Θετικά πρόσημα στα ευρωπαϊκά χρηματιστήρια

Με κέρδη ολοκλήρωσε την σημερινή συνεδρίαση η πλειοψηφία των ευρωπαϊκών χρηματιστηρίων, με τις μετοχές τεχνολογίας να δέχονται τις μεγαλύτερες πιέσεις, κι αυτές της εξόρυξης τα μεγαλύτερα κέρδη.

Στην Ισπανία, τα προσωρινά στοιχεία για τον Δείκτη Τιμών Καταναλωτή για τον μήνα Σεπτέμβριο παρουσίασαν αύξηση 0,2% έναντι εκτιμήσεων για αύξηση 0,3% και αύξησης 0,5% τον προηγούμενο μήνα, ενώ σε ετήσια βάση η αύξηση ήταν 3,5% (σύμφωνα με τις εκτιμήσεις) έναντι αύξησης 2,6% το προηγούμενο έτος. Ο εναρμονισμένος Δείκτης Τιμών Καταναλωτή σε ετήσια βάση πραγματοποίησε αύξηση 3,2% έναντι εκτιμήσεων για αύξηση 3,3% και αύξησης 2,4% το προηγούμενο έτος.

Στην Γερμανία, τα προσωρινά στοιχεία για τον Δείκτη Τιμών Καταναλωτή για τον μήνα Σεπτέμβριο παρουσίασαν αύξηση 0,3% (σύμφωνα με τις εκτιμήσεις) και αύξησης 0,3% τον προηγούμενο μήνα, ενώ σε ετήσια βάση η αύξηση ήταν 4,5% έναντι εκτιμήσεων για αύξηση 4,6% και αύξησης 6,1% το προηγούμενο έτος.

Η ιταλική κυβέρνηση προέβη σήμερα στην έκδοση πενταετούς ομολόγου με κουπόνι 4,41% έναντι 3,79% της αντίστοιχης προηγούμενης έκδοσης, καθώς και στην έκδοση δεκαετούς ομολόγους με κουπόνι 4,93% έναντι 4,20% της αντίστοιχης προηγούμενης έκδοσης.

Ο δείκτης Stoxx 600 έκλεισε στις 447,08 μονάδες με οριακά κέρδη 0,04%.

Στην Φρανκφούρτη ο δείκτης DAX έκλεισε στις 15.323,05 μονάδες με άνοδο 0,69%, παραμένοντας με σήμα strong sell, με την αντίσταση να βρίσκεται στις 15.523 μονάδες και την στήριξη στις 15.128 μονάδες.

Μεγαλύτερη άνοδος

Μεγαλύτερη πτώση

Στο Λονδίνο ο δείκτης FTSE 100 έκλεισε στις 7.604,84 μονάδες με άνοδο 0,15%, μετατρέποντας το σήμα από strong buy σε buy, με την αντίσταση να βρίσκεται στις 7.773 μονάδες και την στήριξη στις 7.528 μονάδες.

Μεγαλύτερη άνοδος

Μεγαλύτερη πτώση

Στο Παρίσι ο δείκτης CAC 40 έκλεισε στις 7.116,29 μονάδες με άνοδο 0,63%, παραμένοντας με σήμα strong sell, με την αντίσταση να βρίσκεται στις 7.205 μονάδες και την στήριξη στις 7.022 μονάδες.

Μεγαλύτερη άνοδος

Μεγαλύτερη πτώση

Recommendations

H&M: Deutsche Bank’s research is revising its recommendation downwards to Neutral. The target price is lowered from SEK 195 to SEK 175.

TALANX: Berenberg raises his rating from Neutral to Buy. The target price has been raised from EUR 58 to EUR 69.

LANXESS: Swiss major bank UBS cut its price target for Lanxess to 25 euros from 30 euros and left its rating at “neutral.” The chemicals group’s quarterly results due on Nov. 8 are likely to provide evidence of continued pressure on profits, and a cut in the outlook is possible, analyst Priyanka Patel wrote in a research note issued Thursday. Her reduced operating profit (Ebitda) forecast is now ten percent below the consensus estimate for the third quarter, she said. For the current fiscal year, she said Ebitda is below the company’s target range.

Total energies: In a research note, RBC analyst Biraj Borkhataria has maintained his recommendation on the stock with a Neutral rating. The target price is unchanged at EUR 65.

Pernod Ricard: In his latest research note, analyst Edward Mundy confirms his positive recommendation. The broker Jefferies is keeping its Buy rating. The target price is lowered from EUR 230 to EUR 220.

Philips: JP Morgan reiterate its Sell rating. The target price remains unchanged at EUR 15.50.

H&M: In a research note published by Georgina Johanan, JP Morgan advises its customers to Sell the stock. The target price is unchanged and still at SEK 130.

Infosys: Infosys has an average rating of outperform and price targets ranging from 1,130 Indian rupees to 1,760 rupees, according to analysts polled by Capital IQ.

Εταιρικά νέα

Phoenix Group Holdings said its pretax loss narrowed in the first half of 2023 as it booked lighter losses from its investments given less market volatility in the period. The consolidator of life insurance and pensions on Thursday posted a pretax loss of 437 million pounds ($530.3 million) for the six months ended June 30, compared with a restated pretax loss of GBP1.68 billion in the same period the previous year. The London-listed group said its adjusted operating pretax profit edged up to GBP266 million from GBP254 million, due to an increase in the contractual service margin release from its bulk purchase annuity new business and positive assumption changes from the previous year. Last week, the company said that it expects to deliver cash generation for 2023 at the top end of its guided range after it posted better-than-expected first-half cash generation and shareholder capital coverage ratio.

Babcock International Group said its performance for the first five months of fiscal 2024 has been encouraging, and that year-on-year underlying operating profit rose and was driven by revenue growth. The engineering company, a major contractor for the U.K. government, said Thursday that underlying operating profit also benefited from the earlier-than-anticipated receipt of initial license fees associated with Poland’s Miecznik frigate program. The company said it has seen good organic revenue growth, improved operational performance and a higher cash flow compared to the same period last year. The London-listed company said that–including contract phasing in its marine division and further growth in nuclear infrastructure programs–organic revenue growth was offsetting the effect of disposals seen during the fiscal year ended March 31. “New program wins, contract renewals and progress on the group’s opportunity pipeline remain strong, supporting the board’s unchanged expectations for another year of organic revenue growth, further underlying margin expansion, improved free cash flow and progress towards the group’s medium-term guidance,” it said.

Diageo said expectations for fiscal 2024 remain unchanged despite warning of persistent continuing cost pressures and macroeconomic challenges. The liquor maker–which owns Johnnie Walker whisky and Tanqueray gin–on Thursday said it expects a gradual improvement on both organic net sales and operating profit growth from the first half of the fiscal year ending June 30 and then an acceleration in the second half, given softer comparators. Diageo said it is well-positioned to deliver its 2023-25 guidance for organic net sales growth of 5% to 7% a year and organic operating profit growth of 6% to 9% a year. “I am confident in the resilience of our business and our ability to navigate these headwinds while executing our strategic priorities,” Chief Executive Debra Crew said.

The company changed its reporting and dividend currency to U.S. dollar from the pound at the start of fiscal 2024.

Deliveroo is planning to return up to 250 million pounds ($303.4 million) to shareholders via a premium tender offer, which opens Friday. The U.K. food-delivery company–which first outlined the plan to return the surplus capital to shareholders on Aug. 10–said Thursday that it plans to buy up to 217.4 million existing ordinary shares at between 115 pence and 135 pence a share. The tender prices are premiums of 4.3% and 22% compared with its closing price of 110.30 pence on Wednesday. The tender offer, which closes on Oct. 27, is conditional upon shareholder approval at a general meeting to be held on Oct. 16.

Volkswagen has restarted production after solving an information-technology problem that affected different group sites for several hours Wednesday, a company spokesman said Thursday. “We’re still assessing the situation,” the spokesman said. The problem hit different locations at different times and the impact on production hasn’t been yet quantified, he said. The German auto giant said in a statement that its network is back to work and the affected applications are being restarted.

Vinci said it would resort to all available avenues of appeal against a proposed tax on certain types of long-distance transportation infrastructure in France, the latest company to warn of the potential tax impact on its financial results. The French construction and infrastructure company, which operates a number of airports and highways, said late Wednesday that it would have booked a charge to the tune of 260 million euros ($273.1 million) in 2022 if the proposed tax had been in force at the time. The draft finance law was presented to France’s Council of Ministers on Wednesday. The bill must be submitted to the National Assembly–the lower house of parliament–by early October for lawmakers to review and vote on the law that would become effective next year. “Vinci takes issue with this draft, which is contrary both to the spirit and to the letter of concession contracts, particularly those signed between the state as grantor and the motorway concession companies, and it intends to use all available avenues of appeal,” the company said. Aeroports de Paris said it would have suffered a hit of roughly EUR100 million if the 4.6% tax had been applied to last year’s revenue. The airport operator said it would resort to higher tariffs next year to offset around half of the impact from the tax if the bill were to go through.

Pepco Group said it has experienced an increasingly challenging business environment in its core markets in recent weeks with weaker consumer demand for key clothing and general merchandising categories. The discount retailer–which houses Poundland in the U.K. and Dealz and Pepco in continental Europe–said that revenue in August was lower than expected and has worsened this month with negative like-for-like sales and weaker than expected performance from new stores. It now expects to report adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for the year ending Sept. 30 of 750 million Euros ($787.8 million) compared with EUR731 million a year earlier. Pepco, a subsidiary of Steinhoff International Holdings, had expected Ebitda growth in the mid-teens and revenue growth in the high teens for the year. Alongside the update, Pepco said that Managing Director Anand Patel is stepping down and will be replaced by Barry Williams who is currently managing director of Poundland. Williams will be replaced by Austin Cooke who is currently chief operating officer of Poundland.

Banco Santander said it has obtained regulatory approvals to start its previously announced buyback of up to 1.31 billion euros ($1.38 billion).

The Spanish bank said late on Wednesday that the buyback will start on Thursday and last until Jan. 25, 2024, unless the maximum amount is reached earlier. The remainder of the shareholder remuneration policy for the current year is subject to corporate and regulatory approvals, Banco Santander said.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria’s board raised the bank’s interim dividend to shareholders by a third, it said late Wednesday. The Spanish lender said shareholders will receive 0.16 euros ($0.17) a share in cash next month, which compares with the interim dividend of EUR0.12 a share it paid last year.