Top Ten Retail Investor Buys & Sells for week ending 15 June 2007

Angus Rigby, Chief Executive Officer, TD Waterhouse, commented: Investors have shown renewed confidence in waste specialist Biffa this week after the Company reported back with an update on full-year revenues on Wednesday. Trading has been strong in Biffa since its demerger from Severn Trent last October. As one of a select few to offer a comprehensive integrated waste disposal service, the company has attracted the attention of investors and our customers have bought heavily into the stock this week. The share price is down more than 10 per cent on last month falling below the 300p level. Biffa reported an 11.1% rise in full year pre-tax profit in line with expectations with revenue up by 4.3 per cent to £742.7 m.

Elsewhere, FTSE 250 Chip designer ARM Holdings whose products are used in mobile phones falls from favour this week amongst TD Waterhouse investors, despite a positive rating recommendation from JPMorgan. The share price in the semiconductor designer surged this week by 5 per cent on last week, pushing to annual highs of 143.25 pence per share, but investors were not buying the stock.

BHP Billiton, the world's biggest mining company saw plenty of interest this week, after declaring a 'force majeure' on some of its coal shipments from Australia's Newcastle port following heavy rains and flooding. Coal prices hit record highs following news that rail deliveries from mines had been halted in Eastern Australia. A force majeure excuses BHP from liability if circumstances beyond their control prevent them from fulfilling their contract on coal deliveries. The share price is up almost 50 per cent on last year, to 52 week highs of 1,357 pence per share.

Back on UK soil, engineering firm Tanfield Group leaves TD Waterhouse customers divided this week despite striking a deal with the Royal Mail for its new range of electric-powered vans. As well as clinching this contract, Tanfield also revealed that it has doubled capacity at its base in Tyne & Wearside to keep up with demand and has created more than 250 jobs since last October. Tanfield’s share price is up almost 600 per cent on last year, climbing a fraction of a per cent this week.

Top 10 Buys
1 Royal Bank of Scotland
2 Partygaming
3 Glaxosmithkline
4 Bradford & Bingley
5 Lloyds TSB Group
6 Tanfield Group
7 HBOS
8 BIFFA
9 UTD Utilities
10 Tesco


Top 10 Sells
1 Royal Bank of Scotland
2 Vodafone Group
3 Partygaming
4 Barclays
5 Tanfield Group
6 BP
7 BHP Billiton PLC
8 Glaxosmithkline
9 Arm Holdings
10 BT Group