United Business Media(UBM)

Sector:

Media

Index:

FTSE 250

Market Cap

£1,073.90m

Change Today

Price Down-41.50p

Share Price

440.00p

Friday tips round-up: Greene King, Game, Amec

Date: Friday 04 Jul 2008

LONDON (ShareCast) - One factor in pub owner and brewer Greene King’s favour is its financial position. It recently refinanced on good terms, removing any credit risk until 2012. It also revealed that it has secured agreement in principle from HM Revenue & Customs to convert to a real estate investment trust without having to undergo a demerger.

The pub sector may be in the eye of a perfect storm and shares may have further to fall. But investors seeking long-term value could do worse than buy into Greene King says the Times.

Worse trading remains around the corner for Greene King, despite easier comparables following the first year of the smoking ban. If you want to be in pubs this is a good place to be, but we recommend sticking to more defensive stocks for the time being. Avoid says the Telegraph.

Centrica has one big problem. With 16m customers, Britain’s biggest retail supplier of gas and electricity lacks enough of its own power stations and gas supplies to serve them. That has left its shares trading at a significant discount to better-hedged rivals with more access to their own, more diversified power supplies. Even so, the company is unlikely to shy away from raising retail prices in the next two months – a step that will help to protect its short-term margins. The shares are worth holding says the Times.

Bears argue that computer games are a cyclical business and that Game is at or very near the top of the cycle. Competition is also increasing, as the likes of HMV and Tesco step up their interest, putting pressure on prices. Game may be the high street star for now, but it will be difficult to keep this up as the consumer slowdown gathers pace. Avoid says the Times.

UBM shares are trading on 9.4 times forecast earnings, yielding 4.7% and look decent value for the long haul. If one takes the 506p that Providence Equity, Carlyle Group and Hellman & Friedman have offered for Informa, and implies the same valuation to UBM, it would be worth 30% more than it is at present. That may be optimistic, but a more realistic price target is 604p suggests the Telegraph. Buy.

Amec issued a trading statement yesterday saying that 2008 Ebitda margin expectations had edged up to 6.5% from 6%. Net cash will exceed £600m, which will enable the group to "make selective acquisitions". There are not many sectors that are performing like oil. As other markets suffer, so more buyers will be attracted to the black stuff and companies that operate in the oil market, like Amec. There is more room for growth. Buy says the Independent.

Galliford Try's
chief executive, Greg Fitzgerald, says that things are getting tougher in house building, but points out that the market misses the fact that the company is a much bigger contractor. Brokers say that pre-tax profit this year will be £60m, resulting in earnings per share of 11.1p, changing to £39m and 7.4p next year respectively. Cautious hold says the Independent.

Please note: Digital Look provides a round-up of news, tips and information that is impacting share prices and the market. Digital Look cannot take any responsibility for information provided by third parties. This is for your general information only as not intended to be relied upon by users in making an investment decision or any other decision. Please obtain a copy of the relevant publication and carry out your own research before considering acting on any of this information.

Note 1: Prices and trades are provided by Digital Look Corporate Solutions and are delayed by at least 15 minutes.

Note 2: RiskGrade figures are provided by RiskMetrics.

 

UBM Market Data

Currency UK Pounds
Share Price 440.00p Price Down
Change Today -41.50p
52 Week High 752.00
52 Week Low 397.25
Volume 2,485,818
Shares Issued 244.07m
Market Cap £1,073.90m
RiskGrade 239

Performance Indicators

Compare performance with the sector and the market.
Find out more
Key: vs Market vs Sector
Value
68.6% below the market average68.6% below the market average68.6% below the market average68.6% below the market average68.6% below the market average
70.54% below the sector average70.54% below the sector average70.54% below the sector average70.54% below the sector average70.54% below the sector average
Price Trend
6.56% below the market average6.56% below the market average6.56% below the market average6.56% below the market average6.56% below the market average
52.11% above the sector average52.11% above the sector average52.11% above the sector average52.11% above the sector average52.11% above the sector average
Income
41.66% above the market average41.66% above the market average41.66% above the market average41.66% above the market average41.66% above the market average
31.03% above the sector average31.03% above the sector average31.03% above the sector average31.03% above the sector average31.03% above the sector average
Growth
27.16% below the market average27.16% below the market average27.16% below the market average27.16% below the market average27.16% below the market average
8.4% below the sector average8.4% below the sector average8.4% below the sector average8.4% below the sector average8.4% below the sector average
Price Chg 6m
2.6% below the market average2.6% below the market average2.6% below the market average2.6% below the market average2.6% below the market average
40.85% above the sector average40.85% above the sector average40.85% above the sector average40.85% above the sector average40.85% above the sector average
P/E
17.28% above the market average17.28% above the market average17.28% above the market average17.28% above the market average17.28% above the market average
12.2% below the sector average12.2% below the sector average12.2% below the sector average12.2% below the sector average12.2% below the sector average
PEG
20.48% below the market average20.48% below the market average20.48% below the market average20.48% below the market average20.48% below the market average
6.67% below the sector average6.67% below the sector average6.67% below the sector average6.67% below the sector average6.67% below the sector average
Dividend Yield
12.51% above the market average12.51% above the market average12.51% above the market average12.51% above the market average12.51% above the market average
9.80% above the sector average9.80% above the sector average9.80% above the sector average9.80% above the sector average9.80% above the sector average
EPS Growth
2.24% above the market average2.24% above the market average2.24% above the market average2.24% above the market average2.24% above the market average
32.47% above the sector average32.47% above the sector average32.47% above the sector average32.47% above the sector average32.47% above the sector average
Operating Margin
35.40% above the market average35.40% above the market average35.40% above the market average35.40% above the market average35.40% above the market average
64.89% above the sector average64.89% above the sector average64.89% above the sector average64.89% above the sector average64.89% above the sector average

What The Brokers Say

Strong Buy 7
Buy 5
Neutral 4
Sell 1
Strong Sell 0
Total 17
buy
Broker recommendations should not be taken as investment advice, and are provided by the authorised brokers listed on this page.

UBM Dividends

  Latest Previous
  Interim Final
Ex-Div 27-Aug-08 12-Mar-08
Paid 16-Oct-08 22-May-08
Amount 5.60p 16.76p

Trades for 10-Oct-2008

Time Volume / Share Price
16:35 192,204 @ 440.00p
16:29 3,046 @ 440.00p
16:29 20 @ 440.75p
16:29 1,015 @ 440.75p
16:29 417 @ 440.75p

UBM Key Personnel

CFO Nigel Wilson
Chair John C Botts
CEO David Levin

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