Broker tips: Banks, GKN, Luminar

The warning by the Basel Committee last week that banks will have to face lower returns in future has not dissuaded Deutsche Bank from extolling the virtues of investing in the shares of UK banks Barclays, Lloyds Banking and Royal Bank of Scotland.The German bank has reiterated its 'buy' recommendations for all three, believing that an improvement in the loan write-down situation is on the way in the second half of next year.Deutsche concedes, however, that the market may continue to treat the shares with suspicion until the next results season in February. The banks also remain vulnerable to a slump in confidence which could bump up funding costs.Citigroup has crunched the numbers following GKN's trading update last week and has lifted its price target for the automotive and aerospace engineer.The broker now expects the shares to hit 140p over a 12-month time frame, up from its previous price target of 130p. Citi thinks the company is well placed as it enters 2010, with 'global auto volumes to continue near a 65m production rate, just below the 4Q rate, but well ahead of the 50-55m of early 09.'It's the busiest time of the year for nightclub operator Luminar but Panmure Gordon thinks that Christmas and New Year will need to see the clubs jam-packed with high spending punters in order for the company to hit market expectations, and the broker considers that unlikely.Last week Luminar confirmed that revenues continue to run around 14% lower than last year, and Panmure Gordon predicts this trend will continue to the end of the year. Consequently, it has downgraded its full year 2009/10 profit before tax estimate by 40% to £6.2m, which equates to earnings per share (EPS) of 5.3p. The price target has been more than halved to 34p from 73p. 'The key issue for Luminar is how it stems the current rate of LFL (like for like) sales decline whilst youth unemployment continues to rise,' Panmure analyst James Cooke asserts. The broker retains its 'sell' recommendation.