Sunday newspaper share tips

By THIS IS MONEY
Updated:

 

Each week we round up the Sunday newspaper share tips. For the Mail on Sunday's stock picks read the Midas column.

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

The commercial property market has had an unhappy year. For nearly nine months investors have been expecting property values to fall - the only uncertainty has been by how much.

Some visibility of the scale of the fall in property prices - and it is more likely to be in the order of 3% rather than the 30% that is factored into British Land's share price - could be just what the market needs. For medium-term investors who are prepared to stick with the company - currently at 932p - there should be profits to be had.

Icap, the world's largest inter-dealer broker, is due to report healthy first-half results later this month. It is a stock exchange for futures and derivative contracts around everything from foreign exchange, energy and interest rates to credit markets. It makes money whether markets go up or down - so long as people are trading, Icap is in the money.

The new bout of volatility provoked by the troubles of Wall Street's big banks helped push Icap's shares to a new high recently, in anticipation of more record trading. Shares, at 625p, are a buy.

Shares in Matra Petroleum, the oil and gas exploration firm, have increased by more than 85% in the past six months to 10.75p following a number of major developments. The shares reached a new high when the company announced that it had struck oil at its first exploration well in its Russian field. Matra only bought the licence in March.

While Matra's shares have already soared, it has more wells to drill, leaving room for more potential upside. Like all small oil explorers, Matra is a risky proposition, but the shares are worth a look.

Marks & Spencer's interim results last week were stronger than expected with pre-tax profits up by 11.5% and with plans to open wholly owned stores in China. The company also said it would increase its dividend by over 30%, buy back £1bn of shares and increase investment in its stores.

M&S is a company that has gone beyond recovery and is now growing again. Caution must be sounded over a possible consumer slowdown next year, but M&S is well placed to weather the storm and a relatively safe haven on the high street. Keep buying at 633.5p.

Share dealing for £12.50 - with free investment advice

Most watched Money videos