The FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE) is still stumbling blindly in the absence of clear indications from the Federal Reserve, and by late morning today has drifted seven points lower to 6,545. And what movements we have had from FTSE 100 shares have been relatively small, and pulling in both directions.
But here, at least, are three members of the index whose shares are looking good today:
TUI Travel
TUI Travel shares picked up 6.6p (1.9%) to 363p after the firm told us it is confident of achieving 11% growth in operating profit for the year to 30 September. The summer season has been good, and TUI has already sold about 30% of its winter programme with average sales prices up on last year.
TUI shares are now up more than 50% over the past 12 months, as the firm is set to deliver its third year in a row of strongly-rising earnings. Even during the depths of the crisis, TUI earnings only dropped modestly, and the dividend continued to grow throughout — we’re on for a yield of around 3.6% this year.
Results are due on 10 December.
Tullow Oil
Shareholders of Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW) haven’t had much to shout about of late, but they got a bit of good news this morning as the firm announced a new oil discovery. Drilling at the Ekales-1 wildcat in Northern Kenya has apparently uncovered a potential oil play of 60-100 metres of sandstone reservoirs. This is the fourth such strike in Northern Kenya since drilling started in 2012.
The share price? Well, just a modest gain of 12p (1.1%) to 1,065p, but it’s at least in the right direction — though the shares are still down more than 20% over the past 12 months.
Compass Group
Compass Group shares gained 15.5p (1.9%) to 846p after a full-year trading update told us of “another good performance in the fourth quarter of the financial year“. Organic revenue growth of 4% for the full year is expected, rising to 4.5% with the contributions of acquisitions made during the period. The firm also expects a record operating margin of over 7%.
Although markets in Europe are still difficult, Compass says its new contracts pipeline is encouraging, and North America and emerging markets now account for two thirds of its revenues.
We should have the full results on 27 November.