BEST of the BROKERS
MONEYSUPERMARKET.COM
Numis has downgraded the price comparison website from “reduce” to “sell” on the back of an “intensifying threat” from Google. The broker, which predicted in May that Google’s experiment with financial price comparison would divert traffic away from sites like Moneysupermarket, says the threat has been “stepped up a notch” and Moneysupermarket’s valuation is too much to pay when taking this into account.
DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA
Liberum Capital has upgraded its earnings estimates on the German airline by 30 per cent to reflect the recent fall in the fuel price. Issuing the stock with a “buy” rating, the broker said the second quarter this year has been good for European flag carriers, and given the recent drop in the oil price, shares ought to perform well through to Lufthansa’s results later this month.
ROSNEFT
UBS has upgraded the Russian state-owned oil company from “neutral” to “buy” following an expected increase in dividend payouts requested by president Vladimir Putin, and investments in a number of “very promising” new ventures. The Swiss bank added that Rosneft’s stock has fallen 18 per cent from its peak earlier this year, and estimates it will trade at a much lower price to earnings ratio in the future.