New Budget

Headlines say Chancellor has pulled a rabbit in the new budget and all stock picks are a mix of 82% BUY, 8% HOLD and 9% SELL in Stockomendation.

1. ADD Costain Group

Top interesting stock pick this week was ADD Costain Group by Peel Hunt with a tip performance of 6%. Peel Hunt also upped the target price from 49.55p to 50p.

Analysts say it’s worth a look now with 2022 results positively impacting share price with the promise of a brighter future. Share price may be on the up for the British constructor founded way back in 1865 and with a 61% institutional ownership with 50% owned by just 7 shareholders there is a lot at stake.

In Stockomendation 4 out of 4 analysts rate Costain as BUY being Peel Hunt, Roland Head, Jabran Khan and Andrew Woods and there are no active short positions.

2. BUY Microlise Group

Second interesting stock pick this week was BUY Microlise Group by Berenberg with a tip performance of 5%.

The Nottingham logistics software provider share price is up more than 50% in the month. Earlier this week it announced the purchase of Vita Software, a logistics management software, for £2.1 million.

Interesting times for the group as the CEO announces an acquisitive phase. Microlise listed at 147p in 2021 with today’s share price at 168p.

Berenberg is the only analyst rating Microlise in Stockomendation and there are no active short positions.

3. AVOID Hargreaves Lansdowne

Third interesting stock pick this week was AVOID Hargreaves Lansdown by Emma Powell in The Times - Tempus with a tip performance of 4%.

Emma says the robots have come at a price for Hargreaves Lansdowne. What you might not know about the financial services company is that it’s committed to spend £226 million on robots by 2026. Small fry it isn’t especially with a drop from 48,000 to 31,000 new clients from 2021 to 2022. In addition now is a strange time to be splashing the cash, as Emma observes.

Hargreaves Lansdowne share price currently sits at 785p. Emma says customers have lost confidence and it’s no wonder with shares priced at just one third of what they were in 2019.

Emma cites rising costs as another reason to look afield from Hargreaves Lansdowne perhaps to cheaper investment propositions. 4 of 5 analysts in Stockomendation rate it as buy or watch and there are no active short positions on the company.

Featured image via Microlise

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Disclaimer: The contents of this article should not be considered financial advice. Pricing data correct as at 16th March 2023.