vodafone, Centrica, National Grid
There is "light at the end of the tunnel" for Vodafone, said Bank of America Merrill Lynch on Wednesday, upgrading the mobile telecoms group to a 'buy' rating.
Broker tips: Morrison's, Dominos
Berenberg has upped its rating on supermarket chain Morrison's, arguing that it stands to benefit from the proposed merger between rivals Sainsbury's and Asda.
Broker tips: Morrisons, BHP
Morrisons could benefit from the merger of Sainsbury's and Asda, Citi analysts believe, leading them to upgrade their rating on the Bradford-based supermarket group.
Broker tips: Plus500, TalkTalk
Plus500 got a boost on Friday as Peel Hunt upped its stance on the stock to ‘add’ from ‘hold’ and lifted the price target to 1,650p from 1,500p as it took a look at trading platforms.