London close: Losses pared ahead of Greek meeting
7th Feb 2012 16:35
-Greek talks enter critical stage. -Shareholders raise questions over terms of Glencore/Xstrata merger. -Defensives in demand as investors flee from risk. Losses were trimmed by the end of trade on Tuesday with reports pointing to progress being made in Greece. Government leaders and international
Read moreSector movers: Miners fall as investors flee from risk
7th Feb 2012 16:01
With investors fleeing from risk on Tuesday as prolonged Greek talks took the spotlight, miners were widely sold off, with merger pals Xstrata and Glencore International being the worst performers on the FTSE 100 in late afternoon trade. Markets await this evening's meeting between the Greek Prime M
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Glenstrata deal hits shares in both firms
7th Feb 2012 15:48
Both Xstrata and Glencore both fell today as battle lines were drawn over the Glenstrata merger. The opening salvos have been fired in the battle for value over the proposed $90bn merger between the two commodity giants. On one side are the shareholders of Glencore and the managements of both compan
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie at day's worst levels on worries over Greece, China
7th Feb 2012 11:49
- Shareholders raise questions with terms of Glencore/Xstrata merger. - BP predicts flat underlying production in 2012. - Greek talks enter critical stage. UK stocks sank further into the red by midday with worries over Greece and China - as well as an early blow to the Glencore-Xstrata merger - we
Read moreLondon open: Miners tank in early trade
7th Feb 2012 08:35
A fall in the mining sector outweighed a strong showing by oil stocks as the Footsie slipped in early trading. Eyes will again be on Greece with as the meeting between Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and the country's three main political parties, originally scheduled for yesterday, is due to take p
Read moreLondon close: Markets waiting on Greece
6th Feb 2012 16:25
- Glencore and Xstrata merger may face regulatory probe. - Board room bust-up at Bumi unnerves Nomura. - Snow fun's no fun for airlines. As the market waited - once again - for Greece to agree on a package of austerity measures that will secure another tranche of aid, investors took the precaution
Read moreLondon midday: Miners drag Footsie lower as Greek crisis continues
6th Feb 2012 11:58
Losses were pared by midday, but London's blue chip index remained firmly in the red with Greek talks continuing to weigh on sentiment. Meanwhile, US stock futures were pointing to a weak start on Wall Street. After a meeting last night between the three parties of Greece's coalition government, Pr
Read moreLondon midday: Admiral leads the rise ahead of US data
3rd Feb 2012 12:03
Stocks were up at the day's best levels by lunchtime following a subdued start, with insurance outfit Admiral leading the charge. Miners on the other hand, are providing a drag, pulling back from their strong showing yesterday on the back of heightened M&A speculation in the sector. Markets were gi
Read moreLondon open: Stocks flat ahead of US data, Admiral jumps
3rd Feb 2012 08:31
London's blue chip stocks were broadly flat in early trading on Friday, with investors cautious ahead of some key non-farm payroll data due out in the US later today. In domestic news, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) predicts that the UK may fall back into recession t
Read moreLondon close: Stocks finish up after US data
2nd Feb 2012 16:37
After a morning session in the red, UK stocks erased losses in afternoon trading after some better-than-expected data Stateside helped the outlook for the world's largest economy. Leading the rise on the Footsie were the miners after some M&A rumours bolstered gains. Nevertheless, analysts at Digi
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners surge on Glencore-Xstrata merger speculation
2nd Feb 2012 14:46
Meanwhile, confirmation of a merger between Swiss commodities giants Glencore and Xstrata sent the two stocks to the top of the pile today, with Xstrata jumping 10% and Glencore rising 7%. A merger of mining outfit Xstrata and commodities trader Glencore could create a leviathan valued at around £52
Read moreSector movers: Smith & Nephew boosts health care stocks
2nd Feb 2012 14:11
The health care equipment and services sector was the best performer on Thursday afternoon after some well-received results from medical devices maker Smith & Nephew. The company saw revenue rise 3.66% to $1,106m in the final three months of 2011 from $1,067m in the corresponding quarter of last ye
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie flat despite mining strength, Xstrata surges
2nd Feb 2012 12:03
- Xstrata/Glencore surge on merger talks. - Mining strength outweighed by Astra, Unilever, Shell. - China considering increasing involvement in Eurozone rescue. The Footsie was broadly flat by lunchtime as poorly-received results from some big hitters outweighed strength in the mining sector. Mark
Read moreLondon close: Financials surge as macro data lifts sentiment
1st Feb 2012 17:00
- Schroders leads financial stocks higher as risk appetite increases. - Manufacturing data from UK, Europe, US and China well-received. - Greece 'one formal step away' from deal. The Footsie finished with a triple-digit point gain on Wednesday after manufacturing data from across the globe lifted s
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks rise after Eurozone manufacturing data
1st Feb 2012 11:56
Gains were extended by lunchtime after Eurozone manufacturing data suggested that the region may escape a recession. Financials were putting in a strong performance in London, led by ICAP which was rising over 7% at the midday mark. January's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the Eurozone manufa
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