Top Ten Retail Investor Buys & Sells for week ending 16 March 2007

Angus Rigby, Chief Executive Officer, TD Waterhouse, commented: “As the banks’ reporting season finishes, interest remains high in Lloyds TSB and Barclays on the back of worries over the US sub-prime market which took hold across the Atlantic this week.

“Concerns about prospects for the sub-prime market are increasing as the US mortgage business deals with the consequences of supplying credit stricken consumers with mortgage backed loans. Many borrowers have bitten off more than they can chew and worries about a potential debt crisis in the US are sending ripples through the global stock market. Major indices in all sectors fell as investors contemplated the prospect of a slow-down in the UK economy and dampened consumer spending. Though analysts have shrugged off the threat to UK banks, arguing that losses will be widely spread, investor confidence appears to have been dented with speculation that some UK institutions have provided financial backing to US sub-prime mortgage issuers.

“Elsewhere, Legal & General is popular with investors this week after the Company delivered its full-year results on Wednesday. The UK's fourth-biggest life insurer has profited in recent months with share value rising by 10 per cent on last year as thrifty UK consumers continue to save their pennies. This is reflected in the Company’s strong performance in the UK life and pensions branch of the business which helped lift 2006 operating profits by 13 per cent.

“With every prudent saver there is also a racy gambler as shown by strong trading in Partygaming once again this week. The share price in the online-gamer plummeted to 26p in November but has since made daily gains, lifting above the 40p level this week. Public interest in the sector has been renewed this week amidst speculation that the US could soon relax its anti-gaming legislation. Not everyone is convinced though, and some investors have gone short on Partygaming stock this week as news hits that European operators are preparing to follow America’s lead with a clamp down on online gaming.”

Top 10 Buys
1 Partygaming
2 Barclays
3 Lloyds TSB
4 BP
5 Royal Bank of Scotland
6 RC Group Holdings
7 Xstrata PLC
8 Vodafone
9 Biofuels Group
10 Legal and General GP

Top 10 Sells
1 Partygaming
2 Lloyds TSB
3 BP
4 RC Group Holdings
5 Alliance Boots
6 Scottish Power PLC
7 British Energy Group
8 Vodafone
9 Barclays
10 Sainsbury J