Tips on FTSE Stocks

Britain's FTSE 100 index ended lower 56.40 points or 1 per cent at 5,871.51 on Wednesday, though investors digested the latest second round of a European Central Bank long term liquidity operation. The top blue-chip Vodafone Group shares lost ground and banking shares ended negatively.

Discover the stock picking strategies for Thursday as recommended by top brokers along with ratings as follows:

Liberum Capital

Cuts 'Afren' to 'Hold' from 'Buy'
Raises 'BG Group' target price to 1721p from 1645p, gives 'Hold' rating
Raises 'BP' target price to 500p from 450p, assigns 'Hold' rating
Raises 'Enquest' target price to 169p from 144p and reccomends 'Buy' rating
Raises 'Premier Oil' target price to 486p from 404p and assigns 'Hold' rating
Raises 'Sterling' target price to 67p from 62p, gives 'Buy' rating
Raises 'Tullow Oil' target price to 1440p from 1425p and reccomends 'Hold' rating
Raises 'WSP Group' fair value target to 250p from 200p, gives 'Hold' rating

UBS

Raises 'Bowleven' price target to 105p from 70p, assigns 'Neutral' rating
Raises 'DS Smith' price target to 165p from 150p, gives 'Neutral' rating
Raises 'Hiscox' price target to 417p from 383p and assigns 'Neutral' rating
Raises 'Schroders' price target to 1580p from 1360p and reccomends 'Neutral' rating
Raises 'Travis Perkins' price target to 1200p from 940p and assigns 'Buy' rating
Raises 'Ultra Electronics' price target to 1350p from 1250p, gives 'Sell' rating
Raises 'William Hill' price target to 290p from 275p, reccomends 'Buy' rating

Deutsche Bank

Raises 'Bovis Homes Group' price target to 533p from 526p
Cuts Essar Energy price target to 250p from 360p
Cuts 'Lloyds Banking Group' price target to 60p from 65p
Raises 'Vedanta Resources' price target to 1900p from 1720p

JP Morgan

Raises 'Bunzl' price target to 1,050p from 985p
Raises 'Cookson Group' to 'Overweight' rating from 'Neutral'
Raises 'Croda' target price to 2,200p from 1,970p
Raises 'Talktalk' price target to 132p from 126p

Barclays

Raises 'Bunzl' target price to 960p from 880p and recommends 'Equalweight' rating
Raises 'Cookson Group' target price to 825p from 700p and assigns 'Overweight' rating
Raises 'Lancashire Holdings' to 'Equalweight' from 'Underweight'
Nomura Raises 'Hiscox' target price to 431p from 408p, gives 'Reduce' rating
Cuts 'HSBC Holdings' target price to 650p from 725p and recommends 'Buy' rating
Cuts 'SABMiller' to 'Neutral' rating from 'Buy' rating

Absa Capital

Cuts 'Aquarius Platinum' price target from 250p to 170p, gives 'Overweight' rating
Cuts 'Lonmin' price target from 1245p to 1085p and assigns 'Equalweight' rating