STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-Experian falls after Goldman rating cut

Credit data company Experian (Other OTC: EXPGF - news) falls to the bottom of Britain's FTSE 100 index, with traders attributing its decline to a downgrade on the stock from Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS-PB - news) , which cuts its rating on Experian to "sell" from "neutral".

Experian shares are down by 3.2 percent at 1,122 pence in early session trading, underperforming a 0.2 percent rise on the FTSE 100. Trading volumes on Experian come in at 23 percent of the average 90-day amount - above those for the FTSE where volumes come in at just 4 percent of the index's average 90-day volume.

"We think there is a risk Experian shares derate from all-time high multiples as organic growth slows and returns fall," Goldman writes in a research note.

"We downgrade the shares to 'Sell' with 15 percent potential downside," it adds.

Goldman's downgrade echoes a similar one earlier this month from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which cut its rating on Experian to "neutral" from "buy" on concerns over Experian's valuation and the rate of its organic growth.

In spite of Friday's fall, Experian shares remain up by around 14.5 percent since the start of 2013 - slightly outperforming a 13 percent gain on the FTSE 100.

Reuters messaging rm://sudip.kargupta.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net