London close: Gains trimmed as nerves set in ahead of Fed decision
17th Jun 2013 16:48
Markets started the new week on a positive note, though gains were trimmed by the close on Monday as traders refrained from taking too much risk ahead of the all-important policy decision from the Federal Reserve later this week. Global markets have been extremely choppy over the last month since F
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 lifted by Resolution, Reckitt and Vodafone
17th Jun 2013 11:22
The FTSE 100 was performing strongly on Monday morning as bargain hunters moved in to pick up stocks following the index's recent slump. Global markets have been extremely choppy over the last month since Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested that the bank could begin 'taper' its quantita
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 snaps winning streak after poor US data
16th May 2013 16:41
The FTSE 100 has finally ended its long-running winning streak after poor economic data from the States dampened stocks by the close of trade on Thursday. Markets were relatively rangebound for most of the session today, teetering around a five-and-a-half-year high of 6,700 following 10 consecutive
Read moreBramall sells over 20m shares in Lookers
16th May 2013 15:39
Anthony Bramall, the long-time investor of motor trade investor and non-Executive Director of Lookers, has significantly reduced his stake in the car dealer for 'domestic reasons'. Bramall traded in 20.85m shares at an average price of 99.832p each, banking his family £20.8m. "The company has be
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Aviva leads the way higher on turnaround strategy
16th May 2013 14:39
Insurance group Aviva, was leading the risers after it said it is delivering on its turnaround strategy. The company's pro-forma value of new business, a key measure of its growth, was up 18% in the first quarter at £191m from £162m the year before, driven by improved profitability in UK life insu
Read moreLondon midday: Markets rangebound but winning streak continues
16th May 2013 11:34
The FTSE 100 was continuing to trade within an extremely tight range on Thursday morning as investors consider how much further the rally will go given that the index is already trading at levels not seen in five and a half years. Just 15 points separated the Footsie's intraday low (6,693) and hig
Read moreBroker tips: Aviva, RBS, Lloyds...
16th May 2013 11:31
Investec has kept its 'reduce' rating and 316p target price for insurance giant Aviva despite a well-taken first-quarter trading update from the firm on Thursday. "There are signs of improvement in the 1Q numbers, but progress in one area is matched by difficulties in another. Fixing Aviva is likel
Read moreBroker snap: There's no reason to own Aviva, says Investec
16th May 2013 09:26
Investec has kept its 'reduce' rating and 316p target price for insurance giant Aviva despite a well-taken first-quarter trading update from the firm on Thursday. The first quarter contained "some good news", the broker said, with operating expenses down 10%, debt being reduced by £300m, the value
Read moreLondon open: FTSE 100 breaches 6,700 after Japanese GDP
16th May 2013 08:35
The winning streak on the FTSE 100 continued into its 11th day on Thursday as stronger-than-expected growth in Japan boosted London's benchmark index to fresh five-and-a-half-year highs. The FTSE 100 has been in positive territory since the start of May and was teetering around the 6,700 mark this
Read moreAviva working hard at a turnaround
16th May 2013 07:17
Aviva, the insurance group which surprised the market in March with an unexpected cut in its dividend, said on Thursday that it is delivering on its turnaround strategy. The company said that the pro-forma value of new business, a key measure of its growth, was up 18% in the first quarter at £191m
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Standard Life soars after beating analyst expectations
24th Apr 2013 15:09
Insurance giant Standard Life was a strong riser after beating analysts' predictions in the first quarter after delivering strong sales and group assets under administration. The group recorded a 24% increase in long-term savings sales to £6.3bn and a 26% increase in long-term savings net flows to
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks flat as ECB rate cut speculation ramps up
24th Apr 2013 11:49
Stocks had trimmed gains and were trading broadly flat by Wednesday lunchtime as markets gave a mixed reaction to weak economic data from Germany with traders guessing at whether the figures will prompt the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut interest rates. However, the cautious mood on market this
Read moreLondon open: Markets extend gains as financial stocks rise
24th Apr 2013 08:20
Strong gains for financial stocks ensured that the FTSE 100 was firmly in positive territory on Wednesday morning, while growing speculation of a rate cut in Europe lifted sentiment. London's benchmark index surged by 2.0% on Tuesday as disappointing purchasing managers' indices from the Eurozone s
Read moreAviva completes Aseval settlement with Bankia
24th Apr 2013 08:14
Insurance group Aviva has received 608m euros in cash from its Spanish partner Bankia following the settlement and transfer of its entire holding in Spanish joint venture Aseval to Bankia. "The completion on this transaction demonstrates the delivery of our strategic imperatives and improves our l
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: Vodafone, Aviva, Vedanta...
19th Apr 2013 06:55
"One of the biggest corporate deals in history edged closer yesterday after Verizon said that it was 'extremely confident' it could buy Vodafone's stake in North America's largest mobile network without triggering a huge tax bill," The Times says. Vodafone owns a 45 per cent stake in Verizon Wireles
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