…and some to sell

Gem Diamonds Daily Mail

Core earnings at the mining firm have slipped, owing to a dip in value of the diamonds at its Lesotho mine. Revenue and profit are both down, with a resulting 4.3% fall in share price. There’s not much to indicate a rebound. Sell. 122p.

HSS Hire The Sunday Times

Last year’s disastrous float led to two profit warnings at the tool rental business, and a plunge in shares. Management attributes the slide to the erratic nature of the business; analysts argue it should never have gone public. Sell. 79p.

Laird Daily Mail

The electronic components business just lost its CEO to a rival – a worrying development. Analyst Berenberg doubts whether the group will be able to meet market expectations in the second half of the year. Sell. 299p.

Merchants Trust Investors Chronicle

Equity income funds are usually a good bet for income seekers, but underperformance, combined with a high level of expensive debt, make Merchants a risky option – despite the ever-increasing dividend. Sell. 434.45p.

Premier Farnell London Evening Standard

The struggling parts distributor saw its shares slip, after one of its suitors, Dätwyler, declined to raise its bid. Further momentum looks unlikely now that Us-based Avnet will probably emerge as the winning bidder. Sell. 183.78p.

William Hill Sharecast

Rank Group and 888 Holdings have thrown in the towel on their pursuit of a three-way merger with the bookie. Analyst Berenberg argues that William Hill’s size makes it a tough target for other potential suitors. Sell. 306p.