Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL, ETR:APC) has sunk to a four-month low as investors fret about various challenges, particularly in the Chinese market where iPhone sales have been sluggish, but analysts at Wedbush remain optimistic.
"While investor sentiment around the AI revolution is reaching a feverish pitch... Street sentiment and worries around the Apple story resemble that of a horror show right now," said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, who said China "remains the dark cloud" in the near-term but sees "brighter days ... ahead".
Shore Capital Markets has maintained a generally positive outlook on Premier Inn parent Whitbread PLC (LSE:WTB) despite recent underperformance and projections of a downturn in RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room).
Analysts said Whitbread's financial forecasts suggest a trajectory of growth, with anticipated improvements in revenue, EBITDA, and adjusted profit before tax over the next few years.
Liberum has raised its target price for Emmerson plc by more than 50% following its latest update from the Khemisset potash project in Morocco.
Emmerson is developing the 100%-owned Khemisset, on which broker Liberum expects an updated feasibility study (FS) to be completed in late 2024 or early 2025.
BP plc is a much better equity story than just how much cash it is handing out to shareholders, according to analysts at UBS.
All of the talk recently has been about share buybacks and its low relative rating, but a low oil price breakeven and efficient production base will provide the funds to sustain total distributions, while also funding growth from low carbon, said the Swiss bank.
Costs in the pub sector are likely to remain 'sticky' in the immediate future, making like-for-like growth difficult for the UK's big chains, according to Stifel.
In a note to clients, the investment bank marked out Youngs (Young & Co 'A') and Loungers PLC (AIM:LGRS) as its top picks, while upgrading Marston's PLC to 'buy' from 'hold', with a new target price of 40p while lifting its valuation for Mitchells & Butlers PLC (LSE:MAB) by 10p to 285p ('buy').
Aviva plc’s return to Lloyd’s of London through the acquisition of Probitas is in line with its medium-term strategy but still a bit of a surprise, said brokers.
The insurer announced the deal yesterday, with the price a premium to listed Lloyd’s peers but in line with the sub-sector, according to Jefferies, with an expected internal rate of return (IRR) in the high teens.
Trustpilot Group PLC (LSE:TRST) is becoming a 'fast-growing free cash flow generator', according to JP Morgan, which upgraded shares in the review site to 'overweight' (from neutral) with a 250p price target.
In a short note, the American investment bank also said the group has 'earnings momentum' which has precipitated a 125% jump in the stock's value in the past six months.
Greggs PLC (LSE:GRG) shares may have only lifted 2% following the group’s full-year results, but areas of the update have left analysts, employees and sausage roll lovers with something to cheer.
For thousands of Greggs workers, they will share a bonus of £17.6 million after the bakery chain brought in record profits of £188 million in 2023.
RBC Capital sees 25% upside for shares in Bluefield Solar Income Fund (LSE:BSIF) after tweaking its valuation in the wake of the latter's interim results.
In a short note, the investment bank set a 130p target for the stock (down 5p from its previous valuation), which is still well ahead of the current price of 104p. This adjustment reflects a modest fall in the NAV in the first half.
Shore Capital Markets analysts labelled Touchstone Exploration Inc (AIM:TXP, TSX:TXP, OTC:PBEGF)’s expanded debt facility with an existing Trinidad-based lender “a very encouraging development”.
Touchstone confirmed a binding term sheet with the lender to provide a US$13m increase in debt capacity as it kicks off the next phase of well drilling at the productive Cascadura field in Trinidad.