Thursday's newspaper round-up: Vauxhall/GM, banks, Astra
28th May 2009 06:38
Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, has secured pledges from each of the three main potential bidders for Vauxhall to safeguard the vast majority of the carmaker's 5,000 British workers, it emerged last night, reports the Times. The Telegraph says talks over the fate of General Motors' European
Read moreLondon close: Downgrade threat sinks Footsie
21st May 2009 16:35
Footsie closed with triple-digit fall as investors got spooked by fears that the UK may lose its triple-A credit rating. Credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's said: 'We have revised the outlook on the UK to negative due to our view that, even assuming additional fiscal tightening, the net general
Read moreLondon afternoon: Decline picks up pace
21st May 2009 14:36
The Footsie is nursing a triple-digit fall as investors bail out of equities, spooked by fears that the UK may lose its triple-A credit rating. Credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's said: 'We have revised the outlook on the UK to negative due to our view that, even assuming additional fiscal tigh
Read moreLondon midday: UK credit rating fear sparks sell-off
21st May 2009 12:00
Fears that the UK may lose its triple-A credit rating has given equities the jitters. Credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's said: 'We have revised the outlook on the UK to negative due to our view that, even assuming additional fiscal tightening, the net general government debt burden could approac
Read moreLondon open: Shares start lower
21st May 2009 08:17
London's top stocks opened lower on Thursday, with Cable & Wireless and British Land leading the fallers after reporting full-year figures. Full-year profit from Cable & Wireless was roughly in line with expectations, but the telecom group forecasts EBITDA of more than £1bn for the current year.
Read moreAstraZeneca gets injunction against generic drug
21st May 2009 07:48
A US court has granted AstraZeneca a preliminary injunction preventing Apotex from launching a generic version of Astra's asthma treatment for children, Pulmicort Respules, in the US. Apotex had received approval for a generic version of the drug from the US Food and Drug Administration on 30 Marc
Read moreThursday newspaper round-up: Lloyds Banking, RBS, Clinton Cards
21st May 2009 06:12
The British taxpayer would make a £17.6bn loss if the Government sold out of Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland at today's prices. The figures, compiled by analysts at Exane BNP Paribas, make even a partial sale of the Government's stake in either bank before a general election next sp
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Profit rise points Compass higher
13th May 2009 13:44
Caterer Compass is bucking the general downward trend after it reported a stronger-than-expected 41% rise in half-year profits thanks to new contract wins and cost cuts. Another food related stock, Unilever, whose range includes Pot Noodles and Persil, is boosted by a positive note from Charles Sta
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