Thursday preview: Barclays, Astra, Shire and Shell
25th Apr 2012 18:23
Barclays kicks off the banking results season on Thursday, but it will have plenty of competition for headline space from other heavyweights reporting on the same day, including pharmaceuticals giants Astra and Shire, plus Anglo-Dutch titans Royal Dutch Shell and Unilever. The results statement fro
Read moreMonday broker round-up
23rd Apr 2012 08:56
ARM Holdings: JP Morgan Cazenove upgrades from underweight to neutral, target lifted from 400p to 540p. AstraZeneca: Barclays Capital upgrades from underweight to equal weight, target upped from 3,200p to 3,250p. Aviva: Goldman Sachs upgrades from neutral to buy. Barclays: Nomura reiterates neutr
Read moreAstraZeneca buys US biotech firm Ardea Biosciences
23rd Apr 2012 07:09
Pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca has announced that it has agreed to acquired California-based biotechnology company Ardea Biosciences, whose lead product 'Lesinurad' (RDEA594) is currently in Phase III development as a potential treatment for the chronic management of hyperuricaemia in patients w
Read moreWeek Ahead: Barclays kicks off banking results season
20th Apr 2012 10:57
Barclays kicks off the banking results season on Thursday, while the pharmaceuticals giants are also putting the finishing touches to their trading statements, with Glaxo, Astra and Shire all set to give first quarter updates. Anglo-Dutch Footsie heavyweights Royal Dutch Shell and Unilever will be
Read moreFriday broker round-up
13th Apr 2012 10:09
Aggreko: UBS ups target from 2,500p to 2,550p, buy rating unchanged. AstraZeneca: Jefferies maintains hold with a 3,050p target. Burberry UBS lifts target from 1,370p to 1,580p, neutral recommendation maintained. Chariot Oil & Gas: Merchant Securities initiates coverage with a buy rating and 402.
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Vedanta, AstraZeneca, Green Dragon Gas
11th Apr 2012 06:55
Questor digs into the numbers for Indian mining giant Vedanta Resources. It had a shocker yesterday with iron ore production down 27 per cent, leading to a sell-off. But Questor makes the case for the group, which has interests in lead, silver, zinc, copper and, after a protracted deal with Cairn En
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Randgold rises on Mali settlement
10th Apr 2012 15:18
Gold miner Randgold Resources leapt into the top spot after it welcomed the announcement of a political settlement in Mali which will see the lifting of sanctions against the country by its West African neighbours. The stock was bucking the trend though with miners in general leading the decline a
Read moreSector movers: Oil services stocks drop, defensives in demand
10th Apr 2012 15:09
Drugs and utilities stocks were among the few making gains on Tuesday afternoon, as investors sought 'safer', more defensive assets on the back of some gloomy employment data out from the US on Friday. GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca were providing a lift in the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology se
Read moreLondon midday: Miners provide a drag on Footsie
10th Apr 2012 11:53
- Friday's US jobs data dampens sentiment - Rising exports push China into trade surplus - Randgold bounces back after Malian settlement The Footsie had fallen by nearly one whole percentage point by Tuesday lunchtime as investors digested a gloomy jobs report from the US which came out on Friday.
Read moreLondon open: Stocks slip after QE3 hopes fade
4th Apr 2012 08:21
- ECB to hold rates - Pearson and host of ex-div stocks fall - Kentz drops after major shareholder slashes stake UK stocks fell into the red on Wednesday morning after the US Federal Reserve quashed speculation that it would start another round of quantitative easing (QE) in the near-future. US be
Read moreSector movers: Thos. Cook drags travel sector south
3rd Apr 2012 14:37
London has been enjoying a sleepy day, with no major blockbusting moves among the blue-chips. There has been a bit of news-flow affecting the pharmaceuticals sector, with drugs developers Glaxo and Astra both announcing developments. GlaxoSmithKline has received top-line results from seven of the
Read moreLondon midday: Whitbread blows froth off Costa speculation
3rd Apr 2012 11:47
The Footsie moved sideways in the morning session, prompting the suspicion that many traders have made an early start to the Easter break. Food - and drink - for thought Whitbread's Chief Executive Officer, Andy Harrison, moved to damp down speculation about the possibility of the Premier Inn and
Read moreLondon open: Heritage bubbles higher on Iraqi success
3rd Apr 2012 08:51
London has started on the front foot, taking heart from the late surge on Wall Street yesterday, which was sparked by a better-than-expected performance by the Institute of Supply Management's manufacturing index. Drugs firms in focus Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline has received top-line results fro
Read moreAstra to back Amgen development
3rd Apr 2012 07:16
Anglo-Swedish drugs giant AstraZeneca is teaming up with US biotechnology company Amgen to jointly develop and bring to market a portfolio of clinical-stage inflammation treatments. The pair will work on five monoclonal antibodies from Amgen's clinical inflammation portfolio: AMG 139, AMG 157, AMG
Read moreLondon close: Stocks rise as euro leaders boost firewall
30th Mar 2012 16:32
- Eurozone to boost firewall to 800bn euros - Spain cuts 27bn euros from the budget - Petrofac up after broker comments, Shire leads the fallers London's blue chip index finished the day strongly after Eurozone leaders agreed to strengthen the firewall to protect the debt crisis from spreading. Som
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