Top Ten Retail Investor Buys & Sells for week ending 16 February 2007
Angus Rigby, Chief Executive Officer, TD Waterhouse, commented: All eyes were on the Bank of England this week as the monetary policy committee convened again to report on Britain’s inflation and interest rates. Despite predictions that falling gas and oil prices could temporarily cool inflation levels, the Bank’s governor Mervyn King has hinted at another possible hike in interest rates in the coming months.Investor confidence remains divided this week. British Energy’s losses have been significant this year, with the stock price down by almost 35 per cent over the last 12 months; profits dampened by problems with a number of the company’s power plants. Nevertheless, our shareholders appear optimistic about the outlook for 2007, perhaps spurred on by the prospect of new builds that are expected to improve financial performance for the Company. Traders will have their ears to the ground for policy changes from the government’s energy white paper published next month which could clear the way for new plants in the UK.
Meanwhile, rival group Cairn Energy is popular with investors this week as the company looks to the burgeoning Indian market for growth. The Company has secured an interest in two new exploration blocks in Bihar. With increasing flexibility in the Indian trading environment, companies are beginning to explore the growth opportunities and Cairn profits from this as investors take a flutter on stock this week.
Elsewhere, holiday companies MyTravel and Thomas Cook said they are to merge as part of continued cost cutting and restructuring, driven by tighter margins in the package holiday business. Holiday makers are increasingly choosing to take a DIY approach, so the holiday companies have had to reshape their business models accordingly. Over the last 18 months MyTravel has tightened its belt and as a result become leaner and more efficient. The resulting merger could mean further cost savings of £75m a year across the combined business.
Shares in MyTravel rose by nearly 30 per cent on news of the merger and our clients were quick to take profits, bringing MyTravel into the top ten sells this week.
Top 10 Buys
1 BP
2 British Energy GP
3 HSBC Hldgs
4 PartyGaming
5 Vodafone Group
6 BT Group
7 Lloyds TSB Group
8 Biofuels Corp
9 Bradford & Bingley
10 Cairn Energy PLC
Top 10 Sells
1 Glaxosmithkline
2 PartyGaming
3 Vodafone Group
4 BP
5 BHP Billiton PLC
6 Royal Bk Scot Grp
7 BT Group
8 Lloyds TSB Group
9 British Energy GP
10 MyTravel Group
Meanwhile, rival group Cairn Energy is popular with investors this week as the company looks to the burgeoning Indian market for growth. The Company has secured an interest in two new exploration blocks in Bihar. With increasing flexibility in the Indian trading environment, companies are beginning to explore the growth opportunities and Cairn profits from this as investors take a flutter on stock this week.
Elsewhere, holiday companies MyTravel and Thomas Cook said they are to merge as part of continued cost cutting and restructuring, driven by tighter margins in the package holiday business. Holiday makers are increasingly choosing to take a DIY approach, so the holiday companies have had to reshape their business models accordingly. Over the last 18 months MyTravel has tightened its belt and as a result become leaner and more efficient. The resulting merger could mean further cost savings of £75m a year across the combined business.
Shares in MyTravel rose by nearly 30 per cent on news of the merger and our clients were quick to take profits, bringing MyTravel into the top ten sells this week.