Investors have suffered a turbulent ride since the near-10% rally in the FTSE 100 index in the first three months of the year. The second quarter of 2013 has seen the UK's leading index rally and fall to such extent that in one specific week the index moved more than 800 points lower.
A negative market performance over the quarter certainly tests one's mettle, but it also provides investment opportunities and investors who use Morningstar.co.uk to generate ideas and monitor their portfolios have continuted to seek out reliable UK companies that deliver steady growth and a consistent dividend. Some more opportunistic ideas have crept into the Q2 list of most researched companies by Morningstar.co.uk users, however, with the stalwarts of Vodafone, Tesco and GlaxoSmithKline being accompanied by lesser-known stocks such as Quindell.
Software and consulting services firm Quindell Portfolio started the second quarter trading close to 14p per share but hit 6p a share in May after a statement confirming strong trading also triggered concern around an equity swap. Whether solely to take advantage of the share price drop, or to also restore confidence in the company's outlook, CEO and chairman Robert Terry soon snapped up 1 million shares in the firm at 8p apiece and finance director Laurence Morse also bought 250,000 shares at the same price. This, combined with news of contract wins, helped to support the stock and ensure Quindell shares ended the quarter above 11p a share. Quindell is tenth on our list for Q2.
Also of note among the most popular stocks last quarter was Lloyds Banking Group. As a common holding of British tax payers, the company is often among the most researched but in the last quarter talk of when the government will unwind its position in the bank, and what investors should do when it does, encouraged more investors to review the share price and fundamentals. Lloyds is second on our list for Q2.
Just missing out on reaching the top ten were several other news-fuelled stocks, namely FastJet (FJET), the airline that services routes in Africa, and fracking firm IGas Energy (IGAS).
Among the ten most searched for companies on Morningstar.co.uk in the second quarter, listed below starting with the most popular, the vast majority have 3-Star ratings and are therefore considered to be fairly valued by Morningstar equity analysts. One company, however, carries a 2-Star rating implying our analysts see the stock as slightly overvalued.
10 Most Searched For Stocks in Q2
Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY)
3 Stars
FirstGroup (FGP)
Not rated
Quindell Portfolio (QPP)
Not rated
Star Ratings for Stocks indicate whether the stock is over- or under-valued compared to our analyst's fair value estimate. Morningstar Equity Research is available to Premium subscribers. Not a Premium member? Get instant access when you take a free 14-day trial.