London close: FTSE 100 pares session gains to end lower on low inflation woes
24th Mar 2015 17:01
London's FTSE 100 index underperformed its European peers on Tuesday as investors cut exposure on the back of inflation data from the UK and US. Inflation in the UK fell to zero while in the US, it moved out of the negative zone back into zero. With inflation in both countries at the same rate, defl
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: ABF hit by euro weakness, Centrica lower on election risk
24th Mar 2015 14:14
Primark owner Associated British Foods tripped lower after Swiss bank Credit Suisse lowered its earnings forecasts for the company citing euro weakness. "AB Foods doesn't usually feature in our regular FX updates on the sector, but given the severity of the euro's demise it should. For ABF the impac
Read moreBroker tips: Barclays, Travis Perkins, Intertek, Kingfisher, Consumer staples
3rd Mar 2015 11:51
A handful of brokerages continue to rate Barclays stock as 'buy' despite Tuesday's results from the bank that contain a huge increase in provisions to cover the costs of legal fees relating to scandals. Despite concerns in the market that rising litigation costs could dent the group's profitability
Read moreInvestec names AB Foods and Unilever as key picks in consumer staples sector
3rd Mar 2015 10:04
Shares in Associated British Foods (ABF) and Unilever were making decent gains on Tuesday after broker Investec named the two stocks as its top picks in the European consumer staples sector. Analysts Alex Smith and William Cuss gave both companies a 'buy' rating, setting target prices of 3,650p for
Read moreLondon close: HSBC dampens sentiment as investors wait on Greek news
23rd Feb 2015 16:30
A plunge in the share price of HSBC, falling commodity stocks and a lack of news regarding Greece ensured that UK equity markets remained in the red on Monday, with investors cautious with shares near all-time highs. HSBC dropped nearly 5% after the global lender missed forecasts with a sharp drop i
Read moreLondon midday: HSBC drags UK stocks lower despite progress in Greece
23rd Feb 2015 15:31
European markets breathed a sign of relief on Monday as concerns over Greece eased, though UK stocks didn't join in with the rally after HSBC disappointed with results and commodity stocks weakened. HSBC had fallen nearly 6% after the global lender missed forecasts with a sharp drop in profits for 2
Read moreLondon open: Weak HSBC results keep FTSE flat early on
23rd Feb 2015 08:54
After briefly testing an all-time high on the back of Greece's bailout extension, the FTSE 100 quickly reversed into the red on Monday morning on the back of disappointing results from banking heavyweight HSBC. HSBC's shares were down as much as 5% early on after the global lender reported a drop in
Read morePrimark owner AB Foods reiterates guidance after in-line first half
23rd Feb 2015 07:02
Primark owner and food ingredients group Associated British Foods (ABF) reiterated its guidance for a small fall in full-year profits this year, saying that underlying trading in the first half has been in line with expectations. Lower sugar prices mean that profits at AB Sugar have been "substantia
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE 100 to test record highs on Greek bailout extension
23rd Feb 2015 06:49
UK stocks are expected to test record highs on Monday as markets breath a sigh of relief after Greece was granted an extension on its bailout agreement with the Eurozone. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around 30 points higher than Friday's close of 6,915.20. The index is set to surpass
Read moreAssociated British Foods plans £98m impairment due to oil prices
3rd Feb 2015 08:23
Associated British Foods has decided to write down its UK bioethanol joint venture by £98m due to the slump in crude oil and bioethanol prices and the ongoing weakening of the euro against sterling. The FTSE 100 group, owner of Primark clothing stores as well as diverse international food and ingred
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: CRH and Reckitt rise, while commodity stocks feel the pinch
23rd Jan 2015 13:15
Irish cement maker CRH jumped on Friday after news emerged it was leading the race to buy assets from rivals Holcim and Lafarge. Both firms are offloading businesses to ensure their proposed merger is approved and CRH has reportedly bid as much as €6bn for the assets. The firm confirmed it is in dis
Read moreFriday tips round-up: Associated British Foods, Income stocks
17th Jan 2015 00:50
Discount clothing brand Primark has been the main engine behind the rise in shares of Associated British Foods. However, as the unit's rapid rate of growth in both profits and revenues has slowed down so too the company's stock has fast become overvalued. Over the last five years the shares have ris
Read moreLondon midday: Surprise Swiss policy move sinks stocks, FTSE near one-month low
15th Jan 2015 11:57
Markets were back in the red by Thursday lunchtime, erasing earlier gains after a surprise announcement by the Swiss central bank. The FTSE 100, which rebounded to an intraday high of 6,472.91 early on, was down 0.6% at 6,349 by midday after Switzerland scrapping the franc's minimum exchange rate ag
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rebound after sell-off as earnings impress
15th Jan 2015 08:25
UK stocks advanced on Thursday morning but only partly clawed back losses after a heavy sell-off the previous session. The FTSE 100 was up 1.1% at 6,458 early on, with updates from blue chips Experian, Associated British Foods and Tullow Oil being well-received by the market. The index had dropped
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to rebound after heavy sell-off
15th Jan 2015 07:55
UK stocks are expected to rebound on Thursday after a massive sell-off the previous session on the back of concerns about global growth and plunging commodity prices. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open 57 points higher than Wednesday's close of 6,388.46. The index dropped 2.4% the previous
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