FTSE 100 movers: Lloyds and RBS climb again
6th Aug 2009 09:26
Part-nationalised banks Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland rose again on hopes that the worst of the credit crunch write-offs have now passed. Lloyds suggested yesterday that bad debt charges for HBOS's portfolio may have peaked. RBS reports tomorrow and is is being tipped to return to profit of aro
Read moreTechnical Analysis Snap: Aviva surges despite dividend cut
6th Aug 2009 09:00
The decision by Aviva to cut their dividend by 31% has been shrugged off by the market as they announced increased profits after tax of £747m from an £84m loss a year ago. The insurance sector has suffered along with other sectors over the past two years; with the chill winds of the financial meltd
Read moreLondon open: Stocks surge ahead
6th Aug 2009 08:53
London's top stocks charge off the blocks as financials set a fast pace in early deals. Insurer Aviva is the main riser after it cut interim dividend by 31% and announced plans for a partial IPO of its Dutch business. IFRS operating profit fell to £1.05bn for the six months ended 30 June 2009 from
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie to resume rally
6th Aug 2009 07:54
Modest gains are expected from Footsie in early dealings after a slight fall yesterday. Insurer Aviva has cut its interim dividend by 31% and announced plans for a partial IPO of its Dutch business following a 14% drop in half year operating profit. IFRS operating profit fell to £1.05bn for the si
Read moreAviva crops divi by 31%
6th Aug 2009 07:05
Insurer Aviva swung to a profit after tax for the first six months of 2009 from a loss last year and announced plans for a partial IPO of its Dutch business, but still cut its dividend by 31%. A loss of £84m last year turned into a £747m profit after tax for the half-year to 30 June. IFRS operating
Read moreSector movers: L&G casts cloud over insurers
4th Aug 2009 12:54
Life Insurance is worst of the bunch after Legal & General reported after a 92% plunge in operating profit and a 45% cut in the dividend. European embedded value (EEV) operating profit rose 12% to £657m for the six months to 30 June, up from £589m a year ago, but it slumped to £31m from £391m on a
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: UK banks, National Express, William Hill
2nd Aug 2009 10:43
Treasury minister Lord Myners' radical plans for changes to financial regulation are "dangerous" and could result in a further loss of confidence in the market, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Sunday Telegraph reports. Lord Myners' idea for a two-tier shareholder registe
Read moreLondon afternoon: Financials lift Footsie
29th Jul 2009 14:33
Risers outnumber fallers by around three to one among FTSE 100 constituents, as the blue-chip index resumes its upward climb following yesterday's pause for breath. Financial stocks lead the advance, with insurers Aviva, RSA and Standard Life to the fore, as is part-nationalised bank Royal Bank of
Read moreLondon close: Bright finish for FTSE 100
13th Jul 2009 16:26
Footsie put a sluggish start behind it to finish with good gains, helped by a strong showing on Wall Street. Friends Provident was the best performer after Clive Cowdery's new vehicle, Resolution , said it has received "constructive feedback" from the board of Friends over its merger approach and i
Read moreLondon afternoon: Friends leads London higher
13th Jul 2009 14:32
Mergers and acquisition activity is keeping share prices bubbling as London makes a solid start to the week. Friends Provident is the best performer after Clive Cowdery's new vehicle, Resolution , said it has received "constructive feedback" from the board of Friends over its merger approach and i
Read moreLondon close: Footsie falls for fourth week
10th Jul 2009 17:04
London's blue-chip index fell for the fourth week in succession, with insurance and resource stocks the major fallers today. Aviva was the biggest casualty as fears resurfaced about the future of the company's dividend but its fellow life assurance stocks Prudential, Standard Life, Legal & General
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Life stocks head lower
10th Jul 2009 15:38
Life assurance stocks feature among the weakest performers as global markets continue to drift lower. Aviva, Prudential and Standard Life suffer the biggest falls in the sector. In the mining sector Rio Tinto is still under a cloud after four of its employees were arrested in China. Home Retail G
Read moreLondon afternoon: Equities drift down in quiet trading
10th Jul 2009 14:06
London equities are sleepwalking to a dull end to a dull week. Life assurance stocks feature among the weakest performers as global markets continue to drift lower. Aviva, Prudential and Standard Life suffer the biggest falls in the sector. In the mining sector Rio Tinto is still under a cloud aft
Read moreThursday newspaper round-up: Mortgages, Xstrata, Anglo American
9th Jul 2009 06:11
Negative equity mortgages are being offered to customers of Nationwide that will allow homeowners once again to borrow more than the value of their intended house purchase. Nationwide has begun offering its customers suffering from negative equity a mortgage that provides up to 125 per cent of a pro
Read moreLondon close: Footsie dives as miners reverse course
8th Jul 2009 17:04
The decline of the Footsie gathered pace in the final hour as miners, which had provided some measure of support for the blue-chip index for most of the day, turned lower. As global equity markets continue to retreat life assurance stocks were the main losers. Aviva, Legal & General and Prudential
Read more