London close: Triple-digit losses for FTSE 100
28th Oct 2009 16:26
A poor performance from mining and financial stocks ensured that Footsie ended with triple-digit losses. Insurer Prudential, which saw a surge in US business but posted a fall in UK sales, was a heavy faller. The Pru lifted group-wide retail sales by 10% to £699m in the third quarter thanks largel
Read moreThursday preview: Shell, Astra, CSR
28th Oct 2009 14:28
There should be no shortage of corporate announcements on Thursday with third quarter updates expected from AstraZeneca, CSR, Kazakhmys, Royal Dutch Shell, Standard Life and Virgin Media. Results from oil giant Royal Dutch Shell follow hot on the heels of much better than expected figures from long
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks steady at lower levels
28th Oct 2009 14:10
Miners and financials remain a dead weight around Footsie's neck, but elsewhere, leading shares are slowly beginning to claw back losses. Prudential, which saw a surge in US business but posted a fall in UK sales, is still among the heaviest fallers. The Pru lifted group-wide retail sales by 10% to
Read moreLondon midday: Miners join financials on the slide
28th Oct 2009 12:05
Miners have joined financial stocks in the dog house as the Footsie dives below 5200 and threatens to carry on going to sub-5100 levels. With metal prices in retreat miners such as Xstrata, Lonmin and Kazakhmys have muscled aside insurer Prudential in the race to be worst performing Footsie stock.
Read moreLondon open: Shares start down
28th Oct 2009 08:21
London's blue chips have opened lower as investors consider a slew of big corporate announcements and rumours surrounding the British banking sector. The European Commission is expected to approve plans to break up and sell Northern Rock, according to press reports. The Independent is quoting a Br
Read moreZactima blow for AstraZeneca
28th Oct 2009 07:52
Drugs giant AstraZeneca has yanked the US and European regulatory submissions for its lung cancer treatment Zactima. The applications were submitted in June but after further analysis of test results no overall survival advantage was discerned when chemotherapy treatment was augmented by a dose of
Read moreLondon close: Footsie clings on
27th Oct 2009 16:47
Footsie managed to close with gains despite spending some of the day in the red, with oil giant BP leading the risers. BP climbed after it kicked off the oil majors results season with third quarter figures that showed a smaller than feared drop in profits. Profit attributable to shareholders came
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: BP leads the way
27th Oct 2009 14:42
Shares in BP are higher after the oil giant kicked off the oil majors results season on Tuesday with third quarter figures that showed a smaller than feared drop in profits. Peer BG Group, due to deliver third quarter results tomorrow, is also higher. Drug group GlaxoSmithKline is another FTSE 10
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Bradford & Bingley, Northern Rock, BA
26th Oct 2009 06:25
Bradford & Bingley is to divide its £50 billion balance sheet into "good" and "bad" assets in an exercise that echoes similar plans at Northern Rock. B&B, which was broken up and partly nationalised a year ago, is looking for attractive assets that it can sell to private buyers, says the Times. The
Read moreWeek Ahead: BP, Shell, BG, Glaxo, Astra
23rd Oct 2009 11:46
Oil and pharmaceuticals companies will dominate the company results scene next week, with BP, Royal Dutch Shell, BG Group, AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithkline all set to give trading updates. Oil giant BP kicks off on Tuesday with third quarter figures, where net income is set to tumble to just over $3
Read moreAstra says Onglyza gets EC green light
5th Oct 2009 16:15
Anglo-Swedish drugs company AstraZeneca said the European Commission has given marketing authorisation for the type 2 diabetes treatment Onglyza. The drug is the first to be launched by Astra in Europe through its worldwide collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb; the two companies have pooled reso
Read moreLondon close: Buoyant US lifts FTSE 100
28th Sep 2009 16:37
Footsie put a sluggish start to the day behind it to post strong gains, helped by buoyant showing on Wall Street. There were contrasting fortunes for two stocks dependent on the health of the housing market, with Wolseley on the rise and Home Retail on the slide. Earlier today property research fi
Read moreLondon afternoon: Market cements morning's gains
28th Sep 2009 14:15
London made further headway over the lunchtime session, boosted by expectations of a firm opening on Wall Street. There are contrasting fortunes for two stocks dependent on the health of the housing market, with Wolseley on the rise and Home Retail on the slide. Earlier today property research firm
Read moreSector movers: Drug groups given a boost
28th Sep 2009 12:23
Drug group AstraZeneca is going well on news that it has won another round in its long-running fight against generic competition to bipolar treatment Seroquel. A US appeal court upheld its infringement claim against Sandoz and Teva Pharmaceutical over Seroquel tablets. The other big drug company,
Read moreLondon midday: Market edges higher despite weak banks
28th Sep 2009 11:59
Leading shares remain mixed, but the Footsie is still in the blue despite weakness from banks and miners. Cash call rumours continue to swirl around the two part-nationalised banks Lloyds Banking and Royal Bank of Scotland while miners are easier despite some upbeat comments from Anglo American bos
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