RBS chairman joins Anglo American
9th Nov 2009 07:15
Mining giant Anglo American has added former Sainsbury chairman, Sir Philip Hampton, to the board in a non-executive role. Hampton has been chairman of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) since February 2009. Prior to joining RBS, Hampton was group finance director of Lloyds TSB, as it was then named, fr
Read moreLondon close: US sparks late rally
5th Nov 2009 16:21
A smaller than expected increase to the Bank of England's quantitative easing programme and and early surge on Wall Street helped Footsie overcome early losses and close in the blue. The central bank voted to pump an additional £25bn into the economy, taking QE to £200bn. It also kept interest rate
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie climbs into blue
5th Nov 2009 14:13
A smaller than expected increase to the Bank of England's quantitative easing (QE) programme and stronger US futures have hauled London into the blue. The central bank voted to pump an additional £25bn into the economy, taking QE to £200bn. It also kept interest rates at 0.5%. "The fact that the M
Read moreLondon midday: BoE expands QE programme
5th Nov 2009 10:41
London's top stocks are trading quietly after their initial fall as investors mull the Bank of England's decision to extend its quantitative easing programme by a further £25bn to £200bn. Telecoms group Cable & Wireless has dropped after it revived plans to split itself in to two parts. The announc
Read moreLondon open: Shares start lower
5th Nov 2009 08:17
London's top stocks opened lower in line with the weaker trend seen in the afternoon session on Wall Street and losses overnight on Asian markets. The market has much to occupy itself ahead of the announcement later today of the Bank of England's decision on whether to extend its quantitative easi
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: RBS, Lloyds, Cadbury
1st Nov 2009 14:40
Britain's banks face one of the most crucial weeks in their history with sell-off plans for Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland assets to be finalised, just as the financial regulator begins scrutinising City bonuses. Alistair Darling is expected to say on Tuesday that Lloyds will not b
Read moreLondon close: Shares end near session high
29th Oct 2009 16:23
London's top stocks closed near its session high on news that the US economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter. Traders loved news that the US economy grew 3.5% annually in the last quarter, more than expected and the fastest rate of increase in two years. Part-nationalised bank Lloyd
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Banks bounce back
29th Oct 2009 15:10
Shares in Lloyds Banking, which is in advanced discussions with UK authorities regarding alternatives to entering the state insurance scheme for toxic debt, are soaring. The lender is considering raising cash via an underwritten rights issue and debt swap. Fellow part-nationalised lender Royal Bank
Read moreLondon afternoon: Blue chips track US advance
29th Oct 2009 14:55
America's return to growth in the third quarter, stronger UK banks and a better mining sector have propelled London far into the blue Thursday. Traders loved news that the US economy grew 3.5% annually in the last quarter, more than expected and the fastest rate of increase in two years. Part-nati
Read moreLondon close: Footsie suffers reversal of fortunes
26th Oct 2009 16:21
Stocks had looked like making a decent start to the week, but a dramatic and sudden sell-off on Wall Street quickly sent London into the red. The Dow Jones turned an early three-digit gain into a 100-point loss as US analyst Dick Bove downgraded Fifth Third Bancorp, SunTrust Banks and US Bancorp.
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks get lift from Wall Street
26th Oct 2009 14:20
After crawling higher throughout the morning session London's leading shares received a boost from a firm start on Wall Street. The market is buoyant despite weakness in the banking sector, where the market is holding its breath for the anticipated cash call by Lloyds Banking. Elsewhere in the sect
Read moreLondon midday: Shire gives Footsie boost
26th Oct 2009 12:03
Footsie is sitting just above the zero mark, with drug group Shire given a boost by some positive regulatory news. Shire is one of the top risers after it announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has affirmed its prior decision to grant five-year New Chemical Entity (NCE) exclusivit
Read moreLondon open: Shire drags FTSE higher
26th Oct 2009 08:36
Miners and drug group Shire are giving Footsie a lift in early dealings on Monday. Lonmin, Rio Tinto and Anglo American are among the best performing miners. Pharma firm Shire is leading the risers after it announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has affirmed its prior decision to
Read moreLondon close: Footsie stays strong
23rd Oct 2009 16:31
Footsie shrugged off a surprise fall in GDP to post good gains after rising on the back of well-received US results. The economy shrank by 0.4% in the third quarter, confounding analysts' expectations of a return to growth and suggesting that further stimulus measures may be on the cards. It is t
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners rally again
23rd Oct 2009 16:16
Miners, whose fortunes are linked to global metals prices, were among the strongest performers on a day that ultimately turned out to be quite good for London's blue chips. Kazakhmys, Anglo American, Vedanta and Xstrata were the picks of the mining sector, with Anglo receiving an additional leg-up
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