Three to buy
Flutter Entertainment
(The Times) UK regulators might be “tightening their grip” on the sports-betting industry, but “the US is going the other way”. Flutter Entertainment is in “pole position” thanks to its FanDuel brand, which boasts a 40% share of the US online sports-betting market. “There are reasons to be cautious”: the firm is in the middle of a legal dispute with Fox Corporation over its purchase of a stake in Flutter. But despite its ongoing spat with the media conglomerate, the outlook is positive. 15,295p
Hargreaves Lansdown
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(The Daily Telegraph) Investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown managed to attract 220,000 new customers last year, despite tarnishing its reputation by recommending Neil Woodford’s chronically underperforming fund. And “there is every reason to expect more customers to sign up”. With fewer workers benefiting from final-salary pension schemes each year, more must “save for their own future”. Only three million people use investment platforms in Britain, so there is still plenty of scope for growth. The stock has lagged owing to the “lingering association” with Woodford. 1,659p
Foresight Group
(The Mail on Sunday) The climate action movement “is gaining momentum” and Foresight Group looks well placed to benefit. The asset manager “shifted towards renewable energy” stocks 15 years ago and now operates 33 funds, which own 300 infrastructure projects “capable of powering nearly two million homes with renewable energy”. Assets under management rose by 60% to £7.2bn in the year to 31 March. The shares are an appealing long-term buy. 425p
Three to sell
HSBC
(The Daily Telegraph) HSBC “faces a daunting list of challenges”, from “rock-bottom” interest rates to “walking the tightrope” between Western investors’ ethical concerns and a Chinese government “with radically different priorities”, a task that will only become more difficult. In the future the business could split between a “giant Asian bank headquartered in Hong Kong” and a smaller one based in the UK. That could be a suitable investment in the future, “but there are an awful lot of challenges to overcome first” and “a lot that could go wrong”. It’s a sell for now. 419p
Kier
(Investors’ Chronicle) Construction specialist Kier is dealing with a debt burden that jumped by almost 50% in 2020; it is to raise between £190m and £240m of equity in the next few weeks. Kier is hoping that “government rhetoric around boosting infrastructure spending” will help it achieve its revenue and profit goals for the year. But considering the “competitive challenges” that stand between the firm and its revenue targets as well as the “ultra-thin margins associated with the sector”, the shares do not seem compelling. Sell. 90p
Virgin Galactic
(Barron’s) “Space tourism pioneer” Virgin Galactic’s business model looks risky: it’s uncertain how attractive commercial space travel will be. An accident is also a risk. Any “catastrophic failure by any provider could have a crushing effect on demand for all”. Sentiment might begin to shift if the company successfully launches commercial operations in 2021, but for now its future looks too uncertain. Avoid. $26
...and the rest
Investors’ Chronicle
PureTech Health’s operating loss narrowed by 12% last year and its pipeline looks attractive. The biotech group is starting at least ten new clinical trials this year and is sitting on $443m of cash, enough to fund its operations until 2025. Buy (416p). Associated British Foods’ Primark stores enjoyed a surge in sales when they reopened on 12 April. But the high-street retailer is “still reeling” from the past year, and ABF has lost £3bn in sales and £1bn in profits in 12 months, although it has reintroduced its dividend. Hold (2,390p).
The Mail on Sunday
Solar power was the fastest-growing form of electricity generation in America last year, which bodes well for US Solar Fund. It runs 42 plants, generating enough energy for over 90,000 homes, and “should benefit from governments’ increased support for all things environmental”. Buy ($1.03).
Shares
Extracts and ingredients manufacturer Treatt posted a strong trading update in mid-April, saying it expected to grow its first-half sales by 14% while also improving its margins. Growth in the tea, health and wellness, and fruit and vegetable categories has been strong and should endure thanks to growing global demand for healthier living. Buy (1,145p). Small-cap oil and gas company Touchstone Exploration says one of its wells has “yielded a significant natural gas discovery”, which has given the shares a fillip. There is “scope for further upside”. Buy (102p).
The Daily Telegraph
Volex makes cable assemblies for medical equipment, electric vehicles and data centres. Sales for the year to 4 April will reach at least £440m, up from £391m the year before. Hold (343p).
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Barclays begins paying up to £100 compensation to customers after banking outageBarclays will pay up to £7.5 million in compensation to customers after its banking services were disrupted by an IT outage
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Review: Shangri-La Paris – an ode to the world’s best foodNatasha Langan enjoys fine French and Chinese cuisine at the Shangri-La Paris
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The star small and mid-cap stocks income investors have overlookedOpinion Thomas Moore, senior investment director, Aberdeen, highlights three company stocks as he shares where he would put his money
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Falling revenues and mounting debt spell trouble for Jumia TechnologiesStruggling African e-commerce platform Jumia Technologies looks headed for the exit, says Dr Matthew Partridge.
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Chemring Group: an explosive investment opportunity in defenceEuropean states are raising their military spending, and Chemring Group looks well placed to profit
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Next reports £1 billion in annual profits for the first time – what's next for the retailer?Clothing retailer Next has become only the fourth member of its sector to surpass £1 billion in annual profits. What does this mean for the company's future?
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Best of British bargains: cash in on undervalued companies in the UK stock marketOpinion Michael Field, Chief Equity Market Strategist, EMEA, Morningstar, selects three attractive UK stocks where he'd put his money
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Building firm Keller presents low debt and ample scope for growthGeotechnical contractor Keller, which supports vital global infrastructure, boasts rising profits and a cheap valuation
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PZ Cussons share price down 75% in last decade – why it's one to watchOpinion Once-strong consumer-goods business PZ Cussons is out of favour with the market. That spells opportunity for investors, says Jamie Ward
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Cash in on the biotech sector with specialist trust BioPharmaOpinion BioPharma has an attractive niche in lending to asset-rich biotechnology companies
