UPDATE 1-Brexit: Credit Suisse bullish on UK equities as no-deal chances fade

Published 13/09/2019, 09:59
Updated 13/09/2019, 10:00
© Reuters.  UPDATE 1-Brexit: Credit Suisse bullish on UK equities as no-deal chances fade

(Adds background, details from note)

By Thyagaraju Adinarayan

LONDON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse has turned bullish

on UK stocks, especially those with international exposure, as

the chances of the country crashing out of the European Union

fall and some equities look cheap compared with foreign

counterparts, it said on Friday.

Credit Suisse is the first major bank to change its view on

UK equities amid rising hopes the country will avoid a no-deal

Brexit on Oct. 31 after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's hardline

stance suffered a series of defeats in recent weeks.

Since Johnson won the top job in July, Britain's Brexit

crisis has spun more furiously, leaving investors and allies

bewildered by an array of decisions that have pushed the once

stable political system to its limits. UK equities have been widely shunned by investors since the

country vote to leave the trading bloc in 2016.

As recently as three weeks ago, the Swiss bank said it was

neutral on UK equities because it needed more visibility over

Brexit. That's now changed due to the reduced likelihood of a

no-deal Brexit.

"Given the most recent developments (...), we believe that

investors should now be overweight of the UK, but more

importantly in USD terms and still selectively," its analysts

said.

The note came as sterling jumped to a seven-week high

against the dollar as investors cut their sterling short

positions on the receding risks of Britain leaving the European

Union without a negotiated arrangement. GBP/ The Swiss bank now expects the UK blue-chip index FTSE 100

.FTSE to touch 7,600 points by mid-2020, a 3.5% gain from

current levels.

"We would buy UK international earners in dollar terms that

are cheap versus their peer group," Credit Suisse analysts said.

In dollar terms, the FTSE 100 is the only major index to

have fallen since Brexit, while rest of the world has seen

double-digit percentage gains.

Credit Suisse said Johnson Matthey JMAT.L , Elementis

ELM.L , Rentokil RTO.L , Relx REL.L and British American

Tobacco BATS.L were some of the attractive names with

international exposure.

UK stocks undervalued https://tmsnrt.rs/2ZZhWlo

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