London midday: FTSE 100 slips below 6,000
12th Apr 2011 12:04
The top share index is back below 6,000 points as concerns over global economic growth weigh on sentiment. The IMF lowered its US 2011 GDP growth forecast by -0.2 percentage points, to 2.8%. Nor did Britain emerge unscathed. The IMF revised down its growth expectations this year from 2%to 1.7%. Me
Read moreLondon open: Global growth worries hit stocks
12th Apr 2011 08:22
Stocks are on the back foot after the International Monetary Fund slashed its growth forecasts for the US and amid renewed worries over Japan after its earthquake. The IMF lowered its US 2011 GDP growth forecast by -0.2 percentage points, to 2.8%. Nor did Britain emerge unscathed. The IMF revised
Read moreSector movers: GKN boosts car sector
11th Apr 2011 15:35
The automobile and parts sector is motoring ahead following an update from engineer GKN GKN said its car operations have been impacted by the recent earthquake in Japan, though market conditions have otherwise been as expected in the first quarter. Sales were up by 14% from the same period a year
Read moreLondon open: Shares bounce back
8th Apr 2011 08:28
Shares have rebounded after a late dive yesterday following an earthquake aftershock in Japan, which was not as bad as feared. Indian mining giant Vedanta produced record volumes of metals in the fourth quarter as it sought to benefit from soaring commodity prices. In its Indian zinc-lead-silver op
Read moreLondon afternoon: Invensys bid fever fades
30th Mar 2011 14:39
Stocks came off the top over the lunch time session, though risers still comfortably outnumber fallers among Footsie constituents by at least two to one. Miners are setting the pace, particularly Vedanta, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Antofagasta. At the other end of the scale Invensys is sharply lo
Read moreLondon midday: Miners drive FTSE 100 higher
30th Mar 2011 12:35
Miners are driving the top share index closer to 6,000 points, though the retail sector is under pressure following a profit warning from Dixons Retail. Vedanta, BHP Billiton, Antofagasta and Kazakhmys are among the big names in the mining sector posting gains. Elsewhere in the FTSE 100, oil compa
Read moreLondon open: Miners drive FTSE 100 near 6,000
30th Mar 2011 08:37
Miners are driving the top share index closer to 6,000 points, though the retail sector is under pressure following a profit warning from Dixons Retail. Vedanta, BHP Billiton, Antofagasta and Kazakhmys are among the big names in the mining sector posting gains. Elsewhere in the FTSE 100, oil compa
Read moreSector movers: ENRC leads miners higher
23rd Mar 2011 17:37
The mining sector was the best performing sector Wednesday, helped higher by strong gains from the blue chips. Kazakhstan-based mining giant ENRC announced that underlying profits more than doubled last year. Shares in Kazakhmys, Xstrata, Rio Tinto and Antofagasta rose in sympathy. The industrial
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners recover
17th Mar 2011 14:18
Mining shares are starting to recover today. Antofagasta and Xstrata are both ahead. Shares in Weir Group are higher after one of its directors, Lord Smith of Kelvin, bought more than £48,000 worth of shares. Legal & General has fallen even though the insurer raised its full year dividend by 2
Read moreLondon close: Heavy losses despite recovery
15th Mar 2011 16:42
The FTSE 100 closed deep in the red Tuesday amid continuing worries over the situation in Japan, though losses were more than halved following a slide in the morning as nerves calmed. A third explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan has raised concerns of a major radiation le
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks stabilise
15th Mar 2011 14:27
Leading shares remain deep in the red and the best that can be said is that the situation did not get materially worse over the lunch time session. A third explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan has raised concerns of a major radiation leak and sparked panic selling on the
Read moreLondon midday: Slide continues in quake aftermath
15th Mar 2011 12:09
The blue chip index continues to be hurt by the crisis in Japan as sentiment remains battered by fears of a nuclear disaster. While off its lows for the day so far, the FTSE 100 still remains over 2% under at around 5,640, a level not seen this year. A third explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi nucle
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Antofagasta, Weir, Inchcape...
9th Mar 2011 06:48
Copper miner Antofagasta already trades at "considerably higher multiples than those of Kazakhmys or indeed the major diversified miners", according to brokers. Given that, it is not a buy but the company's strengths and the confidence evidenced by the special dividend means this is not a sell say
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 rallies to flat finish
8th Mar 2011 16:53
The FTSE 100 rallied strongly to close flat after a volatile. Traders were unsure how to react to continuing violence in Libya and indications from Opec that the cartel will lift oil production. The oil price eased, but so did metals, which dealt a blow to the mining sector, particularly precious m
Read moreSector movers: Miners in the red
8th Mar 2011 16:01
Mining giant Antofagasta is pulling down the sector despite saying that it will pay a special dividend after profits topped the $1bn mark in 2010. The Chile-based group will pay out 116c per share in total for 2010 including a special payment of 100c. In 2009, it paid 23.4c with a 14c special. Ne
Read more