Investec has reiterated its 'buy' rating and 2,800p target price for consumer goods giant Unilever after its fourth-quarter results came in ahead of forecasts.

"The Q4 & FY12 numbers have beaten consensus expectations on the key metrics of organic growth and core margins (core earnings per share were in line)," said analyst Martin Deboo. "This caps a strong year for ULVR and we see the trends as supportive of our 'buy' case," he said.

Deutsche Bank has trimmed its fourth-quarter forecasts for B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher on the back of a negative read-across from peers in the DIY retail industry.

"Last week's data from Homebase and the Banque de France suggest market weakness and continued downside risk to Kingfisher's Q4 profits," the broker said.

UBS has cut its target price for precious metals miner Fresnillo from 2,100p to 2,00p and kept its 'neutral' rating on the stock following a mixed fourth-quarter production report yesterday.

Fourth-quarter silver production totalled 10.6m ounces, slightly ahead of UBS's 10.5m-ounce estimate. However, gold output of 97,000 ounces came in well below the 125,000-ounce forecast.

BC

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Fresnillo (FRES) share price