London open: Footsie strongly ahead
1st Jul 2009 08:50
It is all blue this morning so far with demand for miners adding to well received trading statements from Marks & Spencer and International Power. Bus and rail group National Express is the big story. It has handed back the East Coast franchise after failing to renegotiate terms. The service will n
Read moreLondon pre-open: Slight advance expected
1st Jul 2009 07:47
Footsie is tipped to edge higher in early dealings. Marks and Spencer's saw like-for-like sales fall across its major divisions in the first quarter, though total group sales were up. In the 13-weeks to June, UK like for like sales fell 1.4%, General Merchandise slipped 2.4% and Food was down 0.5%.
Read moreAstraZeneca's Iressa gets EU marketing approval
1st Jul 2009 07:24
AstraZeneca has received EU marketing approval for its lung cancer treatment Iressa four years after its was withdrawn from use after disappointing trial data. AstraZeneca said approval has been granted by the European Commission for the treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic non-s
Read moreLondon close: Stocks finish in the red
26th Jun 2009 16:25
London's leading shares finished in the red by close as Wall Street remained in negative territory. Insurer were down with Friends Provident, Prudential and Legal & General lower while miners Eurasian Natural Resources, Rio Tinto and Vedanta were also down. The banks are in a healthier condition
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie in red
26th Jun 2009 14:13
London has slipped into negative territory, led by insurers and some wayward miners, while Wall Street is seen starting lower. Friends Provident, Prudential and Legal & General are among the biggest fallers, joined by Eurasian Natural Resources, Rio Tinto and Vedanta. The banks are in a healthier
Read moreLondon midday: Shares crawl higher
26th Jun 2009 12:18
Risers outnumber fallers by two to one among Footsie constituents but the benchmark index is barely in positive territory, as some of the heavily weighted constituents feature among the laggards. The banks are in a healthier condition than six months ago but are still vulnerable to more economic sh
Read moreLondon open: Blue chips move higher
26th Jun 2009 09:02
London's blue chips have opened higher as Wall Street closed up 2% last night and after some reassuring comments about the banks from the Bank of England. The banks are in a healthier condition than six months ago but are still vulnerable to more economic shocks, the Bank of England said in its la
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie points higher
26th Jun 2009 07:36
London's blue chips look set to open higher after Wall Street closed up 2% last night. Traders expect Footsie to gain 35 points in early dealings. London-listed drugs giant AstraZeneca and US pharmaceuticals major Bristol-Myers Squibb said their jointly developed treatment for type 2 diabetes has c
Read moreAstra's diabetes drug a step closer to EU release
26th Jun 2009 07:34
London-listed drugs giant AstraZeneca and US pharmaceuticals major Bristol-Myers Squibb said their jointly developed treatment for type 2 diabetes has cleared a regulatory hurdle in Europe. Astra said its marketing authorisation application for ONGLYZA (saxagliptin) was received positively by the C
Read moreLondon close: Triple digit fall for Footsie
15th Jun 2009 17:09
Footsie suffered a triple digit fall today with virtually all blue-chip stocks except defensive favourites such as utilities having their foot jammed hard down on the reverse pedal. Resource stocks led the decline as metals and oil prices moved lower. Platinum miner Lonmin was the weakest stock in
Read moreLondon afternoon: Prices steady at lower levels
15th Jun 2009 14:32
The market moved sideways over the lunch-time session, with the Footsie remaining deep on the red, despite a more upbeat assessment of the economy's prospects from the CBI. The employers' organisation reckons the UK could be out of recession by the end of the year, but any better sentiment was almo
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Lloyds shines in gloomy session
15th Jun 2009 14:18
Lloyds Banking Group is one of just a handful of blue chip risers Monday after the Times said Commonwealth Bank of Australia has joined the bidding for its third-party funds business, Insight. The newspaper said the business is expected to raise as much as £300m for Lloyds. Drugs giant AstraZeneca
Read moreLondon midday: Dollar rise knocks resource stocks
15th Jun 2009 12:04
London had a difficult morning despite a more upbeat assessment of the economy's prospects from the CBI. The employers' organisation reckons the UK could be out of recession by the end of the year, but any better sentiment was almost immediately squashed by the IMF saying the opposite. It believes
Read moreSector movers: Miners ease as commodites correct
12th Jun 2009 12:27
Mining stocks have come off slightly after some good gains recently as commodity prices retreat following a strong performance. Vedanta is one of the worst hit. The Indian miner is to raise $1bn through an issue of convertible bonds, but major shareholder Volcan has declined to take part in the is
Read moreLondon close: Banks boost Footsie late
11th Jun 2009 16:33
London rallied strongly late on, helped by gains for banks, which outweighed profit taking among the big mining stocks and weakness among oil users as the price of crude rose again. Speculation is growing about the timing of the government's withdrawal from ownership of large stakes in Royal Bank
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