LONDON (ShareCast) - Sell shares of Amec, Danny Fortson advised in the Sunday Times. A year ago the oil services company paid £2bn in cash and shares for Swiss-listed rival Foster Wheeler. Its other option was to hand cash back to shareholders. Since then the oil price has halved, shale producers have cut spending and Russia is in dire financial straits. The Foster Wheeler deal was meant to increase business from both shale operators and Russia. Foster Wheeler is failing to meet forecasts, oil services has been hit hard by falling crude prices and there is no relief in sight, the Inside the City columnist concluded.
Steer clear of Tesco, Questor recommended in the Sunday Telegraph. Chief Executive Dave Lewis has made an encouraging start to his turnaround plan: sales show signs of improvement, Lewis is closing stores and Tesco is refocusing on its core grocery business. But profits are falling, debts are on the rise and Tesco's balance sheet is vulnerable to property write-downs. There is no dividend and profits are not going to revive for the foreseeable future. Further signs of improvement are needed for the shares to become investable and they should be avoided until then.
Buy shares of Churchill China, Midas advised in the Mail on Sunday. The company makes plates for brands such as Jamie Oliver and Cath Kidston while supplying 300,000 eateries in Britain and exporting to 70 countries. Sales are set to rise at home, as more people eat out, and abroad. Manufacturing efficiencies will also help profits. Churchill coped with a flood of cheap crockery in the late 1990s by targeting venues serving food over retail sales. Its hardwearing plates are cost-efficient for restaurants and replacing worn or broken items is easy. The shares should prove rewarding in the long-term.
Buy shares of Acal, the small-cap electronic parts distributor, Questor advised in the Sunday Telegraph. Acal makes components for big consumer brands, including De'Longhi coffee machines. The acquisition of Norway-based Foss will expand its fibre optics operations and is sensible. The market for Stannah stairlifts, for which Acal provides cabling systems, will grow as populations age. The company has focused on higher value products after being hit hard by the economic crisis and Questor maintained its recommendation to buy the shares.
Bwin could face a similar fate to Napster, the music-sharing site that was undone when music publishers sued teenagers downloading free songs, Danny Fortson said in the Sunday Times. A Munich court's conviction of a gambler for playing blackjack through a Gibraltar-based gambling company's website is a worrying development. It was the first prosecution of a person in Germany, which makes up a quarter of Bwin's business, for unlawful gambling. EU gambling rules are a mess. Bwin may be worth a punt but Fortson avoids companies with legally questionable businesses.
Investors in Howden Joinery have enjoyed an 81% rise in the share price since Midas recommended them in March 2013. The Mail on Sunday tipster said further gains were likely to come from the kitchen maker after it announced that annual profits would be higher than forecast. Existing shareholders could sell a quarter of their holding but should keep hold of most of their stake because the company is likely to deliver further growth in 2015 and beyond.
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