Sector movers: Defensive pharma stocks fall as Santa Rally continues
23rd Dec 2014 16:18
Pharmaceutical and healthcare stocks were leading the fallers on Tuesday as investors dumped defensive assets amid a continued pre-Christmas rally. UK stocks have risen for six straight days as markets rebounded strongly following a recent sell-off. While more cyclical sectors such as construction
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to soar after Federal Reserve statement
18th Dec 2014 07:33
UK stocks were set to surge when markets open on Thursday morning following massive gains on Wall Street as investors reacted to comments from the Federal Reserve. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around 110 points higher than Wednesday's close of 6,336.48. US markets jumped late on with
Read moreAstrazeneca's Lynparza capsules given green light from European Commission
18th Dec 2014 07:09
British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has received marketing authorisation from the European Commission for its Lynparza cancer treatment. The firm said the capsules will be used to treat adult patients suffering from epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who respond fu
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE to fall early on amid Fed speculation, Tesco in focus
9th Dec 2014 07:44
Stocks are expected to suffer a drop early on in Tuesday's session following suggestions the Federal Reserve could next week withdraw its commitment to low interest rates. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around 40 points lower than Monday's close of 6,672.15. "For a long time, the Fed h
Read moreAstrazeneca granted approval for opioid-induced constipation treatment
9th Dec 2014 07:05
Astrazeneca announced that, Moventig, its treatment for adults with opioid-induced constipation (OIC), has been granted marketing authorisation by the European Commission for patients who have had an inadequate response to laxatives. The drug is the first of its kind to be approved in the European U
Read moreWednesday broker round-up
3rd Dec 2014 09:41
AstraZeneca: Morgan Stanley increases target price from 4100p to 4300p, while downgrading to 'underweight'. BG Group: Barclays reduces target price from 1300p to 1100p and reiterates an 'equal-weight' rating. Credit Suisse reduces target price from 1050p to 940p and maintains an 'underperform' ratin
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to gain ahead of quiet session
2nd Dec 2014 07:40
London-listed stocks are expected to begin Tuesday's session on a positive note ahead of what is expected to be a fairly quiet day. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around 19 points higher than Monday's close of 6,656.37. The session will see the release of the Markit/CIPS construction r
Read moreAstrazeneca's application for lung cancer treatment accepted by FDA
2nd Dec 2014 07:11
Astrazeneca said the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its new drug application for Iressa, a treatment designed for use in with a particular kind of lung cancer. It is already approved in 90 countries, having first been launched in 2002. Iressa acts by blocking the transmission of
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Balfour Beatty, Canary Wharf, Vodafone
30th Nov 2014 15:25
Balfour Beatty could be broken up as John Laing Infrastructure Fund considers a billion-pound bid for the company's investment arm, the Sunday Times reported. John Laing is interested in bidding for Balfour's 60 private finance initiative (PFI) contracts. It would leave Balfour with a business worth
Read moreAstrazeneca and Amgen hail success in psoriasis treatment trial
26th Nov 2014 08:03
A clinical trial of a psoriasis treatment by partners Astrazeneca and Amgen met its primary endpoints, the pharmaceutical companies announced on Wednesday. AMAGINE-1, a pivotal, multi-arm Phase III trial evaluating two doses of brodalumab in over 1,800 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psorias
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE to open higher early on
24th Nov 2014 07:41
A small gain is predicted for UK stocks at Monday's opening bell, with City sources predicting the FTSE 100 will open around 10 points higher than Friday's close of 6,750.76. Markets jumped on Friday after a surprise interest-rate cut from the People's Bank of China in an attempt to avert a sharp sl
Read moreAstrazeneca COPD treatment granted marketing authorisation in Europe
24th Nov 2014 07:06
Astrazeneca's Duaklir Genuair drug has been granted marketing authorisation by the European Commission for the treatment of adult patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The approval of Duaklir was based on efficacy and safety data from more than 2,000 patients in 11 clinical stu
Read moreSix-month cooling-off period comes to an end for Astrazeneca and Smith & Nephew bidders
23rd Nov 2014 14:28
This week will see the end of the six-month cooling-off periods that followed the takeover bids made for healthcare groups Astrazeneca and Smith & Nephew. This means that their respective suitors will once again have the opportunity to put in another offer. Stryker, the US orthopaedic group that e
Read moreFitch downgrades AstraZeneca's long-term debt rating
21st Nov 2014 17:09
British drugs giant AstraZeneca's risk profile is increasing as it invests in research and development (R&D), future growth and operational efficiency, even as patent expiries place pressure on its near-term sales and profits. Hence, ratings agency Fitch has downgraded its rating on the company's lo
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE to rise despite further weak data out from China
18th Nov 2014 07:42
London's blue chips are expected to open on a positive note, despite further weak data out from China overnight. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around 15 points higher than Monday's close of 6,671.97. "European futures are pointing to another positive start on Tuesday despite data over
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