| From UK-Analyst.com: Friday 18th October 2013 Competition The UK-Analyst Friday Competition is back. For your chance to win a copy of Deep Value Investing - finding bargain shares with big potential - by Jeroen Bos (RRP 24.99) send your funniest caption for the picture of Boris Johnson in China below. Send your entry to richard.gill@t1ps.com by 9am on Monday morning. 
The Markets Economic growth in China came in at an annualised rate of 7.8% over the July--September quarter, up on the 7.5% expansion which was recorded for the previous quarter. The news will be especially welcomed by investors in an economy which has seen its blistering pace of growth slow in recent months. The news also bodes well for the world's second largest economy because it comes at a time when China is transitioning from being export-driven to a country is which much more focused on domestic demand. Song Seng Wun, a Senior Economist with CIMB Research commented, "This is an indication that China's economic growth is holding up in a range which is within the comfort zone of both the Chinese policymakers as well as global watchers." According to new numbers from accountancy software company Sage, small and medium sized companies in the UK are now more confident on their future prospects than at any other time in the last three years. Business confidence in the UK rose by 4.1 points on Sage's scale over the same time last year, to 62.55 out of 100, ahead of all the Eurozone countries surveyed. However, the survey did not paint a completely rosy picture of the UK SME landscape as it revealed that 54% of UK companies felt they were not getting the financial support to grow. Guy Berruyer, Chief Executive of Sage, commented, "If businesses are to take advantage of the upsurge of economic confidence, then they need access a wide range of funding sources." 
At the London close the Dow Jones was down by 12.01 points at 15,359.64 and the Nasdaq Increased by 36.06 points to 3,337.34. In London the FTSE 100 closed up by 46.42 points at 6,622.58 and the FTSE 250 swelled by 159.27 points to 15,391.18. The FTSE All-Share increased by 26.55 points to 3,533.23 while the FTSE AIM Index grew by 5.91 points to 799.14.  Broker Notes Canaccord Genuity stuck with its "buy" recommendation on asset management group Jupiter Fund Management (JUP), increasing its target price from 370p to 430p. Canaccord Genuity believe that Jupiter's Q3 numbers reflect the strength of the franchise and its ability to attract a steady pace of asset flow. To this end, the broker expects growth to continue on good performance in the funds and structural growth in the UK market. The shares grew by 5p to 390p. Beaufort Securities lowered its "buy" recommendation to a "hold" stance on building materials group Travis Perkins (TPK) after the firm yesterday published an IMS covering the third quarter of the year. The broker made this decision given the mixed signals about Its future prospects and an apparent restriction on revenue upside for the company amidst tough trading conditions. The shares jumped by 42p to 1,791p. Citron Research rubbished direct marketing company Nu Skin (NUS:NYSE), even accusing the company of operating an illegal pyramid scheme. The research body also argued that Nu Skin has become "extraordinarily dependent" on China for a disproportionate amount of its gross revenue. Citron elaborates and says that with its mainland China sales now accounting for an "extraordinary" 28.9% of its total revenues, investors face a tremendous amount of risk from Nu Skin's business model. At the time of writing, the shares were down by $0.81 at $99.44. ADVERTISEMENT Interested in trading forex? Join us at our free educational seminar on Friday 1st November For more information CLICK HERE Blue Chips Mining giant Anglo American (AAL) revealed that third-quarter copper production jumped by 32% from a year earlier, while iron-ore output actually declined over the period. According to figures from the London-based miner, copper production for the period was 207,300 metric tons while iron ore-production fell by 24% to 9.5 million tons. The figures come after the company revealed that it is considering divestments as it looks to streamline its operations. The shares slipped by 21p to 1,532p. Mid Caps Electrical engineer Spectris (SXS) announced that it expects full year earnings to be "around the lower end of market expectations" on the back of mixed trading conditions. The company explained that its results have been impacted by adverse currency fluctuations and a weak sales performance in China and Japan. Looking ahead, the company - which makes testing and control equipment for the mining, oil and gas and pharmaceutical industries - went on to warn that growth rates continue to be unpredictable. The shares grew by 26p to 2,250p. Lender Provident Financial (PFG) claimed that its trading performance over the 9 months ended 30th September had been as good as expected. The group's Vanquis Bank business delivered strong growth and robust margins, boosted by record low delinquency levels. Meanwhile, the firm's Consumer Credit division continues to contend with weak demand - a trend which prompted management to initiate a cost saving programme back in July. The shares fell by 44p to 1,576p. Russian steelmaker Evraz (EVR) confirmed that its third-quarter steel output dropped from the previous quarter as it shrunk operations in response to a contraction in global demand. The company - which is partly owned by Chelsea FC owner Roman Abromovich - also explained that the 3% reduction in output over the July-August quarter was impacted by scheduled maintenance at its Russian plant Evraz ZSMK. The update comes after Credit Suisse re-iterated its "outperform" recommendation and 150p target price on the company earlier this month. The shares inched up by 1p to 133p. Small Caps Financial services software firm StatPro Group (SOG) said that it has traded in line with expectations over the July-September quarter, with recurring revenues and client numbers increasing over the period. The firm went on to insist that the pace of growth will increase over the short-medium term "as the network effect of clients sharing with others creates new prospects" for the company. The shares were up by 2.5p at 95p. Amaid Water Systems (AFS), the producer of water filtration systems, conceded that its products continue to be subject to "fluctuating market conditions.". The company also bemoaned delays on certain projects within its irrigation business, with many contracts due to be executed this year now being pushed into 2014. As a result of this, coupled with a general slowdown in the US and India, the company now expects full-year revenues to be between $115-$120 million (71-74.2 million pounds) and net profit to come in between $4-$6 million (2.5-3.7 million pounds) . The shares plummeted by 44p to 281p. In its quarterly funds under management update, investment manager Brooks MacDonald (BRK) announced that its discretionary funds grew by 5.2% to 5.37 billion pounds in the three months to September. A breakdown of the growth shows that 36% of the uplift comprised of market performance while the remainder was made up of new business. Meanwhile, the firm's advisory funds inched up by 1.7% to 354 million pounds over the period. The shares crept upwards by 3p to 1,353p. 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Financial adviser Panmure Gordon (PMR) revealed it made a 335,000 pounds pre-tax profit for the six months to June, down by 84% on the prior year period. Heavy administrative and acquisition costs took the gloss of a period which did in fact benefit from three share listings in the first half of 2013, including the 1.54 billion pounds offering of life insurer Partnership Assurance Group back in June. The shares edged up by 1.5p to 141.5p. Mining outfit Golden Saint Resources (GSR) confirmed that it has now commenced its 2013 field exploration program at the Tongo Diamond Project in Sierra Leone's Eastern Province. The work in question will include regional mapping, soil and rock sampling, pitting and regional stream sediment sampling. The licence covers an area of approximately 53 square miles and is located in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. The shares dropped by 0.35p to 11.9p. Brokerage Plus500 (PLUS) declared that its non-executive director, Charles Fairbairn, has purchased 50,000 shares in the company at 148p each. The confident move comes a day after the company released a positive update covering the 9 months ended 30th September, with revenues up by 52.7% over the period. As a result of this transaction, Fairbairn now holds around 0.1% of Plus500's issued share capital. The shares surged by 24p to 171p. | 
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