FTSE 100 movers: Positive reaction to Unilever deal
27th Sep 2010 12:52
Investors have reacted favourably to Unilever's $3.7bn (£2.3bn) purchase of Alberto Culver, the owner of such brands as TRESemmé, Nexxus, VO5, St Ives and Simple. Barclays Capital has launched research into Autonomy with an overweight rating and has Sage at equalweight. Vedanta Resources is high
Read moreLondon midday: Blue-chips turn south
27th Sep 2010 12:06
Investors with portfolios weighted towards second-liners are happier than those more exposed to blue-chip stocks, as the FTSE 100 turns south while the FTSE 250 pushes ahead. Wolseley, supplier of goods to the plumbing and heating trade, is to shift its tax base to Switzerland and resume paying div
Read moreLondon open: Gains continue
27th Sep 2010 08:55
Equities have extended Friday's near-1% rally following huge gains on Wall Street and triple-digit advances in the Far East. In company news, Wolseley, the supplier of goods to the plumbing and heating trade, is to shift its tax base to Switzerland and resume paying dividends. Although revenue for
Read moreLondon pre-open: Promising start is forecast
27th Sep 2010 07:38
Equities are set to extend Friday's near-1% rally following huge gains on Wall Street and triple-digit advances in the Far East. In company news, Wolseley, the supplier of goods to the plumbing and heating trade, is to resume paying dividends at the interim stage next year after finishing the old y
Read moreAstraZeneca prostate drug disappointment
27th Sep 2010 07:09
AstraZeneca's prostate cancer treatment zibotentan showed little patient benefit in the first of three late stage trials, the drugs giant has revealed. A phase III study evaluating zibotentan in men with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer did not show a significant improvement in the
Read moreLondon close: Lower close as rally falters
15th Sep 2010 16:35
Footsie closed a few points in the red Wednesday as a rally brought about by an improvement on Wall Street lost momentum. The US had a weak start following poorly-received manufacturing figures but sentiment recovered as trading progressed. Here, BP was lower in line with weaker oil prices, with t
Read moreLondon afternoon: Retailers provide some cheer
15th Sep 2010 14:29
Resource stocks remain a weight around Footsie's neck and have been joined over the lunch time session by banks, which are lower as the market ponders the implications of the Basel III banking guidelines. BP is lower in line with weaker oil prices, with the oil giant suffering more than its peers
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie hobbled by resource stocks
15th Sep 2010 11:58
Resource stocks are dragging London lower despite a good showing by retailers. Lower commodity prices are largely responsible for the sell off of commodity stocks, though legal battles also hover over a couple of stocks. BP is lower in line with weaker oil prices, with the oil giant suffering more
Read moreLondon open: Gentle upward progress
15th Sep 2010 09:00
London has made modest progress in early dealings with Next providing a fillip to retailers after half year results. Over here, Next did pretty much as expected in the six months to July given that the clothes retailer's last update was only a month ago, but the high street remains a "testing" plac
Read moreLondon pre-open: Prepare for small loss
15th Sep 2010 07:39
London is seen starting down 5 points at the start of play following last night's late dip on Wall Street. The Dow Jones ended Tuesday's session down 17 points despite better than expected retail sales data. Over here, Next did pretty much as expected in the six months to July given that the cloth
Read moreUpdate: Astra wilts on FDA delay
15th Sep 2010 07:12
No news is bad news seems to be the market's view as shares in Anglo-Swedish drugs giant AstraZeneca retreated on news that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet made a decision on Astra's ticagrelor blood thinning drug. The FDA said the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date h
Read moreLondon close: Footsie little changed
2nd Sep 2010 16:31
Leading shares struggled for direction all day and closed little changed as most blue chips traded sideways. Wall Street was similarly becalmed with the Dow Jones up just one point in the first few hours. European bourses did better as the ECB upped its forecast for eurozone growth for this year an
Read moreLondon afternoon: Bid talk spices up dull day
2nd Sep 2010 14:28
Leading shares are still lacking direction, a condition matched in the US where shares are expected to open mixed. High-flying computer chip designer ARM Holdings is flying a little lower today after Panmure Gordon reiterated its "sell" recommendation and cut its price target for the stock to 265p
Read moreLondon midday: Profit-takers weaken ARM
2nd Sep 2010 12:07
London completed an indecisive morning with the blue-chip index marginally in the red. Investors have shown little inclination to chase prices higher after yesterday's strong advance and economic data has not been helpful to sentiment. UK construction sector growth slowed for the third month in a
Read moreLondon open: Shaky start for top share index
2nd Sep 2010 08:41
Shares are slightly lower in early dealings as traders pause for breath following yesterday's strong gains. In company news, AstraZeneca has received approval from the European Commission (EC) for its schizophrenia and bipolar drug Seroquel XR as an add-on treatment for major depressive episodes wh
Read more