London midday: Stocks retreat as Greek concerns rise
5th Feb 2015 12:08
UK stocks fell for a second day on Thursday as optimism surrounding the situation in Greece began to fade and a raft of corporate earnings and updates received a mixed reaction from the market. London's FTSE 100 was down 0.4% at 6,830 by midday, though had bounced off a low of 6,808.19 reached early
Read moreBroker tips: Astrazeneca, Compass, Beazley
5th Feb 2015 11:47
The Share Centre has rated Astrazeneca a 'hold' for medium-risk investors after fourth-quarter results from the drugmaker disappointed, saying that investors may have to wait to see material improvements in the top line. Analyst Helal Miah said: "The company is in a transition phase investing heavil
Read moreAstrazeneca has a lot to prove, says The Share Centre
5th Feb 2015 10:22
The Share Centre has rated Astrazeneca a 'hold' for medium-risk investors after fourth-quarter results from the drugmaker disappointed the market on Thursday, with the broker highlighting its preference for sector rival Glaxosmithkline (GSK). The company reported a 2% increase in revenues to $6.68bn
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks fall as Greek optimism fades, corporate earnings mixed
5th Feb 2015 09:09
UK stocks declined on Thursday as newsflow from Greece prompted an element of caution on financial markets, as the FTSE 100 continued to retreat from a five-month high. London's blue chip index was down 0.4% at 6,836 early on, with updates from a number of blue chips receiving a mixed reaction from
Read moreLondon pre-open: Weak start expected as Greek concerns mount
5th Feb 2015 07:28
Optimism surrounding Greece, which sent UK markets to a five-month high earlier this week, quickly faded on Thursday with stocks expected to drop early on. The cautious start also comes ahead of a monetary policy decision in the UK, with a statement from the Bank of England due out at noon. City so
Read moreAstrazeneca misses fourth quarter target but eyes growth in 2015
5th Feb 2015 07:18
After a year of accelerating investment in its drug pipeline, drug group Astrazeneca's earnings per share fell more than expected in the fourth quarter to drag the full year number short of the market's target. As it simultaneously announced the $600m respiratory drug acquisition, the FTSE 100 giant
Read moreLondon close: Stocks trim losses on Greek hopes, Chinese stimulus
4th Feb 2015 17:09
A late rally helped the FTSE 100 to erase most of its losses on Wednesday as optimism surrounding Greece and stimulus measures in China lifted sentiment, though stocks still finished in the red after hitting a five-month high the previous day. London's Footsie ended the session down 0.2% at 6,860.02
Read moreSector movers: GSK leads defensive pharma stocks higher
4th Feb 2015 14:35
A massive cash return by Glaxosmithkline gave the wider sector a lift on Wednesday, with defensive healthcare and pharmaceutical stocks also benefiting from a reduction in risk appetite as UK markets pulled back from a five-month high. Sales, profits and earnings slumped during the fourth quarter of
Read moreEU accepts Astrazeneca's application for marketing gout treatment
22nd Jan 2015 07:59
The European medicine regulator has approved AstraZeneca's application to market its lesinurad 200mg tablets for gout. Lesinurad helps increase uric acid excretion from the body to relieve gout. The European Medicines Agency accepted the FTSE 100 drug developer's marketing authorisation application
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: BP boosted by lower-than-expected fine, ARM hit by Intel competition
16th Jan 2015 12:53
Oil giant BP was among the risers after the company revealed it faces a maximum penalty of $13.7bn under the Clean Water Act. This follows the District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana ruling on the Deepwater Horizon case, which found that 3.19m barrels of oil were discharged in the Gulf
Read moreAstraZeneca hails success in Brilinta cardiovascular trial
14th Jan 2015 08:02
A large-scale clinical trial of AstraZeneca's Brilinta tablets for patients with a history of heart attack has been successful in proving its effectiveness, the drug developer said. The Pegasus-TIM 54 study, which involved over 21,000 patients, "successfully met its primary efficacy endpoint", with
Read moreBroker tips: AstraZeneca, Laird, Housing stocks, Oil prices
9th Jan 2015 11:43
AstraZeneca's drug pipeline is still "under-appreciated", according to UBS which hiked its target price for the stock by 10% on Friday. The bank said it sees a number of "blockbuster opportunities" for the pharmaceutical group in the near term, as it lifted its target for the shares from 5,000p to 5
Read moreUBS hails pipeline potential at AstraZeneca, lifts target price by 10%
9th Jan 2015 10:52
AstraZeneca's (AZN) drug pipeline is still "under-appreciated", according to UBS which hiked its target price for the stock by 10% on Friday. The bank said it sees a number of "blockbuster opportunities" for the pharmaceutical group in the near term, as it lifted its target for the shares from 5,000
Read moreLondon midday: Resource stocks drag FTSE 100 into the red
5th Jan 2015 11:36
UK stocks were trading firmly in the red by Monday lunchtime despite a positive start, with shares in the oil and mining sectors providing a drag. London's FTSE 100 was down 0.9% at 6,489 by midday, dropping sharply after reaching a high of 6,576.74 early on. This week will be the first full tradin
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks rise ahead of data-heavy week, M&S falls
5th Jan 2015 08:18
After an initial dip, UK stocks pushed into positive territory early on Monday as traders returned to their desks after the festive holidays in an optimistic mood. London's FTSE 100 index was up 0.4% at 6,571, quickly bouncing off an intraday low of 6,522.59 reached shortly after the open. "This Mo
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