FTO.L Share News (FTO)

Britain's biggest bakery chain Greggs shrugged off the effects of the big freeze, reporting trading over Christmas that was stronger than expected, with a 3.5% rise in sales, or 0.6% on a like-for-like basis, over the five-week period. The current valuation of 11 times 2011's projected profits fairly reflects both its strong balance sheet and its mature core business, so tuck into the shares only on weakness, says the Times.The income that can be received from some of the top UK companies is a safer bet than that available from many sovereign nations at the moment. Currently, telecoms giant Vodafone is at eighth place in the FTSE 100 prospective dividend league - and the payout is as secure as they come. Spanish 10-year bonds are currently yielding 5.5% - similar to an investment in Vodafone. Buy, says the Telegraph. Yesterday's trading statement from Moneysupermarket.com was reasonably upbeat. The ads might be second-rate but they're working well enough. The shares have been run up quite strongly recently and trade on 14 times 2011 forecast earnings. Moneysupermarket would look tasty if the personal-loan market took off, but people are wary about borrowing right now. So we wouldn't be shopping with the Moneysupermarket for an investment. Sell, says the Independent.The WikiLeaks saga may have appeared to some as an exercise in disruption, but it has also thrown light on the prospects of the technology developers hoping to win the "arms race" against cyber criminals. NCC should benefit from the sudden interest in technology that protects other technology. Buy, says the Times.Fortune Oil, an oil and gas specialist focused exclusively on the Chinese market, has broken with tradition by investing in Armenian iron ore. The company will pay $24m (£15.2m) for a 35% stake in Bounty Resources Armenia. Few would argue that the Chinese economy's demand for iron ore is near insatiable and has risen ten-fold over the past decade, yet this deal smacks of bandwagon jumping on the back of the surge in iron-ore prices last year. One for the very brave, says the Times.Last year was particularly torrid for shareholders in Vedanta Resources, the Indian mining giant controlled by billionaire Anil Agarwal. Negative headlines were generated over a proposed bauxite mine on holy lands in the Indian state of Orissa and the Indian government rejected the company's proposal. Then, in August, the group said it planned to buy a controlling stake in Cairn India, majority owned by Cairn Energy, prompting Vedanta's shares to plunge about 20%. The shares are trading on a current-year earnings multiple of 10.2, falling to just 5.6 next year and 4.9 in 2013. This looks too cheap, according to the Telegraph.Long term, this country faces a massive housing deficit, which should drive business for the likes for house builder Barratt. But that is in the long term. The short-to-medium-term picture is less inspiring. Keep selling, recommends the Independent.For N Brown, the home-shopping group specialising in plus-size clothing, the weather had a mixed impact. N Brown, whose brands include Simply Be, Figleaves and Jacamo, is likely to have benefited from consumers staying at home to do their Christmas shopping and, indeed, it said its trading was "encouraging" from late October to mid-December. Despite a sharp rise in its shares over the past year, N Brown still trades at a slight discount to the retail sector on just 11.3 times forecast earnings. It is also forecast to make nearly £100m of pre-tax profit this year. Buy, says the Independent. Advertising and marketing spend used to be the first victim of any economic downturn but this is no longer the case, with more enlightened companies recognising the importance of maintaining their brand's visibility and product appeal even more rigorously in times of challenge. WPP appears worth considering for those that believe that the international global recovery will gather pace during 2011. Buy, says the Scotsman.Please note: Digital Look provides a round-up of news, tips and information that is impacting share prices and the market. Digital Look cannot take any responsibility for information provided by third parties. This is for your general information only as not intended to be relied upon by users in making an investment decision or any other decision. Please obtain a copy of the relevant publication and carry out your own research before considering acting on any of this information.