FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

UK's FTSE 100 Closes Week Flat; AO World Shares Jump

-- British stocks concluded the trading week flat, with the FTSE 100 down 0.03% on Friday's close amid a quiet day of local economic news and the expected weekend peace talks between the US and Iran.

"Financial markets breathed a sigh of relief this week as the US and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire. However, the truce looks fragile and the Strait of Hormuz is still effectively closed, so we don't plan any major changes to our UK growth and inflation projections as part of our global forecast update on April 13," Oxford Economics said in a note.

"The ceasefire lessens the chances of more disruptive outcomes playing out. But even if a full-blown truce is agreed, it will take time for energy production and shipping traffic to return to normal levels," the research firm added. "Our current baseline assumption is that the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed until the end of April, with traffic levels rising to around 50% in May and June, before gradually recovering to normality over the following six months."

Oxford Economics currently expects the UK's gross domestic product growth to stand at 0.4% in 2026 and 0.9% in 2027, while inflation in the country is projected to reach 4.5% in the fourth quarter of 2026.

In corporate news, Kingfisher plc (KGF.L) was one of the blue-chip index's top gainers, rising 2.70% at closing, as it commenced the first tranche of its share repurchase program worth up to 300 million pounds sterling. The British home improvement company will buy back a maximum of 75 million pounds of its shares under the initial tranche, which will be canceled to reduce the company's share capital.

Meanwhile, electrical goods retailer AO World (AO.L) expects its adjusted profit before tax for the 12 months ended March 31 to be at the top end of its guidance range of 45 million pounds to 50 million pounds, while total group revenue is anticipated to rise 11%. The stock gained 6.98% at the end of the trading session.

Related Articles

Research

Research Alert: CFRA Keeps Buy Opinion On Shares Of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc.

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We trim our 12-month target price by $8 to $155, valuing HIG shares at 11.3x our 2026 operating EPS estimate of $13.75 (cut by $0.45) and at 10.6x our 2027 EPS estimate of $14.65 (cut by $0.30), vs. the shares' one-year average forward multiple of 10.3x and peer average of 13x. Q1 EPS of $3.09 vs. $2.20 a year ago missed our $3.60 estimate and $3.39 consensus view. Operating revenue growth of 6.2% was in line with our 6%-10% forecast, amid 5.3% earned premium growth, 13% higher net investment income, and 7.9% fee revenue growth. Q1 written premium growth of 4% and full-year 2025 growth of 7% bode well for 2026 revenue trends as premiums are earned. Underwriting results improved significantly, with Personal Lines combined ratio improving to 87.7% from 106.1% and underlying combined ratio to 85.0% from 89.7%. Business Insurance combined ratio was stable at 94.8%. Weighing the Q1 EPS miss with HIG's decent top-line growth and discounted valuation to peers, we view the shares as undervalued.

$HIG
Research

Research Alert: CFRA Keeps Strong Buy Opinion On Shares Of Baker Hughes

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We raise our 12-month target price by $14 to $82, reflecting a combination of our sum-of-the-parts (SOTP) and DCF models. For our SOTP model, we presume the oilfield services business (about 50% of BKR's franchise) to be valued at about 10x projected 2027 EBITDA (in line with major peers) and its industrial energy technology business (the other 50%) valued at 14x projected 2027 EBITDA (in line with the peer median). This blended approach, yielding a 12x multiple, implies a value of $73 per share. Meanwhile, our DCF model, using medium-term free cash flow growth of 5% per year, terminal growth of 2.5%, discounted at a WACC of 6.3%, yields intrinsic value of $91 per share. We cut our 2026 EPS estimate by $0.47 to $2.48, but we raise 2027's by $0.07 to $3.24. We acknowledge that the oilfield services business is likely to struggle in 2026 owing to the U.S.-Iran conflict, but the IET business appears quite robust and likely to be a source of both accelerating revenue growth and margins.

$BKR
Research

Research Alert: CFRA Maintains Hold Opinion In Shares Of Wab

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We lift our 12-month target to $285 from $275 following WAB's Q1 earnings print, valuing shares at 24.2x our 2027 EPS outlook of $11.76 (revised from $11.46; 2026 EPS estimate up to $10.57 from $10.50), a slight premium to WAB's long-term historical multiple average given structural improvements in earnings quality. While we are cautious on signs of overcapacity in the freight market, an elevated order backlog (12-month sits at over $9 billion), internal initiatives to shore up margins, and potential synergies from M&A activity positions WAB to continue growing earnings at double-digit rates in 2026-2027, in our view. Despite tariff-related cost pressures, WAB has done a commendable job of defending margins via a mix of pricing, lean manufacturing, and pruning of lower-profit operations. Q1 results were mixed but overall positive, in our view. We maintain our Hold recommendation on shares.

$WAB