London 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
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks in demand
11th Jun 2009 14:47
London is having a languid day, with Footsie lacking direction. Banks are strong but their gains are counterbalanced by losses on mining stocks. Banks are in focus as speculation grows about the timing of the government's withdrawal from ownership of large stakes in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), L
Read moreTechMARK movers: AEA gains on FY figures
11th Jun 2009 14:27
Environmental consultant AEA Technology rose after reporting a 13% rise in adjusted pre-tax profits to £10.6m in the year ended March. "With a new pension deal and much stronger cash generation, the AEA Group is now well positioned for growth," said chief executive Andrew McCree. Drug giant AstraZ
Read moreLondon midday: Leading shares remain mixed
11th Jun 2009 11:54
Leading shares continue to tread water, with little sign of strong influence from Wall Street, which is expected to open moderately firmer. Home Retail Group is slightly off the pace after this morning's trading statement. The retailer said both Argos and Homebase enjoyed better than expected sales
Read moreSector movers: AMEC lifts oil equipment stocks
11th Jun 2009 11:21
AMEC is among the oil equipment services stocks helping lift the sector higher after the engineer and project management giant today confirmed it has made a conditional offer to buy Australian engineering services company GRD. Oil and gas producers are lower though, in spite of continued rises in
Read moreLondon open: Shares drop slightly
11th Jun 2009 08:20
London's blue chips are slightly lower in early dealings with commodity stocks among the main fallers following yesterday's stellar gains. Mining giants Lonmin, Rio Tinto, Eurasian Natural Resources and Xstrata are all down. Home Retail Group said both Argos and Homebase enjoyed better than expect
Read moreAstraZeneca's bipolar treatment safe for kids, experts say
11th Jun 2009 07:58
Drug giant AstraZeneca reported broadly positive results from a US Food and Drug Administration review of the use of the bipolar disorder treatment Seroquel in children and teenagers. Asked whether Seroquel had been shown to be effective for the treatment of schizophrenia in paediatric patients age
Read moreLondon open: Bright start for Footsie
29th May 2009 08:39
London has started the session in style following last night's three-figure gains on Wall Street. Retailers are pushing ahead led by Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and Kesa. The latest house price index from Nationwide showed a jump of 1.2% in May providing further hope that the housing market slump is
Read moreLondon pre-open: Heading higher
29th May 2009 07:40
London looks like starting the session in style following last night's three-figure gains on Wall Street, with the blue chip index predicted to rise over 40 points early on. Water company Severn Trent saw profits fall for the year due to increased energy and commodity costs. Profit before tax for
Read moreAstra's Seroquel refused as MDD treatment
29th May 2009 07:18
Drug major AstraZeneca's application for Seroquel XR extended release tablets to treat recurrent depressive episodes in adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) has been refused. As a result, it has referred its application to the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP - a
Read more