THE TIPSTER AIRLINES, ENERGY, NEWS AND BOOKIES
RISING fuel prices and the ongoing threat of industrial action at its British Airways division is making it a difficult time for International Consolidated Airlines, despite last week’s encouraging traffic figures. Clearly any progress in the Libya situation may help ease oil prices and in turn give the sector as a whole something of a lift. But since listing two and a half months ago the share price has failed to wow the investment community. Current IG Markets price is 216.5p-216.7p.
Since 17 March, BHP Billiton has had only five down days and has seen its share price jump over £4. After producing good half year results just a couple of months ago, there have been rumours, now denied, that it is now looking to take over Australian energy company Woodside Petroleum, which proved extremely favourable to investors as the share price rose nearly £1 since the open. After failing with a bid for Potash recently, many commentators expected BHP to push hard to make this deal happen. Capital CFDs quotes 2,639.6p-2,642.9p.
Wednesday will see Smiths News coming out with figures and, having seen it bounce off the mid-March low of 79p, it is very close to breaking above the 50 day moving average and is some way off the top end of the range for the relative strength index. WorldSpreads offers a 87.5p-88.75p spread.
The negotiations between Ladbrokes and 888 continue, but on Monday the 888 CEO stepped down. Both shares are way below their 2011 highs and declined following the news as investors feared the deal could be scuppered despite the best efforts to reassure the market. Capital CFDs quotes a price of 43.6p-44.1p for 888 and 127.4p-128.0p for Ladbrokes.
Staying with bookmakers, William Hill was toasting the success of Ballabriggs in the Grand National on Saturday and outsider Charl Schwartzel in the US Masters late on Sunday night. Hill reports its latest earnings on 21 April and although these results will not be in those figures, the shares are looking interesting at their current levels around 180p, where it has good support from several moving averages. Spread Co quotes 180.0p-180.4p for William Hill.