BEST OF THE BROKERS
AUTONOMY
Nomura gives Autonomy a “buy” rating and said that although it is unlikely to see a clean fourth quarter, it still believes the group can achieve its full year guidance. Nomura said it registered management’s comments, highlighting that 50 per cent of the company’s business is operating in “decoupled” markets.
IMPERIAL TOBACCO
Citigroup said that the overall shape of trading for Imperial Tobacco remains very similar to the last 18 months, with strong volume trends in the high margin countries and strong pricing, partly offset by negative mix and very weak volumes in Spain and East Europe. Citi gives the group a “buy”.
ERICSSON
Standard & Poor’s Equity Research (S&P) significantly reduces its recommendation of Ericsson from “sell” to “strong sell” after the group’s second quarter results fell short of its below-consensus estimates for revenues, adjusted operating income and adjusted earnings per share.