Next Share News (NXT)

(ShareCast News) - Next has been downgraded by Credit Suisse to an 'underperform' rating from a prior 'neutral' as the clothes retailer's "routes to growth are slowing".Credit Suisse said it was increasingly concerned about the gradual slowdown in Next's near- and medium-term growth drivers.The Swiss bank had been worrying about the tough comparative figures from last year that were making it hard for the FTSE 100 company to report growth this year, with next year's gross margins likely to be capped by the strength of the US dollar.Moreover, the Next Directory catalogue arm is "looking increasingly mature" in the UK, while the contribution of UK bricks and mortar stores space is gradually slowing.With shares in Next having continued to re-rate higher on an absolute and relative basis since the start of the year, and with the shares now looking "extremely overbought" versus the FTSE100, CS downgraded its recommendation with a maintained 12-month target price of 7,450p.Shares in retailer Debenhams were under pressure after UBS downgraded the stock to 'sell' from 'neutral' and cut its price target to 70p from 90p.The Swiss bank said its 'Evidence Lab' survey suggests customer intention to purchase in the next 12 months has seen the most significant decline among peers."Shopping intentions for Debenhams are at the low end of both clothing and homewares retail and the company scores below the sector average for retailers with regard to low prices and good value."Daily Mail & General Trust got a boost on Friday after Citigroup upgraded the stock to 'buy' from 'neutral' and raised the price target to 980p from 900p, saying the risk/reward balance looks more attractive following a sharp drop in the share price.The bank noted that since DMGT's disappointing third-quarter trading update in July, the stock has fallen by around 20%."We simply think the share price reaction has been overdone and so from a valuation perspective see current levels as an attractive entry point," said the bank.