FTSE 100 movers: Banks move higher
19th Jan 2012 14:42
Bankings stocks were providing a lift at midday with Barclays, RBS, Lloyds and HSBC all among the best performers, aided by euro optimism which has given a boost to sentiment. Tesco was also on the rise after US investor Warren Buffett stocked up on shares in the supermarket giant. Meanwhile, Es
Read moreLondon midday: Banks lead risers, Essar still volatile
19th Jan 2012 11:54
- Spain sells more than target in debt auction - Greek talks ongoing - Consumer confidence falls The Footsie extended gains by midday, with the banks performing well, with euro optimism giving a boost to sentiment. The Spanish Treasury has this morning sold €6.61bn in long-term debt, well above th
Read moreLondon open: Footsie flat despite euro optimism
19th Jan 2012 08:22
The FTSE 100 opened flat on Thursday morning, following gains made yesterday after the news that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is boosting its lending capacity by at least $500bn. Lifting sentiment was a source from the Greek finance ministry, who told French news agency Agence France-Pre
Read moreFDA wants more data from AstraZeneca on diabetes drug
19th Jan 2012 07:27
AstraZeneca says the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants more clinical data on its dapagliflozin treatment for type 2 diabetes in adults. Astra is developing the therapy with US firm Bristol-Myers Squibb and says it has already conducted 19 clinical trials with 8000 adults. The FDA, howeve
Read moreLondon midday: Resource stocks lift Footsie, Gulf Keystone jumps
10th Jan 2012 12:00
Resource stocks performed well in morning trade, lifting the FTSE 100 over 1.1% higher. Miners were gaining ground after some positive economic data from China boosted sentiment, while Cairn Energy was on the up after detailing its $3.5bn cash return to shareholders. A big mover was Gulf Keystone,
Read moreLondon midday: Eyes on Merkozy meeting as Footsie falls
9th Jan 2012 11:43
London's blue chip index was trading slightly lower by midday, following a moderate rise early on, with all eyes on the meeting between Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy. The German Chancellor and French Prime Minister are to hold a press conference in the next hour in which they are expected to d
Read moreLondon open: Footsie up early on, pharmas fall
9th Jan 2012 08:18
London's FTSE 100 opened slightly higher on Monday morning helped by banking titans Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC. Oil stocks Essar Energy, Tullow Oil and Royal Dutch Shell were tracking oil prices higher. Today's big event will be the meeting of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French Preside
Read moreEarnings at the lower end of forecasts, says AstraZeneca
9th Jan 2012 07:20
Biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has said that full-year earnings are now expected to come in at the lower end of previous guidance. While the firm reiterated that core earnings per share (EPS) for 2011 will come within the expected range of $7.20 to $7.40 a share (set out in its third quarter r
Read moreWednesday broker round-up - UDPATE
21st Dec 2011 08:51
HSBC: Investec reiterates buy with 800p target. Barclays: Investec reiterates buy with 330p target. Tesco: Nomura maintains buy rating and 500p target. AstraZeneca: Nomura keeps reduce recommendation and 2,400p target. Thorntons: Investec puts 35p target under review, hold rating kept; Merchant
Read moreLondon open: Wall Street tailwinds lift London
21st Dec 2011 08:34
Following last night's strong showing on Wall Street, UK shares are heading higher this morning, although in more leisurely fashion than their US counterparts did yesterday. Investors do not seem to be too fazed by credit ratings agency Moody's saying Britain's cherished triple-AAA credit rating co
Read moreAstraZeneca and Hutchison seal cancer drug deal
21st Dec 2011 07:42
FTSE 100 pharmaceuticals firm AstraZeneca and Hutchison MediPharma (HMP), a research and development company majority-owned by Chi-Med, have entered into a global licensing, co-development, and commercialisation agreement for a cancer treatment drug. Volitinib (also known as HMPL-504), which was d
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Smith & Nephew, AstraZeneca
21st Dec 2011 06:52
The Times's Tempus column looks at medical supplies firm Smith and Nephew which was once a perennial takeover target. After a re-organisation by its new Chief Executive the group is now focused on growth in the developing markets of China and India. A key metric for the firm though is how much ele
Read moreLondon close: Footsie jumps late on
20th Dec 2011 16:32
A successful Spanish bond auction and some uplifting confidence data helped lift sentiment and boost the Footsie to its highest level of the day by the close. After trading within a narrow range for the majority of the day, the blue chip index rocketed in afternoon trading, tracking US markets highe
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Aggreko extends gains, pharmas fall
20th Dec 2011 15:29
Temporary power supplier Aggreko was leading the gains on the FTSE 100 on Tuesday, as investors continue to celebrate yesterday's news that full-year profits should come in slightly ahead of previous guidance. Media stocks were also on the rise with advertising giant WPP among the best performers i
Read moreSector movers: Astra, Glaxo drag down pharmas
20th Dec 2011 12:52
The pharmaceuticals were on the decline today, dragged lower by sector giant AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca warned this morning that earnings will come in at the lower end of expectations after it took a $381.5m hit from failed drug tests. The company has stopped development of its ovarian cancer treat
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