Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C), Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE:CS), Daily Mail and General Trust plc (LON:DMGT), Rio Tinto plc (LON:RIO), RSA Insurance Group plc (LON:RSA), Aviva plc (LON:AV), ITV plc (LON:ITV)
Panmure Gordon upped their price target on shares of Daily Mail and General Trust plc (LON:DMGT) from GBX 950 ($14.37) to GBX 1,010 ($15.28) in a research note issued on Thursday, Analyst Ratings Network reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Panmure Gordon’s target price suggests a potential upside of 32.98% from the stock’s previous close. Daily Mail and General Trust plc (LON:DMGT) opened at 759.00 on Thursday. Daily Mail and General Trust plc (LON:DMGT) has a 52-week low of GBX 361.40 and a 52-week high of GBX 777.00. The stock’s 50-day moving average is currently GBX 0.. The company’s market cap is £2.905 billion.
Daily Mail publisher’s print revenues slide (Guardian)
Revenues at the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (LON:DMGT) on Sunday declined 6% to £287m in the six months to the end of March, as print ads and circulation declined, while the Mail Online juggernaut continued with a 61% year-on-year revenue surge to £20m. Parent company Daily Mail and General Trust plc (LON:DMGT) said that the overall Mail franchise’s revenues declined 4% to £306m, with print ads down 8% and circulation income down 6%, with a further fall mitigated by Mail Online. Freesheet Metro suffered in the lull after the London Olympics, which provided a major revenue boost in the first half of last year, with an 8% decline in the six months to the end of March.
Peru urges new copper mine owner to stick to Xstrata blueprint (Reuters)
Peru expects any new owner of one of the largest copper deposits in the world to stick to development plans set out by Xstrata before it was acquired by trading house Glencore. Glencore has agreed to sell the Las Bambas project in Peru’s Cotabambas and Grau Provinces to a buyer approved by China’s monopoly watchdog by Sept 15, 2014 in exchange for Beijing’s blessing over Glencore’s $35 billion acquisition of Xstrata, completed in April. Xstrata approved development of Las Bambas over a four-year period in August 2010, four months before Glencore first unveiled merger plans with Xstrata. Demand for copper has since waned, with the metal’s price down about 8 percent this year.
Rio Tinto Given Buy Rating at Liberum Capital (RIO) (TickerReport)
Rio Tinto plc (LON:RIO)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by equities researchers at Liberum Capital in a research report issued on Wednesday, Analyst Ratings Network.com reports. A number of other firms have also recently commented on Rio Tinto plc (LON:RIO). Analysts at Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE:CS) reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Rio Tinto plc (ADR) (NYSE:RIO) in a research note to investors on Thursday, May 23rd. Separately, analysts at Zacks reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Rio Tinto plc (LON:RIO) in a research note to investors on Wednesday, May 22nd. They now have a $47.00 price target on the stock. Finally, analysts at Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C) reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Rio Tinto plc (LON:RIO) in a research note to investors on Thursday, May 16th.
This P/E Suggests RSA Insurance Is a Hold (Fool)
The FTSE 100 has risen by 25% over the last year, and many top shares are beginning to look quite expensive. I’m on the hunt for companies that still look cheap, based on their long-term earnings potential. To help me hunt down these bargains, I’m using a special version of the price to earnings ratio called the PE10, which is one of my favorite tools for value investing. The PE10 compares the current share price with average earnings per share for the last ten years. This smoothes out any short-term volatility and lets you see whether a company looks cheap compared to its long-term earnings. Today, I’m going to take a look at the PE10 for RSA Insurance Group plc (LON:RSA).
A Closer Look At RSA Insurance Group Plc’s Dividend Potential (Fool)
Is RSA Insurance Group plc (LON:RSA), Aviva plc (LON:AV) a solid pick for dividend growth? Dividend income accounts for around two-thirds of total returns, the actual rate of return taking into account both capital and income appreciation. Given that share prices are often volatile and unpredictable, the potential for plump dividends can give shareholders much-needed peace of mind for decent returns. I am currently looking at the dividend prospects of RSA Insurance Group plc (LON:RSA) and assessing whether the company is an appetising pick for income investors. RSA boasted a solid record in recent years, steadily increasing payouts since 2009 even as earnings remained broadly under pressure during these years. However, last year’s decision to rebase the dividend in an effort to recharge earnings potential eventually took a scythe to shareholder payments.
RSA firms up position in Irish market with acquisition of AonInsure.ie (IrishTimes)
Insurer RSA Insurance Group plc (LON:RSA) has strengthened its position in the Irish market by acquiring the general insurance business of rival AonInsure.ie for an undisclosed sum. RSA Insurance Group plc (LON:RSA) intends to merge this into its 123.ie business unit, which it acquired for €65 million in 2010. RSA Insurance Group plc (LON:RSA) is acquiring 66,000 policies from Aon in a deal that it hopes will help it build on its existing 16 per cent market share here. These are primarily motor and home insurance customers. Aon staff were informed of the deal yesterday. About 80 employees are affected by the deal.
Twitter account of British news agency infiltrated with Syrian-linked messages (NorthJersey)
ITV plc (LON:ITV), owner of Britain’s biggest commercial TV station, suffered a Twitter account hack Friday with postings attributed to the “Syrian Electronic Army,” a name also used last week when The Financial Times’s social media accounts were infiltrated with links to war atrocity videos. The @itvlondon account on Twitter posted six messages. One said “Francois Hollande to double aid to rebels, including a complementary French flag with every aid package,” with a picture of a white flag against a blue, cloudy sky. Another post said “Twitter finally defeats the #Syria-n electronic army,’ with a link to an Independent newspaper article. That was followed by another message, which read “Just kidding. The Syrian Electronic Army was here. #SEA via @Official_SEA12.”
ITV First-Quarter Revenue Advances 1% on Digital Performance (BusinessWeek)
ITV plc (LON:ITV), owner of the U.K.’s biggest commercial TV station, said first-quarter sales rose 1 percent, driven by growth in online, pay and interactive revenue. External sales climbed to 571 million pounds ($869 million) from 565 million pounds a year earlier, the London-based company said in a statement today. ITV plc (LON:ITV), whose shows include “Downton Abbey” and “X Factor,” has been reducing its dependence on advertising by investing in content creation and by acquiring production assets. Net advertising sales from ITV plc (LON:ITV) Family will decline by about 3 percent in the first half because of tough second-quarter comparatives, the broadcaster said today.
Should I Invest In Aviva Plc? (Fool)
To me, capital growth and dividend income are equally important. Together, they provide the total return from any share investment and, as you might expect, my aim is to invest in companies that can beat the total return delivered by the wider market. To put that aim into perspective, the FTSE 100 has provided investors with a total return of around 3% per annum since January 2008. Quality and value If my investments are to outperform, I need to back companies that score well on several quality indicators and buy at prices that offer decent value. So this series aims to identify appealing FTSE 100 investment opportunities and today I’m looking at Aviva plc (LON:AV), the UK’s largest life and general insurance company.
Aviva plc Given “Buy” Rating at Tradenext (AV.) (MideastTime)
Aviva plc (LON:AV)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reiterated by Tradenext in a research note issued on Friday, Analyst Ratings Network.com reports. A number of other firms have also recently commented on AV.. Analysts at Credit Suisse reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Aviva plc (LON:AV) in a research note to investors on Friday, May 17th. They now have a GBX 435 ($6.58) price target on the stock. Separately, analysts at Espirito Santo Investment Bank Research reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Aviva plc (LON:AV) in a research note to investors on Thursday, May 16th. Finally, analysts at Societe Generale reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Aviva plc (LON:AV) in a research note to investors on Tuesday, May 14th. They now have a GBX 385 ($5.83) price target on the stock.
