Broker snap: JPMorgan upbeat on Glencore, downgrades Antofagasta
15th Aug 2013 09:20
JPMorgan Cazenove has named diversified miner Glencore Xstrata its top pick amongst copper producers, while downgrading its rating for Antofagasta. The broker has a bullish outlook for copper, its preferred commodity currently, "with stable through-the-cycle demand, challenging supply-side dynamics
Read moreLondon open: Weak start ahead of US data
15th Aug 2013 08:36
UK stocks slumped in early trading on Thursday as investors awaited a barrage of economic data from the US amid mounting fears of a withdrawal of stimulus by the Federal Reserve. "With the markets having a good run of late, the combination of uninspiring earnings and fears of tapering could create
Read moreLondon open: Subdued start as markets await influx of data
14th Aug 2013 08:23
Markets opened broadly flat on Wednesday as traders showed caution ahead of a barrage of economic reports, including the minutes of the latest Bank of England policy meeting. As well as the minutes, investors will look out for gross domestic product (GDP) figures from the Eurozone, unemployment da
Read moreLondon close: Footsie gains on upbeat data, Fresnillo jumps
13th Aug 2013 16:57
Upbeat data from home and abroad gave the FTSE 100 a lift on Tuesday, with precious metals group Fresnillo leading the heavyweight mining sector higher in London. Markets briefly dipped into negative territory in afternoon trade after US retail sales came in slightly below expectations, though a la
Read moreLondon close: Markets finish lower despite mining strength
12th Aug 2013 16:44
Markets were choppy on Monday with early gains on the FTSE 100 being erased by the end of trade as traders reacted to mixed newsflow from Asia and Europe. Even a strong performance in the heavyweight mining sector wasn't enough to push the London benchmark into positive territory today, with Financ
Read moreSector movers: Miners jump on Chinese stimulus hopes
12th Aug 2013 15:35
Rumours of stimulus measures from top consumer China sparked some strong gains in the mining sector on Monday as stocks extended gains following last week's upbeat economic data from the Asian powerhouse. Traders were reacting to a report from the South China Morning Post (SCNP) which suggested tha
Read moreLondon open: Miners, RBS lead markets higher early on
12th Aug 2013 08:17
Markets edged higher in early trading on Monday as stocks reacted to an improving outlook in China and shrugged off disappointing economic figures from Japan. Sentiment surrounding China brightened last week as better-than-expected trade figures, strong industrial production data and subdued inflat
Read moreLondon close: Stocks jump as optimism over China grows
9th Aug 2013 16:34
Markets rallied strongly on Friday as economic data from the world's top metals consumer, China, sparked some impressive gains in the heavyweight mining sector. A day after trade figures came in ahead of expectations, the outlook for China brightened further with strong industrial production figure
Read moreSector movers: Chinese data boosts mining stocks
9th Aug 2013 15:08
Upbeat economic data from China boosted share prices in the mining sector on Friday as the outlook improved for the world's top metals consumer. Miners were extending gains made on Thursday after Chinese trade figures were well received by the market with both imports and exports smashing forecasts
Read moreLondon open: Miners lift markets as concerns over China ease
9th Aug 2013 08:45
Worries over a slowdown in China eased temporarily on Friday morning after a barrage of strong economic figures from the world's second-largest economy sparked decent gains in the mining sector in London. Chinese industrial production increased at an annual rate of 9.7% in July, an acceleration fr
Read moreLondon close: Markets rise as Chinese data gives miners a boost
8th Aug 2013 16:35
London's FTSE 100 finished Thursday's session in positive territory, registering moderate gains as a strong performance in the mining sector and results from Aviva helped the index rebound slightly after a four-day losing streak. Forecast-beating trade figures from the world's top metals user, Chin
Read moreSector movers: Chinese trade data gives miners a boost
8th Aug 2013 15:19
Better-than-expected trade figures from China boosted stocks in London's mining sector on Thursday, as equities recovered after some sharp falls in recent days. Disappointing results from heavyweight precious metal groups Randgold and Fresnillo have weighed on the sector this week, with investors a
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Aviva jumps as first-half results impress
8th Aug 2013 14:41
Aviva's share price surged on Thursday after the insurer beat forecasts in the first half as its turnaround continues. The firm reported a five per cent rise in operating profit to 1,008m pounds, ahead of the 933m-pound estimate, while the value of new business jumped 17 per cent to 401m pounds. "I
Read moreLondon midday: Aviva, miners help FTSE 100 snap losing streak
8th Aug 2013 11:53
Markets were on the advance on Thursday morning as well-received results from insurer Aviva and strong gains in the mining sector helped the FTSE 100 rebound after four straight days of losses. Miners in particular were boosted by better-than-expected trade figures from China, as stocks in the sect
Read moreLondon open: Chinese trade data lifts markets after sell-off
8th Aug 2013 08:21
Better-than-expected trade figures from China helped push markets in positive territory on Thursday morning but sentiment was still fragile following the heavy sell-off the day before. Concerns about a tapering of stimulus by the Federal Reserve and an underwhelming forward guidance statement from
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