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Full year results: Strong revenue growth across key strategic brands at Imperial Tobacco helped the group raise its annual dividend by 11% to 105.6 pence a share, boosting its pay-out ratio from earnings to 52.5%. Its four key brands, Davidoff, Gauloises Blondes, West and JPS, resulted in combined volume growth of 7% and net revenue growth of 13% while fine cut tobacco volumes remained stable. Strong results were seen in premium cigars growing volumes by 11% and revenues by 10%, with Scandinavian snus volumes up by 53%. Meanwhile, stick equivalent volumes declined 2.7% in the period due to "ongoing market weakness in Ukraine and Poland and compliance with international trade sanctions in Syria," the company said .The company's portfolio "provides significant opportunities for further growth," Chief Executive Officer Alison Cooper said in the release.

Company overview Imperial Tobacco is a leading international tobacco company, headquartered in Bristol, England. The group's core activity is the manufacture, marketing and sale of tobacco and tobacco related products. Imperial is the world leader in roll-your-own, rolling papers and tubes. Group brand names include Lambert & Butler, Davidoff, Rizla, John Player, Navy Cut, Woodbine, Richmond, Golden Virginia, Embassy, Regal, Super Kings and many others. Its brands and products are available in over 160 countries worldwide. It is the market leader in the UK and holds second place in Germany. The group currently operates 49 manufacturing sites and employs around 38,000 personnel. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

Sector peer Resolution is also rated as a 'buy': the broker said that this is "based on valuation, and given improving governance, its own restructuring momentum, and underperformance year to date."

As for Pru, UBS said that its 'buy' rating carries longer-term conviction, "given strong operational momentum, strategically attractive markets, scope for management to release significant sum of the parts value, and a lack of exposure to macro concerns."

Nomura says that StanChart is trading at around 1.6 times 2012 tangible book value and 11 times 2012 earnings. "As long as prospects of Asian economies are better than Europe, banks exposed to those prospects will continue to outperform over the longer term, and as such retain our 'buy' rating on STAN (and HSBC). "In the very near term, though, a lack of positive earnings momentum may weigh on the stock, but we expect by full-year stage, STAN can beat lowered consensus expectations, particularly with its cost flexibility."

Emerging markets lender Standard Chartered's third-quarter results were broadly in line with expectations, according to Nomura, but 'a touch below if we are nit picking'. Nevertheless, the broker has maintained its 'buy' rating and 1,600p target price for the shares, saying that the business is "motoring away as expected". Income growth was said to be at "high single digit, maintaining the trajectory seen in the first half of 2012", which compared with 8.5% growth at the interim stage. Meanwhile, operating profit growth is at a "mid-single digit" rate or "double digit" excluding the New York State Department of Financial Services settlement. "We believe excluding the realisation gains would make underlying PBT [profit before tax] in line with our expectations (income growth of 8%, PBT growth of 8.5%) and broadly in line with consensus (a touch lower if we are nit picking, income growth of c9%, PBT growth of c9%)," the broker said. "However, this is despite a c3% FX headwind on income at the group level, in our view, which could very well turn into tailwind in the coming quarters. The group has shown that it retains cost flexibility, and we think this should help it beat PBT expectations, which have now come down for 2012-13, even if income does not."

Standard Chartered: Nomura keeps buy rating and 1,600p target; UBS keeps buy rating and 1,800p target; Bank of America ML keeps buy rating and 1,745p target; Investec keeps buy rating and 1,800p target.

Stagecoach: Jefferies keeps buy rating and 335p target; Nomura keeps buy rating and 305p target; Investec keeps buy rating and 320p target.

Spirit Pub: Panmure Gordon ups target from 67p to 75p, buy rating kept.

RSA Insurance: UBS ups target from 100p to 105p, neutral rating kept.

Rightmove: Citigroup initiates coverage with buy rating and 2,050p target.

Regus: Jefferies keeps buy rating and 130p target.

Prudential: UBS raises target from 875p to 950p, buy rating kept.

Pendragon: Jefferies keeps buy rating and 20p target; Panmure Gordon upgrades from sell to hold, 13p target kept.

Pearson: Investec maintains hold rating and 1,240p target.

Oracle Coalfields: Seymour Pierce initiates coverage with buy rating and 11p target.

Marks & Spencer: Barclays Capital downgrades to underweight, target cut from 340p to 310p; Societe Generale upgrades to buy, target lifted from 378p to 448p.

Lookers: Panmure Gordon ups target from 79p to 90p, buy rating kept.

Legal & General: Panmure Gordon keeps buy rating and 139p target.

Imperial Tobacco: Panmure Gordon keeps buy rating and 2,900p target; Jefferies keeps hold rating and 2,560p target; Investec keeps buy rating and 2,660p target.