London afternoon: Footsie bursts through 4800
21st Aug 2009 14:15
Trading remains very thin in London but that has not stopped the Footsie from moving above the 4,800 level for the first time since October of last year. Insurance companies, with their huge investment portfolios, are naturally big beneficiaries of the continued market revival and they lead today
Read moreLondon midday: London's streak continues
21st Aug 2009 12:04
The wobble by global stock markets on Monday following last Friday's dismal US consumer sentiment figures seems a long time ago now as London looks well set to advance for the fourth day in a row. Insurance companies lead the advance in the wake of yesterday's surge by fallen US insurance giant AI
Read moreThursday's newspaper round-up: Recession, Bank of America, Aviva
20th Aug 2009 06:59
Britain has emerged from the worst recession since the Second World War, new Bank of England figures suggested yesterday, writes the Times. Detailed forecasts published by the Bank showed that gross domestic product (GDP) will rise by 0.2 per cent between July and September, marking the first econ
Read moreLondon close: Shares plunge as sell-off continues
17th Aug 2009 16:09
The global sell-off triggered by weak consumer confidence figures from the US on Friday continued, sending Footsie deep into the red. US stocks are also trading deep in the red as traders worry that nervous consumers will dampen the economic recovery. Asian markets were down overnight despite Jap
Read moreLondon afternoon: Equities pare losses
17th Aug 2009 14:46
The FTSE 100 had a good lunch-time session, trimming the morning's losses, but it remains firmly in the red, with miners leading the way down. Concerns grow about the health of the US economy are weighing on mining companies. With consumers reticent to play their part in a demand-led recovery inves
Read moreBroker tips: Aviva, Barratt Developments, Hampson
17th Aug 2009 13:14
Insurance giant Aviva was one of the few blue-chips to make headway on Monday morning, thanks to an upgrade from HSBC. HSBC is now neutral on the stock, having previously recommended its clients be underweight in Aviva, following the decision by the insurer to rebuild its capital buffer through a p
Read moreBroker snap: HSBC warming to Aviva
17th Aug 2009 13:13
Insurance giant Aviva was one of the few blue-chips to make headway on Monday morning, thanks to an upgrade from HSBC. HSBC is now neutral on the stock, having previously recommended its clients be underweight in Aviva, following the decision by the insurer to rebuild its capital buffer through a p
Read moreSunday's newspaper round-up: BAT, bonus culture, Pearl
16th Aug 2009 14:04
Richard Burrows, a former governor of the Bank of Ireland, is to take on one of the most powerful roles in British business. He is to become chairman of British American Tobacco, says the Sunday Times. The scale of the resurgent bonus culture at Britain's banks has been laid bare by Office of Natio
Read moreSector movers: Pru profit rise lifts insurers
13th Aug 2009 14:15
Life insurance is one of the best performing sectors as investors flock to Prudential after it said its half-year results show continued "strong performance" in what are still challenging market conditions. Shares in the Pru are up nearly 40% over the last month but after the release of strong resu
Read moreLondon close: Stocks near session high
12th Aug 2009 16:14
Footsie closed near a session high on Wednesday as London's top stocks continued to add to gains in afternoon trade, with banks among the best performers. Lloyds Banking finished up more than 6%, closely followed by fellow part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland . The FSA unveiled a new co
Read moreLondon afternoon: Gains trimmed
12th Aug 2009 14:10
London is clinging onto positive territory as Wall Street gears up for a slow start ahead of tonight's Federal Reserve policy statement. Banks continue to do well. Royal Bank of Scotland agreed to sell its Pakistan unit to MCB Bank for $87m (£53m). The UK lender, 70%-owned by the British governmen
Read moreSector movers: International Power surges on results
11th Aug 2009 12:25
Strong results from International Power have jolted the electricity sector higher. The power generator reported a rise in profit in the six month period, thanks to improved contributions from Australia and Asia. It is the strongest riser in the sector, with fellow electricity stocks such as Scottis
Read moreLondon close: Financials spark good gains
6th Aug 2009 16:22
Footsie fell back in the afternoon session after the Bank of England increased its quantitative easing programme, but still finished healthily in the blue. Banks continued to rise with Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking and Barclays all up. RBS reports its interim figures tomorrow. It is being
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie eases back from day's highs
6th Aug 2009 14:35
Footsie fallen back in the wake of the £50bn increase to £175bn in the Bank of England's quantitative easing programme. Interest rates, as expected, remained on hold at 0.5%. Banks continue to rise with Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking and Barclays all up. RBS reports its interim figures tomo
Read moreLondon midday: QE increase boosts Footsie
6th Aug 2009 12:13
Footsie has reacted calmly to a surprise £50bn increase to £175bn in the Bank of England's quantitative easing programme. Interest rates, as expected, remained on hold at 0.5%. Insurer Aviva is the best performer and leads a life sector rally despite a 31% cut in the interim dividend. A plan for a
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