** Ashtead rises 5.1 pct, its best day YTD, after Q1profits beat expectations
** Pre tax profit of £160.7 mln a 6.8 pct beat of consensus,according to Thomson Reuters data
** Co confident on outlook despite weaker commentary frompeers United Rentals, HSS and Speedy Hire
** Stock had been consensus long on both the buy- andsell-side for several years - not a single "hold" or "sell"rating on the stock as recently as November 2014
** However, concerns over slowing US rental growth has seenthe stock break an uptrend held since 2011, losing 16.5 pct YTD
** BAML double downgrade to "sell" has seenother brokers follow suit, but majority of the street stillpositive (13 "buy", 2 "hold", 1 "sell")
** Berenberg notes weakness has left stock at an attractiveentry point: co on a 31 pct discount to peer group on anEV/EBITDA basis, despite a FY 2015-7 CAGR of 26 pct versus 15pct for peers (RM: alasdair.pal.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)