London pre-open: Early strength expected
3rd Dec 2009 07:35
London looks set for a push higher in early deals as metal prices continue to rise and with US futures pointing to a stronger start on Wall Street later. Indications are that the FTSE 100 will add about 30 points this morning, adding to yesterday's 15-point gain. In company news, Xstrata has appro
Read moreAstraZeneca licences Targacept drug
3rd Dec 2009 07:05
Anglo-Swedish drugs giant AstraZeneca is to licence TC-5214, the treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) developed by biopharmaceutical company Targacept. The two companies will work together on the global development and commercialisation of TC-5214, a late stage product which recently compl
Read moreLondon close: Footsie ends weakly
19th Nov 2009 16:46
Footsie turned sharply lower at the close after a very poor start on Wall Street with the Dow down by more than 150 points in the first few hours. Miners bore the brunt of the selling with Antofagasta, Anglo American, Xstrata, Randgold Resources, Rio Tinto and Vedanta all lower. Platinum refiner J
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie stuck in the red
19th Nov 2009 14:06
Footsie is bumbling along close to its low for the day ahead of what is expected to be a weak start on Wall Street. Futures point to falls of anything between 50-70 points for the Dow when US trading starts, with weak metal prices likely to be a key theme. Here, lower metals have already hit the
Read moreLondon noon: Miners drag Footsie down
19th Nov 2009 12:00
Barely a fifth of the FTSE 100 constituents are in positive territory, but the fall on the blue-chip index is still modest, given the weakness of miners. With metals prices softening, the likes of Antofagasta, Anglo American, Xstrata, Randgold Resources, Rio Tinto and Vedanta are on the slide, as i
Read moreLondon open: Miners lead Footsie lower
19th Nov 2009 08:19
Miners are leading London's top stocks lower in early dealings on Thursday, while investors also have a stream of company updates to consider. Nine out of the ten worst performers are miners. Fresnillo, Xstrata, Antofagasta, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Vedanta Resources, Eurasian Natural Resources,
Read moreAstraZeneca files New Drug Application for Brilinta
19th Nov 2009 07:39
Anglo-Swiss drug giant AstraZeneca has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Brilinta blood cot prevention treatment. The submission for Brilinta, currently known as ticagrelor, follows successful trials and a phase III study that found the drug
Read moreSector movers: Lonmin lifts miners
16th Nov 2009 12:13
A strong performance from the FTSE 100-listed platinum miner Lonmin is driving the mining sector higher. Lonmin reported a pre-tax loss of $272m for the period, compared with a profit of $779m over the same period the previous year, as revenues fell to $1,062m from $2,231m and said it will not pay
Read moreNew Travis chairman buys
30th Oct 2009 16:31
Robert Walker, the chairman-designate of Travis Perkins, has bought his first shares in the builders' merchant. Walker was appointed to the Travis Perkins board on 30 September 2009 and he is due to take over as chairman from Tim Stevenson in May 2010. Walker has bought a total of 25,000 shares at
Read moreFriday tips round-up: AstraZeneca, Kazakhmys, Standard Life
30th Oct 2009 06:11
AstraZeneca posted a sparkling set of third-quarter results on Thursday, sending analysts scurrying away to upgrade their numbers. Pre-tax profits rocketed by 24pc, on revenues up 5pc. On closer inspection, however, the results were flattered by a series of ?one-off gains. The Telegraph recommended
Read moreLondon close: Shares end near session high
29th Oct 2009 16:23
London's top stocks closed near its session high on news that the US economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter. Traders loved news that the US economy grew 3.5% annually in the last quarter, more than expected and the fastest rate of increase in two years. Part-nationalised bank Lloyd
Read moreComment: Astra's stars will wane
29th Oct 2009 15:29
AstraZeneca impressed the market with better-than-expected third quarter sales and lifted its earnings estimates for the full year, but beyond that the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker could be set for a severe comedown. Sales over the quarter climbed by 5% from the same period a year ago to $8.2bn, lifting
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Banks bounce back
29th Oct 2009 15:10
Shares in Lloyds Banking, which is in advanced discussions with UK authorities regarding alternatives to entering the state insurance scheme for toxic debt, are soaring. The lender is considering raising cash via an underwritten rights issue and debt swap. Fellow part-nationalised lender Royal Bank
Read moreLondon afternoon: Blue chips track US advance
29th Oct 2009 14:55
America's return to growth in the third quarter, stronger UK banks and a better mining sector have propelled London far into the blue Thursday. Traders loved news that the US economy grew 3.5% annually in the last quarter, more than expected and the fastest rate of increase in two years. Part-nati
Read moreAstraZeneca delivers strong Q3 earnings
29th Oct 2009 11:03
AstraZeneca's third quarter earnings beat market forecasts with a 27% hike in profit at constant exchange rates (CER), prompting the Anglo-Swedish drug giant to lift full-year targets. Core earnings jumped to $1.68 a share during the three months ended 30 September, up 28% at actual exchange rates
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