London open: Footsie strong despite Pru cash call looming
1st Mar 2010 08:46
Leading shares have started the week on a firm footing with miners strong, but the prospect of the Prudential shortly unveiling the largest rights issue ever seen in the UK has unsettled other life groups. Prudential is currently suspended while the details are sorted out. The group has confirmed w
Read moreLondon close: Blue chips surge forward
26th Feb 2010 16:52
Footsie surged forward and closed in buoyant mood as buyers returned across a number of sectors despite disappointment with Lloyds Banking's results. Serco remains the best performer among Footsie stocks. The outsourcing group increased the dividend by a quarter as it ramped up profits by almost a
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks belcamed at higher levels
26th Feb 2010 14:23
Leading shares traded sideways over the lunchtime session, lacking any sort of lead from Wall Street, which is expected to open mixed as traders struggle through the snow storm engulfing New York to get into work. Serco remains the best performer among Footsie stocks. The outsourcing group increase
Read moreLondon open: Early gains for blue chips
24th Feb 2010 08:54
Financials are keeping Footsie moving forward this morning. Standard Life, HSBC and Aviva are all in demand despite the 100-point fall on the Dow overnight. Reckitt Benckiser is lower again on worries over the inquiry into its sales methods for Gaviscon heartburn products. Mining giant BHP Billit
Read moreLondon midday: Ferrero pulls out of Cadbury chase
13th Jan 2010 11:56
Oils and banks are dragging the Footsie down, with sentiment also soured by disappointing manufacturing output figures. While industrial production showed a 0.4% rise in November, better than the 0.3% rise economists had been predicting, manufacturing output remained unchanged from October's level
Read moreLondon afternoon: Chinese banking move sparks selling
12th Jan 2010 14:47
News that China has raised the reserve requirements for its banks in an attempt to choke growth in the economy has spooked global markets, including London. The prospect of China slowing down economic expansion does not sit well with miners such as Fresnillo, Lonmin, Kazakhmys, Vedanta and Xstrata,
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners head lower
12th Jan 2010 12:18
Footsie is well down on the day as world economic concerns take the spotlight. The fallers are dominated by mining companies. News that China is trying to dampen down the growth in its economy hit commodities. Disappointing results from aluminium producer Alcoa didn't help, either. Fresnillo, Lo
Read moreLondon midday: Retreat picks up pace
12th Jan 2010 12:11
The market's retreat is picking up pace, as the losses suffered by miners lengthen in the wake of disappointing results from Alcoa, the US aluminium producer. Alcoa, which kicked off the fourth quarter earnings reporting season in the US, declared a slightly worse than expected loss from continuing
Read moreAviva buys US equity manager
5th Jan 2010 12:47
Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of insurer Aviva, has agreed to buy US equity manager River Road Asset Management with $3.6bn assets under management. River Road, which has gross assets of $6m (as at 31 December 2008), will continue to be based in Louisville and will form part
Read moreN AMERICAN MORNING BRIEFING: Kraft Sweetens Cadbury Bid
5th Jan 2010 11:30
DJIA Futures 10526.5 +10.5 +0.1% S&P 500 Futures 1129.2 +0.4 +0.0% Nasdaq Futures 1886.7 +26.4 +1.4% Above are as of 0610 ET FTSE 100 5520.6 +20.2 +0.4% Xetra DAX 6049.8 +1.5 +0.0% CAC40 4016.8 +2.9 +0.1% Above are as of 0
Read moreLondon Close: Footsie posts strong gain
21st Dec 2009 16:54
Footsie ended the day almost 2% higher after a strong performance throughout the day. The positive opening of Wall Street gave a further boost later in the afternoon. The Dow has jumped over 100 points helped by optimism that the $800bn plus Health Care Bill could get approved sooner rather than l
Read moreJardine Lloyd brings in old Aviva boss
18th Dec 2009 07:50
Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) has appointed former Norwich Union and Aviva CEO Richard Harvey as a non executive director at the insurance broker with immediate effect. Harvey, who led Norwich Union from 1998 then Aviva between 2001 and 2007, is a non exec and chairman elect at Imperial Leather soap
Read moreBroker tips: HMV, water firms, insurers
27th Nov 2009 11:39
HMV has been benefiting from the demise of competitors and is likely to continue doing so, says the broker Charles Stanley as it keeps its 'buy' rating on the music, film and video game retailer. Charles Stanley is not signed up to the scepticism about HMV's long term prospects expressed by other o
Read moreBroker snap: Nomura bullish on insurers
27th Nov 2009 11:07
Most of the threat from the latest Solvency 2 proposals is unjustified and is unlikely to materialise, says Nomura, leaving it upbeat about prospects for UK insurers. The broker notes growing industry and political opposition to Solvency 2, a fundamental review of the capital adequacy regime for th
Read moreEx-Aviva chief to chair PZ Cussons
26th Nov 2009 07:36
Soap maker PZ Cussons has named former Aviva boss Richard Harvey as its replacement for outgoing chairman Anthony Green. Harvey, who became chief executive of insurer Norwich Union in 1998, joins the board as a non-executive director on 1 January and will take on the chairman's role on 1 July. He
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