Broker tips: RBS, M&S, easyJet, Imperial Tobacco

Shore Capital has retained its neutral stance on the shares of Royal Bank of Scotland but said that the appointment of Ewen Stevenson as its new Head of Finance is 'positive news'.Analyst Gary Greenwood said: "We view this as positive news as it removes uncertainty around the position and should therefore enhance investor confidence in the company's ability to deliver on its strategic plan."Goldman Sachs has retained its 'sell' recommendation for British department store group Marks & Spencer (M&S), saying that the business is not exempt from increasing competition in the UK grocery market.In a research report dated April 3rd, the bank added the stock to its 'Conviction Sell List' and slashed its target price for the shares from 420p to 340p.Credit Suisse has retained its 'outperform' recommendation on budget airline easyJet, saying that the company's March traffic statistics on Friday shows good momentum and a creditable performance."We continue to see easyJet as a multi-year value proposition, and re-iterate our view [...] that easyJet should be able to capitalise on attractive medium-term volume and pricing opportunities," the bank said.Panmure Gordon has assessed the potential impact from plain packaging on Imperial Tobacco after the industry overhaul moved one step closer to reality this week.The broker said that the UK is one of Imperial's most profitable markets and accounts for 20% of group operating profits. However, given the subdued effect on the industry in Australia after it adopted the change in December 2012, Panmure said that there will be little short-term impact for Imperial. It has left its earnings forecasts for the next three years unchanged.BC