London midday: FTSE crawling higher as Fed and Budget digested
19th Mar 2015 11:48
Come midday on Thursday, stocks were registering slight gains as traders digested the policy announcement issued by the US Federal Reserve overnight, but volatility was still evident in other asset classes such as foreign exchange and commodities. At 12.25 the top flight index was 5.8 points higher
Read moreLondon open: Footsie edges higher after Fed decision
19th Mar 2015 08:49
The Footsie began the morning higher as traders digested a surprisingly dovish set of macroeconomic projections from the US Federal Reserve overnight which set off sharp moves in all asset classes. At 09:15 the top flight index was 16 points higher at 6,961.30. As expected, the US central bank omit
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE set to edge higher in wake of dovish Fed
19th Mar 2015 07:41
The UK's blue chip index is expected to tack on between 13 and 17 points to yesterday's large gains, financial bookmakers said, as traders digest and react to the surprisingly dovish policy statement from the US Federal Reserve overnight. The US central bank opted to omit any reference to being "pat
Read moreAstraZeneca signs deal to commercialise new drug with Daiichi Sankyo
19th Mar 2015 07:07
AstraZeneca has signed an agreement with US company Daiichi Sankyo to jointly commercialise a new drug called Movantik. Movantik is an oral treatment for opioid-induced constipation in adults with chronic non-cancer pain. No longer labelled a controlled substance by the US Drug Enforcement Administ
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise ahead of UK Budget, Fed decision
18th Mar 2015 08:46
London stocks advanced on Wednesday morning, rising for a third straight day, as investors took a bullish approach ahead of the hotly-anticipated UK Budget and Federal Reserve policy decision. The FTSE 100 was trading up 0.3% at 6,859.81 in early deals. The market reaction to chancellor George Osbo
Read moreAstrazeneca new lung disease drug delivers successful results
18th Mar 2015 07:55
Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca said Phase III studies into investigative drug PT003 for chronic lung disease had delivered positive results. The two 24-week studies examined whether the drug, which the group acquired after buying Pearl Therapeutics two years ago, improved the conditions of patient
Read moreLondon close: Stocks jump on central bank stimulus
16th Mar 2015 16:45
Strong gains from in the retail sector outweighed falls from energy stocks on Monday, as UK equities recovered strongly after their worst weekly performance so far this year. The FTSE 100 finished the session up 0.94% at 6,804.08 after dropping 2.5% last week. Despite the strong gains, oil and gas
Read moreMonday broker round-up
16th Mar 2015 15:59
Bodycote: N+1 Singer downgrades to hold. Morrrison: Deutsche Bank lifts target to 210p from 190p and reiterates hold. Centrica: Deutsche Bank reiterates hold and 280p target price. Rio Tinto: HSBC downgrades to neutral. IGas Energy: Cannacord Genuity lowers target to 85p from 125p and reiterates
Read moreBroker tips: Astrazeneca, Vodafone, Housing stocks
16th Mar 2015 11:44
Results from Astrazenca's Pegasus study of its blood-thinning Brilinta treatment received a cool reaction from the market on Monday, though analysts at UBS maintained their positive outlook for the product. The bank, which kept a 'buy' rating and 5,500p target price for the stock, said it still sees
Read moreLondon midday: China stimulus hopes help markets rebound
16th Mar 2015 11:43
Bargain hunting and hopes for stimulus measures in China gave UK stocks a lift on Monday, as investors readied for a busy week for financial markets worldwide. The FTSE 100 was up 0.5% at 6,776.87 by midday. The Footsie had lost 2.5% over the past five sessions on the back of a strengthening US dol
Read moreUBS still sees upside at Astrazeneca despite mixed Brilinta study results
16th Mar 2015 09:32
Results from Astrazenca's Pegasus study of its blood-thinning Brilinta treatment received a cool reaction from the market on Monday, though analysts at UBS maintained their positive outlook for the product. The bank said it still sees upside to consensus forecasts for Brilinta's sales despite the mi
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rebound after sell-off as markets eye Fed meeting
16th Mar 2015 08:30
UK stocks gained on Monday as investors hunted for bargains following a sharp slide in the value of the FTSE 100 over the last week. Ahead of a busy week for financial markets worldwide, the Footsie was up 0.4% at 6,767.46 early on. The index had lost 2.5% over the past five sessions on the back of
Read moreLondon pre-open: Gains expected ahead of busy week
16th Mar 2015 07:53
UK stocks were expected to rise on Monday morning following a poor showing by the FTSE 100 last week. City sources predict the Footsie will open 28 points higher than Friday's close of 6,740.58. A strengthening US dollar, concerns about Greece and slowdown worries in China dampened stocks last week
Read moreBrilinta sales potential rises at Astrazeneca after positive Pegasus study
16th Mar 2015 07:07
Results from Astrazeneca's much-anticipated Pegasus study of its Brilinta treatment found that the drug could extend patients' lives following a heart attack, though it did carry risks of increased bleeding. Studying the effects of the blood-thinning drug on 21,000 patients, Astrazeneca found it red
Read moreThursday broker round-up
12th Mar 2015 17:30
Asos: Cannacord Genuity raises target to 3,250p from 2,520p and reiterates hold. Cambian Group: Cannacord Genuity lifts target to 311p from 294p and reiterates buy. BP: JP Morgan raises target to 410p from 400p and reiterates underweight. Royal Dutch Shell: Investec reiterates hold. Supergroup: C
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