London midday: Shares give back some gains
5th Jan 2011 12:07
The FTSE 100 is firmly in the red after yesterday's strong gains amid weakness in the mining and retail sectors. With metals prices falling back following a strong run recently, miners such as Antofagasta, BHP Billiton and Kazakhmys are weak. Retailers are in focus, with Next one of the top riser
Read moreLondon close: Footsie winds down as 2011 nears
30th Dec 2010 16:55
London closed shy of the 6,000 mark after a late dip in very light volumes with little for either buyers or sellers to get their teeth into. Fresnillo was an exception thanks to another strong day on the metals exchanges as silver hit a new 30-year high. Copper traded above $9,500 per tonne on the
Read moreLondon midday: Traders go 'cold turkey' on shares
30th Dec 2010 12:23
Traders are regarding UK shares with all the enthusiasm of someone being offered another round of cold turkey sandwiches, as the lull between Christmas and New Year continues. Fallers outnumber risers by around two to one among Footsie constituents, with miners reflecting the mixed picture. Silver
Read moreLondon close: Flat finish
16th Dec 2010 16:33
It was hard going for the leading index Thursday, with gains among some of the more unfashionable blue chip names just about cancelling losses at BP and heavyweight miners. The FTSE 100 struck a new 2½-year intraday high early in the session, but that was as good as it got, and only a sudden improv
Read moreLondon close: Footsie clings to lead
9th Dec 2010 16:40
A weak morning session on Wall Street did London no favours Thursday, although the big banks helped the leading index to only its second close above 5,800 in over three weeks. Barclays, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland were top of the pile. HSBC also did well, but fellow Asia-focused player Stand
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks help index advance
9th Dec 2010 14:42
A mostly better banking sector, gains for some of the mining heavyweights and a decent start on Wall Street are offsetting losses among the big retailers. Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays are going well following a good session in overseas markets, though Asia-focused Standard Chartered
Read moreLondon midday: Shares steady as Bank holds rates
9th Dec 2010 12:13
The midday announcement that interest rates and quantitative easing will remain unchanged surprised no one and shares remain little changed. Banks and miners are going well. Platinum specialist Lonmin, copper miners Antofagasta, Kazakhmys and ENRC are also in demand, as are the Australian iron ore
Read moreLondon open: Miners on the march
9th Dec 2010 08:44
The leading share index is posting good gains this morning, with the mining sector on the march as metals prices advance. Platinum specialist Lonmin leads the FTSE 100 higher. Copper miners Antofagasta, Kazakhmys and ENRC are also in demand, as are the Australian iron ore duo Rio Tinto and BHP Bill
Read moreLondon close: US tax cut extension boosts shares
7th Dec 2010 16:52
Shares closed with decent gains Tuesday, though off earlier highs that came after an extension of George W Bush's tax cuts in the US lifted sentiment. US president Barack Obama has said that he will agree to a two-year extension on tax-cuts from the Bush era in a compromise arrangement that bodes w
Read moreLondon afternoon: Shares extend gains
7th Dec 2010 14:23
With US stocks set to open high on the back of the tax-cuts deal between president Obama and the Republican party, London's blue-chips added to the morning's gains over the lunch time session. US president Barack Obama has said that he will agree to a two-year extension on tax-cuts from the Bush er
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners head higher
7th Dec 2010 13:24
Miners lead the risers with commodity prices heading north. Antofagasta and ENRC are the best of the risers in the mining sector. Xstrata also rose even though it is taking a post-tax impairment charge of about $440m after reviewing the value of its Araguaia nickel project in Brazil. Xstrata has a
Read moreLondon open: Blue chips firmer
7th Dec 2010 08:47
London's blue-chips have opened firmer with resources stocks in demand and a solid update from Tesco providing some encouragement for buyers. Miners and oil stocks lead the risers with the price of crude edging up towards the $90 per barrel mark. Essar, Fresnillo and Antofagasta are the best of the
Read moreLondon close: Rally falters as eurozone worries continue
26th Nov 2010 16:53
A sharp rally following earlier heavy losses nearly lifted Footsie into positive territory in the afternoon but the rally fizzled out and the leading share index closed lower, with European debt concerns still looming large. Portugal is currently going down the path trodden by Ireland and denying i
Read moreSector movers: BT boost lifts telecoms sector
26th Nov 2010 15:46
BT is lifting the telecoms sector higher after announcing that it has sold part of its stake in the Indian IT Group Tech Mahindra. It also benefits from an upbeat broker note from Exane BNP Paribas, which lifts its price target on BT by 20% to 265p. Miners retreat in line with metal prices with Ind
Read moreLondon afternoon: Losses pared
26th Nov 2010 14:39
After briefly dipping below 5600 this morning Footsie more or less halved its losses over the lunchtime session, though heavy falls are still being sustained by miners and banks. Portugal is currently going down the path trodden by Ireland and denying it is in need of a bail-out and, as with Irelan
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