BEST OF THE BROKERS
SANTANDER
KBW maintains an “outperform” rating on Santander, predicting “resilient” second-quarter net profit of ?2,373bn (£2bn), down six per cent year-on-year. The broker recently increased its EPS prediction based on lower provisions in Spain, as well as improving operating profits and favourable currency moves at Abbey and in Brazil.
BP
Evo Securities takes a “Buy” rating on BP, but warns today’s second quarter results “won’t look great”. The broker sees positive signs with costs coming down, the oil price rallying and several key projects coming on stream. Evo forecasts net income without non-operating items of $2.8bn (£1.7bn), down 67 per cent year-on-year, with dividend up seven per cent to $0.15 per share.
PACE
WH Ireland is upbeat on set-top box maker Pace, reiterating its “Buy” recommendation, as the firm reported interim revenue of £527m (WHI £580m) and adjusted PBT of £34.3m (WHI £33.3m). The broker believes that the company continues to trade at a “very substantial” discount to the All-Share Tech Hardware sector prospective P/E ratio of 23x.