London midday: Data gives blue chips a boost
16th Dec 2009 12:14
Footsie is maintaining most its early gains after some better-than-expected unemployment data. The number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell for the first time since February 2008 in November amid further signs the UK economy is beginning to recover from the economic downturn. The claim
Read moreLondon open: Decent start for Footsie
16th Dec 2009 08:40
London's blue chips have opened higher with financials and support services groups leading the way. It has been a busy morning for company statements ahead of the holiday wind-down. Overall demand at GKN has been better than predicted at its last update in October and the automotive and aerospace e
Read moreAstra welcomes FDA vote on Crestor
16th Dec 2009 07:15
A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee has given a favourable verdict on the use of AstraZeneca’s anti-cholesterol drug Crestor. The FDA’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee (EMDAC) voted by 12 to four, with one abstention, in favour of the judgement that Astr
Read moreSector movers: Dubai bailout buoys banks
14th Dec 2009 10:17
Banks have moved higher following the decision of Abu Dhabi to bail out Dubai, its financially embarrassed neighbour. Standard Chartered leads the sector higher after receiving a boost in the form of an upgrade by Credit Suisse, which highlighted the low exposure to Dubai as well as the bullish tra
Read moreLondon close: Rate rise fears fuel late slide
4th Dec 2009 17:17
Euphoria over the better than expected US jobless figures proved short-lived as week-end profit taking took hold and miners headed underground. Metal prices weakened in the afternoon session, taking mining stocks with them, as some pundits suggested that with the better than expected jobless figure
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: British Airways boosted by upgrade
4th Dec 2009 14:55
British Airways led the FTSE 100 index higher today as hopes of a US economic revival after the non-farm payroll number coincided with an upgrade from Citigroup. The US broker raised its recommendation on the shares from 'hold' to 'buy'. The airline said yesterday that long haul premium traffic is
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks bounce into the blue after US jobs
4th Dec 2009 14:20
Share prices have surged higher as the keenly watched US monthly jobs figures showed a big drop in the number losing their jobs and an unexpected drop in the level of US unemployment. Miners are leading the rally with Rio Tinto the best performer. Other gainers include ENRC and oil explorer Cairn E
Read moreSector movers: US jobs data boosts miners
4th Dec 2009 13:37
Mining stocks have stormed ahead after some surprisingly upbeat jobs data from the US. Just 11,000 Americans lost their jobs last month, the smallest decline since the start of the recession Traders were amazed at the figure, having thought non-farm payrolls would fall by 100,000 or more in Novemb
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks treading water
4th Dec 2009 12:17
Share prices are stabilising at lower levels as investors wait on the big US jobless announcement due at 1:30pm. Banks are on the back foot after a lukewarm note on the sector from JP Morgan. The US bank is particularly down on part-nationalised bank Royal Bank of Scotland, which it advises its cli
Read moreLondon open: Weak start for blue chips
4th Dec 2009 08:45
Footsie has fallen back in early dealings after a dip in the US last night while the bank bonus row has spread to Lloyds. Shares in Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland are both under pressure. A report in the Times this morning suggested 200 Lloyds executives will get a bonus of 80% of their salary f
Read moreLondon pre-open: Early fall expected
4th Dec 2009 07:37
Footsie is expected to slip back in early dealings after a fall in the US last night and aas traders mull statements from the housebuilding sector. Housebuilder Bellway predicts sales volumes for the first six months to 31 January 2010 will be 10% better than the same time last year, with an operat
Read moreUS approves AstraZeneca's Seroquel
4th Dec 2009 07:04
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of drug giant AstraZeneca's bipolar disorder treatment Seroquel in conjunction with antidepressants to treat major depressive disorder (MDD). Astra said that many sufferers of MDD, of whom there are 14.2m in the US, do not respond adequ
Read moreLondon close: Miners eclipse banks to send index lower
3rd Dec 2009 16:35
London closed on a low note as a good day for bank shares was offset by dips for the miners and oil groups. Banking shares marched forward despite an assertion by influential US bank Goldman Sachs that commodity prices are set to rise in 2010. Goldman Sachs also seems to be out of step in its view
Read moreLondon midday: Shares lack direction
3rd Dec 2009 12:11
Banking shares are still marching forward but gains are countered by weakness among miners, despite an assertion by influential US bank Goldman Sachs that commodity prices are set to rise in 2010. Goldman Sachs also seems to be out of step in its view of banks today, having downgraded the sector to
Read moreLondon open: Banks lead risers, RBS down
3rd Dec 2009 08:21
Barclays and Lloyds are leading London's top stocks higher in early dealings on Thursday, though Royal Bank of Scotland is an exception. RBS has dropped on news that that the bank's board is threatening to resign en masse if Alistair Darling will veto the group's £1.5bn bonus pot. On the positive
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