Broker Recommendations
Broker tips: WPP, Games Workshop, Hilton Foods
Analysts at Berenberg raised their target price on media outfit WPP from 980. 0p to 1,030. 0p on Friday after third-quarter growth came in higher than consensus.
Broker tips: Loungers, Easyjet
Analysts at Berenberg raised their target price on bar and restaurant operator Loungers from 350. 0p to 390. 0p on Thursday, stating the group was going from "strength to strength".
Broker tips: Redcentric, Petra Diamonds
Analysts at Canaccord Genuity lowered their target price on IT services firm Redcentric from 185. 0p to 175. 0p on Wednesday, stating input costs had impacted the company's second half.
Broker tips: Softcat, Hummingbird Resources, Hollywood Bowl, Ocado
Analysts at Numis downgraded their recommendation for shares of Softcat from 'add' to 'hold' after the IT infrastructure provider delivered what they termed an in-line set of full-year results.
Broker tips: N Brown, Darktrace, EasyJet
Jefferies downgraded its stance on Simply Be and Jacamo owner N Brown on Monday to 'hold' from 'buy' as it said the company's recent first-half results were not as solid as they appeared.
Broker tips: Barclays, Unilever
Analysts at Berenberg raised their target price on Barclays from 230. 0p to 245. 0p on Friday, telling clients that the lender's third-quarter numbers had confirmed that it was "well placed" to profit from a recovery among UK and US consumers.
Broker tips: Rio Tinto, Crest Nicholson, Legal&General, AstraZeneca
Analysts at Berenberg cut their target price on mining giant Rio Tinto from 5,400. 0p to 5,000. 0p on Thursday, stating the firm appeared to be facing some "fairly meaningful headwinds" in the near-to-medium term from a financial standpoint.
Broker tips: Moneysupermarket, System1
Analysts at Berenberg upped their rating on price comparison website business Moneysupermarket. com from 'hold' to 'buy' on Wednesday, stating it believes the shares were being valued on "trough earnings at trough multiples".
Broker tips: EasyJet, Everyman Media, Pearson
Berenberg upped easyJet to 'buy' from 'hold' on Tuesday and lifted its price target on the stock to 800. 0p from 720. 0p, stating the airline's balance sheet was now fit to comfortably weather a weak winter period, while a potential dilutive equity raise no longer hangs over the shares.
Broker tips: BT, Drax, GlaxoSmithKline
Analysts at Deutsche Bank lowered their target price on telecommunications giant BT from 140. 0p to 125. 0p on Monday, stating that risks were "inflating not abating".
Broker tips: Antofagasta, Asos, BP
Analyst at RBC Capital Markets upgraded copper producer Antofagasta from 'underperform' to 'sector perform' on Friday, stating the copper market was moving toward a "potentially acute" near-term state.
Broker tips: SSE, Johnson Matthey
Analysts at Berenberg raised their target price on utilities firm SSE from 1,300. 0p to 1,690. 0p on Thursday, citing more bullish long-term expectations for the group's renewables business.
Broker tips: Informa, RHI Magnesita, Britvic, Johnson Matthey
UBS downgraded its stance on business intelligence and exhibitions group Informa on Wednesday to 'sell' from 'neutral', saying the travel recovery was likely to be slower than the market expects and that it anticipates seeing material short-term earnings downgrades.
Broker tips: Polymetal, Fevertree, Asos
Deutsche Bank initiated coverage of Polymetal on Tuesday with a 'hold' rating and 1,200. 0p price target.
Broker tips: Asos, Aptitude Software, Britvic, Dunelm
Peel Hunt downgraded its stance on Asos on Monday to 'add' from 'buy' and slashed its price target for the stock to 5,000. 0p from 6,500. 0p after the online fashion retailer announced the departure of its chief executive and warned on profits.
Broker tips: Marks & Spencer, Hotel Chocolat, Tullow Oil, Enquest
Peel Hunt upgraded Marks & Spencer to 'add' from 'hold' on Friday and lifted the price target to 190. 0p from 150. 0p following the retailer’s capital markets day.
Broker tips: CVS Group, Impax Asset Management
Analysts at RBC Capital Markets has raised their target price on veterinary services provider CVS Group from 2,750. 0p to 3,100. 0p.
Broker tips: Tesco, Moonpig, Close Brothers, Netcall
Shore Capital analysts reiterated their 'buy' stance for shares of Tesco, telling clients that the business was performing well as it anticipates ongoing share buybacks or special dividends "reflective of the prevailing share price multiples".
Broker tips: The Gym Group, Moneysupermarket
Analyst at Berenberg raised their target price on gym operator the Gym Group from 230. 0p to 290. 0p on Tuesday, stating "encouraging momentum" was now emerging.
Broker tips: Sabre, SSE
Analysts at Berenberg lowered their target price on insurance provider Sabre from 224. 0p to 199. 0p, stating that when "things do not add up" it's time to 'sell'.