Just feel free to put down any share you feel will do well in 2013 -


2013 SHARE TIPS: The Mail's city reporters reveal their top picks for the coming year


http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-2254395/2013-SHARE-TIPS-The-Mails-city-reporters-reveal-picks-coming-year.html

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)

RBS is the recovery play that trumps all other recovery plays. At the worst of the financial crisis, Royal Bank of Scotland came within hours of going broke. A taypayer bailout rescued the bank; in doing so, the government became RBS' biggest shareholder.

RBS shares have already have a great 2012. Since the beginning of the year, they are up 57.7%. The rise has been assisted by the political response to the eurozone panic. This has helped bring calm to the markets following the panic at the start of the year.

Before the eurozone crisis came to the fore, RBS traded significantly higher than they do today. For over a year from March 2010, shares in RBS spent almost every day trading over 400p. The shares even traded over 500p for a few weeks in April 2010.

If the markets can move on from the eurozone, I expect RBS shares will end 2013 considerably higher than they are today.

Lloyds is the best-performing share in the FTSE 100 for 2012. So far this year, the shares are up 91.6%. This momentum shows no signs of petering out. In the last month, Lloyds is up 9.6%; today, the shares stand at their highest since July 2011.

Like RBS, the UK taxpayer also owns a substantial stake in Lloyds. The crucial difference is that the government's stake in Lloyds is a minority.

Though rises in 2012 have been significant, the taxpayer is still well down on its Lloyds investment. The shares would have to rise another 50% for the government to breakeven.

Lloyds is expected to report 2.5p of earnings per share (EPS) for 2012, rising to 3.8p in 2013.

Unlike RBS and Lloyds, the government has no stake in HSBC. There is much less risk associated with the shares. As a result, HSBC's price is less volatile and trades at a more normal rating.

HSBC is expected to report EPS of $0.92 for 2012, rising to $1.02 of earnings in 2013. This means that the shares trade on a 2012 price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 11.6 times forecast earnings, falling to 10.4 times for 2013.

I am starting to believe again that bank shares deserve high ratings. In all but the most exceptional circumstances, they are resilient businesses. Take HSBC. The bank was paying out dividends throughout the worst of the crisis. The bank has not reported a loss in any of the last five years, despite incurring some large writedowns. HSBC is stronger than most other businesses.

HSBC is expected to yield 4.2% this year, rising to 4.6% for 2013.

Shell is the FTSE 100's dividend daddy. In 2011, Shell paid out more to its shareholders than any other FTSE 100 stock. This amounted to £1 in every £8 paid buy FTSE 100 shares. This integrated oil major is little short of a money-making machine.

For 2012, Shell is expected to dish out a total of $1.76 of dividends. For 2013, this is expected to rise to $1.80. Shell has not cut a dividend since the end of the Second World War. It is not only a great UK dividend share, it is one of the best income stocks on the planet.

Shell is also attractive on a P/E basis. Analysts expect EPS for next year to hit $4.45, putting the shares on a 2013 P/E of just 8.1

BP's recovery from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster continues. With much of the litigation and claims already dealt with, BP is close to putting the incident behind it.

The shares currently trade on just 7.3 times 2012 EPS estimates, falling to 7.2 times the 2013 number. As you might expect for a share trading on such a low rating, the dividend yield is high. BP is forecast to pay a total of $0.38 per share in dividends for 2012, rising to $0.42 for 2013. This means that at today's price, the shares come with a 2013 dividend yield of 6%.

BP's new Russian deal with Rosneft could transform the company. If dividends can increase to the level they were before the disaster in the Gulf, BP shares would yield 8.2%.

AMER 46.75p
FAST 22p
CAZA 16p
IRON 2.2p
HER 0.6p
BMZ 13.5p
ORE 0.5p
RRL 3.6p
SCPA 62p
GKP 180p

Good luck

Experts: Apple Shares Ready to Rocket in 2013
Monday, 31 Dec 2012 05:08 PM

By Dan Weil

inShare inShare0 Apple shares are riding high on the final day of the year, and many experts expect the trend to continue next year.

The stock rose to a record high of $705.07 Sept. 21 amid enthusiasm over the iPad and iPhone. It then plunged 28 percent to $505.75 Nov. 16 amid concern the company was losing its touch.

Apple rose $22.58, or 4.4 percent, to close at $532.17 Monday.

Expectations of product enhancements next year and perhaps the introduction of an iTelevision have turned some analysts and investors bullish.

"We're on the cusp of an enormous product upgrade cycle, and we think Apple's earnings are going to be dynamite in the fourth quarter," Channing Smith, portfolio manager at Capital Advisers Growth Fund, tells CNBC.

He expects continued strong growth of iPad and iPhone sales.

Eric Jackson, managing director of Ironfire Capital, tells CNBC Apple may even introduce an entertainment and navigation system for cars next year.

The stock may reach $1,000 in 2013, he says.

Barron’s technology-investment columnist Tiernan Ray also is bullish.

Apple is not the world's biggest seller of mobile phones, trailing Samsung Electronics, he notes. And it has plenty of competition in the tablet arena.

“But as long as Apple sells tens of millions of both at prices that remain rational, it can continue growing revenue and profit at a rate that is not reflected in its share price,” Ray writes.


Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.moneynews.com/InvestingAnalysis/Apple-shares-stock-price/2012/12/31/id/469584#ixzz2GjCXsyLX
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!

After a tip-top year, here's our 10 share picks for 2013

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/after-a-tiptop-year-heres-our-10-share-picks-for-2013-8434665.html

Questor: Six share tips for 2013

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/questor/9774371/Questor-Six-share-tips-for-2013.html#

2013 Stockbrokers' Challenge: top share tips for the year ahead

January 01, 2013


http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/business/s/1597053_2013-stockbrokers-challenge-top-share-tips-for-the-year-ahead

Thanks for that dc, much appreciated.
2517

Hope it helps 2517George.

A Summary of 2013 Share Tips from Tempus

Shares being tipped by Tempus for 2013 include:

Thomas Cook
GKN
Lamprell

The Sunday Times 16/12/2012 - "Portfolio tips for a happy new year"

The Money section of The Sunday Times kicked off the 2013 share tips season with an article called "Portfolio tips for a happy new year".

In the article, Ali Hussain writes that professional investors are looking to profit from smaller companies, a resurgent America and technological advantages.

The following shares and funds are mentioned in the article.

America

National Oilwell Varco - Oliver Gregson, Barclays
Weir Group - Oliver Gregson, Barclays
AXA Framlington American Growth fund - Darius McDermott, Chelsea Financial Services
Threadneedle American Select fund - Darius McDermott, Chelsea Financial Services

Data Storage

SAP - Colin Stone, portfolio manager for Fidelity European Opportunities fund
Migrogen - Colin Stone
Experian
Juniper Networks
Broadsoft
Monitise - Ruairidh Finlayson, equity analyst at Brewin Dolphin
Ingenico - Ben Rogoff, manager of Polar Capital Technology investment trust
ARM Holdings - Bolko Hohaus, portfolio manager for Lombard Odier Technology fund
TPK Holding - Bolko Hohaus
Threadneedle Global Select - Patrick Connolly, AWD Chase de Vere

Chinese Demand

Hussain writes that the new Chinese government is expected to boost domestic consumption using its first five-year plan following the once-in-a-decade leadership transition.

Shares and funds for 2013 mentioned include:

First State Asia Pacific Leaders - Andy Parsons, head of investment research at The Share Centre
First State Global Emerging Markets Leaders - Andy Parsons
Sun Art Retail - Jean Medecin, member of the investment committee at Carmignac Gestion
Shenguan - Fidelity
First State Global Agribusiness - Thomas Becket, chief investment officer at Psigma Investment Management.

Smaller Companies

Managers say that 2013 will see smaller companies outperform.

Investec Smaller Companies - Patrick Connolly, AWD Chase de Vere
Old Mutual UK Select Smaller Comapnies fund - Patrick Connolly

The Bond Bubble

The broker Killik suggests sophisticated investors consider moving out of bond funds, but stick with short maturity individual bonds.

Provident Financial 7.5% bond maturing 2016 - Killik
Newton Global Higher Income fund (yielding 4.2%) - Darius McDermott, Chelsea Financial Services

Japan

Jonathan Jackson at Killik believes that Japan could be the "investment dark horse" of 2013 and Darius McDermott at Chelsea Financial Services agrees saying "my contrarian bet for 2013 is Japan".

JOHCM Japan - Darius McDermott, Chelsea Financial Services
Jupiter Japan Income - Darius McDermott

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/money/4721477/Sun-Citys-stock-tips-for-2013.html

Investors Chronicle -

Compass (CPG)
Henry Boot (BHY)
Vodafone (VOD)
Imperial Tobacco (IMT)
Energias De Portugal (EDP)
First Property (FPO)
Invensys (ISYS)
Kefi Minerals (KEFI)

Six share tips for 2013



Richard Hunter | 4 January 2013


January is a time when many investors reappraise their portfolios and look for new opportunities. To provide some inspiration I have selected two shares I believe could be set for a strong 2013, and asked analysts Keith Bowman and Paul Williams to do the same.

Please remember past performance is not a guide to the future; all stock market investments will fluctuate in value so you could get back less than you invest.

Richard Hunter

Barclays

The banking industry is showing some signs of life, and Barclays could be set for an interesting year. Challenges certainly remain, including further regulatory issues and fines (US investigations into financial probity and interest rate swaps), higher capital requirements, and pressure from shareholders for greater return on capital (the dividend yield is paltry compared to historic standards).

Barclays' decision to hold its hands up first over the LIBOR scandal could prove financially prudent, as it led to a discounted fine. The company has a broad mix of products and is geographically diversified (describing itself as having a 'universal banking model') and in February is expected to announce a restructure of its operations - with particular regard to the investment banking and retail banking businesses.

2013 could be a seminal year for Barclays and, whilst the obstacles are many, there are signs this is a company on the mend. The market consensus now stands at a cautious buy and the share price has managed to gain 60% over the last 12 months (compared to an 8% rise for the FTSE 100), albeit from a low base.

Barclays prices, charts and research

Standard Chartered

Although a UK company, Standard Chartered derives around 90% of its income and profits from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. December's trading statement confirmed the company was firmly back on track after August's $327m fine from the New York regulator relating to transactions with Iran.

Standard is a rare example of a bank in hiring mode, particularly in China and Africa where it anticipates further growth. Despite the US fine, December's update also highlighted improved financial features, including revenues, lower loan impairments, general asset quality and strength in liquidity and capital. Over the last six months the shares have staged a quiet yet robust recovery, having risen 15% as compared to a 6.8% gain for the FTSE 100. This return to business as usual is reflected in a strengthening market consensus, now a buy.

Standard Chartered prices, charts and research

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Paul Williams

Whitbread

Although its brewing and pub heritage is a distant memory, Whitbread has not only become the UK's largest hotel and restaurant company, but it is also aggressively expanding its international presence.

Costa Coffee has grown to one of the largest coffee house chains in the world, and the largest in the UK. In its latest quarterly update the board reiterated its five-year growth plans (to 2015/16) to increase the number of Premier Inn UK rooms to at least 65,000, add 80-100 new restaurants and nearly double Costa Coffee sales of £1.3 billion from 3,500 stores worldwide. In spite of fierce competition, the group is on track to meet analyst expectations of strong full year results. The shares have risen 67% over the last year, but I believe there is no sign of investor appetite waning. The analyst consensus is that the shares are still a buy.

Whitbread prices, charts and research

McDonald's

McDonald's is one of the top ten recognised global brands and is the world's largest fast food chain. The weak global economy, a strong US dollar and the euro zone crisis weighed on the group's latest results, which showed revenues and profits flat ($7.2bn and $1.46bn respectively). Nevertheless, global sales grew 1.9%, and in Europe, where around 40% of its business is undertaken, revenues were up 1.8%. More importantly, McDonald's has consistently outperformed competitors since the recession, notwithstanding newer chains including Panera Bread Co entering an already competitive market. The company offers a stable balance sheet, a diverse global business with a progressive dividend policy and share repurchase programme. I believe the market consensus of a buy will remain for the time being.

McDonald's prices, charts and research

Keith Bowman

ITV

ITV's mid-November trading update was well received, and the five-year transformation plan established in 2010 remains on track. A more balanced and robust business model is the goal, with a drive to increase non-advertising revenues being led by a renaissance at the group's Studios business. Its Studios production arm saw revenues rise by 20%, although this included strong growth in the first half, with international sales of shows including 'Come Dine With Me' and 'Downton Abbey' playing an important part.

Cost-cutting initiatives were ahead of target, whilst competition from rivals airing Olympic events will not repeat itself in 2013, possibly allowing a move into positive territory for group advertising revenues. In all, in the changing world of the media industry, content remains triumphant above distribution, an area where the group is growing in strength. Management is highly regarded, whilst an eventual takeover of the company cannot be completely ruled out. In all, analyst consensus opinion remains favourable in tone, a cautious buy.

ITV prices, charts and research

G4S

2012 was not a year for G4S to remember. It booked a £50 million loss against its much-publicised Olympic difficulties, with the full reputational damage not fully quantifiable. It will lose an existing prison management contract and has not made the shortlist for a number of other prison contracts up for tender.

However, a degree of backtracking by the government appears to have occurred, with three prisons set to remain under public sector control. G4S has recently strengthened its management, hiring Adam Crozier (formerly of ITV and Royal Mail) to the board, whilst the company has at least been shortlisted to run a number of call centres assisting with welfare changes. The group operates in over 125 countries and continues to target growth in emerging markets, which currently generate around 30% of group revenues. This year's difficulties could result in a change in Chief Executive, whilst a dividend yield of over 3% (variable and not guaranteed) remains attractive. In all, analyst opinion currently denotes a buy.

2013 Share Tips from MoneyWeek

The 4th January 2013 issue of MoneyWeek magazine leads with "The ques for riches - What to buy in 2013"

In the article, MoneyWeek experts list the investments they would buy into now.
They panel consists of James Ferguson, Jim Mellon, Max King, Steve Rissell and Tim Price.

Here's are some of their 2013 share tips:

Webis (AIM:WEB)
Secure Trust (STB)
Travis Perkins (TPK)
Cranswick (CWK)
Reed Elsevier (REL)
Prudential (PRU)
Baillie Gifford Trust (BGFD)

While Max King says that he would short Vodafone (VOD)

Midas Share Tips – Our top tips for 2013 offer investors chance of superior returns

Posted by Joanne Hart on Monday, January 7th, 2013 at 2:18 pm.


While there is a more optimistic feeling in the City than a year ago, concerns remain. With that in mind, Midas has selected three top tips for 2013 that should generate superior returns for investors, even if economic growth remains sluggish.


Midas – The investment column that makes the most of your money

>> You can also sign up for Financial Mail’s Midas Extra share tips, which includes more than 150 exclusive share tips a year for just £10 a month.

Stock markets tend to look on the bright side at the beginning of a new year and so it has proved in 2013.

Brokers are hoping that the British economy will grow faster this year than last, that the eurozone will finally begin to recover and that the rest of the world will move at a livelier pace than in recent months.

While there is a more optimistic feeling in the City than in January 2012, concerns remain.

With that in mind, Midas has selected three top tips for 2013 that should generate superior returns for investors, even if economic growth remains sluggish.

Oil and gas group aims to deliver rapid threefold share price rise

OUR first tip is Fastnet Oil and Gas, a junior exploration company whose explicit intention is to deliver rapid results for shareholders.

The shares are 221/4p and the board believes the price could triple over the coming year. In most cases, such assertions would be met with scepticism, but the Fastnet team inspires confidence.

The company’s founders include three of the leading directors at Cove Energy – John Craven, Michael Nolan and Stephen Staley. Cove was another junior oil play, set up in 2009 and sold for £1.2billion last year to PTT of Thailand.

Now the trio aim to repeat the experience at Fastnet, aided by chairman Cathal Friel, a highly successful banker with 25 years’ experience advising companies, and Carol Law, who has spent her career in oil exploration, most recently at American oil giant Anardarko Petroleum Corporation.

Fastnet is focusing initially on Morocco and the Celtic Sea and it already has substantial assets in both areas. Unlike many junior oil companies, Fastnet intends to concentrate on exploration, seeking out early signs of promise rather than covering everything from discovery to production.

In Morocco, for example, it has already formed a joint venture with US oil group Kosmos Energy, which will be responsible for financing a large proportion of the development costs.

Fastnet will participate but it will not take on the entire burden itself. In this way, the group hopes to generate value for shareholders without constantly returning to the market for cash.

The same policy is being pursued in Ireland, where the company has licences over a substantial area in the Celtic Sea and is actively seeking a larger partner to further assess these assets. In the meantime, the company is fully funded for 2013 and expects to deliver a series of encouraging news updates over the next few months.

Midas verdict: Small oil and gas companies always carry an element of risk but the Fastnet board seems sensible, focused and determined to succeed. At 221/4p, the shares should go far. Even the ticker symbol bodes well. Buy.

Traded on: Aim Ticker: FAST Contact: 0203 411 5730 or fastnetoilandgas.com

Property developer has tempting yield

Established property developer Segro is our second recommendation. It owns the Slough Trading Estate, home to Ricky Gervais’s television hit, The Office.

Segro offers investors a six per cent dividend yield and the possibility of some real share price appreciation, too. The company is in the throes of change and the stock should respond as chief executive David Sleath delivers on his strategy.

Sleath took the helm in the summer of 2011 and has spent the past 18 months giving Segro a much sharper focus, concentrating on industrial property in or near key transport hubs, such as the Thames Valley, Heathrow Airport, Ile-de-France – the region surrounding Paris – and the Rhine-Ruhr region in Germany.

Sleath is also disposing of non-core property in Britain and on the Continent and reinvesting the proceeds in his chosen areas.

The company sold £505million worth of property last year and expects to complete further sales in 2013.

Brokers forecast a dividend of 15p for the year just ended, rising to 15.3p for 2013 and 15.5p the year after. Profits are expected to grow steadily as well.

Midas verdict: Sleath is determined to create one of Britain’s leading income-focused property companies and City supporters believe he is well-equipped to do so. The shares are trading at 251p and should reward yield-seeking investors. Buy.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: SGRO Contact: 01753 537171 or segro.com



Biotech minnow set to reap rewards from animal blood test kits

Avactar Group is a biotech business whose shares are trading at just over 1p each. The lowly valuation may worry some investors, but this firm, based near Wetherby, West Yorkshire, has real potential.

The group has three divisions. First, it makes a device – the Optim 1000 – which helps drugs companies work out at an early stage whether the products they are working on will ultimately be successful.

As 93 per cent of drugs that enter clinical development never make it to market and developing just one can cost more than £500million, the Optim 1000 can be extremely beneficial and is already used by pharmaceutical companies around the world.

Avacta’s second product, the AX-1, has a rather different target market. It is a desktop machine that performs rapid blood tests.

The company initially developed the device for the veterinary market, simply because new equipment can be launched more quickly and at a lower cost for animals than for humans.

The AX-1 is being tested by vets and should be launched commercially this year. Each machine will cost about £2,000 but they should prove costeffective, provided a number of diseases can be tested using them. Vets will be able to charge for tests but pet owners will receive results within a few minutes and so start to treat their animals faster.

With both the Optim 1000 and the AX-1, Avacta developed the devices and the tests that go inside them, so there are two sources of turnover, one initial and one recurring.

Over time, Avacta chief executive Alastair Smith hopes to introduce the AX-1 to the mainstream medical market, enabling doctors to diagnose a range of diseases more rapidly than at present.

The company’s third arm is extremely exciting. It has pioneered a way of making replacements for antibodies.

Antibodies are used extensively in medical diagnosis and biological and drugs research. However, they are extremely expensive, costing about £1million a gram.

Avacta’s replacements are made synthetically in laboratories so they are hundreds of times cheaper than antibodies. The company moved into this area just a year ago, following the acquisition of a small biotech firm, Aptuscan.

Aptuscan was behind the original creation of these replacement antibodies but Avacta has developed them materially over the past year so they now have far more potential in the commercial world. Smith hopes to use them to expand the number of tests available for the Optim 1000 and the AX-1 and ultimately they could also help to analyse diseases, such as cancer, far more accurately than is currently possible.

Midas verdict: Avacta’s turnover for the year to last July was £3.13million and there was a pre-tax loss of £1.6million, as the business invested in its future.

However, this company should expand substantially over the next five years. It has several strings to its bow, Smith is exceptionally bright and if he can capture even a fraction of the animal health or diagnostics markets, Avacta’s fortunes will be transformed.

Adventurous investors should buy the shares now, at a penny apiece.

edit. oh dear getting like herman now