Sunday share tips: Whitbread, Petra Diamonds, Empiric Student Property
15th Jun 2014 12:28
Whitbread looks like a reliable investment despite the imminent departure of Chairman Anthony Habgood, Matthew Goodman said in the Sunday Times's Inside the City column. The company was a mess when Habgood took over in 2005 but he has sold peripheral businesses to focus on Premier Inn and Costa Coff
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Oil stocks gain as housing stocks dive
13th Jun 2014 15:39
Oil and gas stocks were among the handful of names making gains today as share prices tracked oil prices higher, with Shell, BG Group and BP on the rise. Oil prices have surged to a nine-month high amid growing fears about the situation in Iraq, a major oil producer. United Utilities was one of t
Read moreAstraZeneca cheered by FDA's decision to avoid cardiovascular trial
13th Jun 2014 07:06
AstraZeneca has welcomed a vote by a committee of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) against the necessity of a trial looking specifically into cardiovascular outcomes of its Movantik drug, which has been developed to treat constipation associated with opioid pain medications. The meeting o
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks erase losses as media strength outweighs miners
12th Jun 2014 11:27
- Media stocks lead the rebound, ITV jumps - Mining stocks fall, Anglo downgraded - Eurozone industrial data beats forecasts - Iraq tensions keep risk appetite subdued techMARK 2,845.86 +0.18% FTSE 100 6,841.76 +0.04% FTSE 250 16,111.37 +0.15% A late-morning bounce pushed UK stocks into positive t
Read moreLondon open: Mining stocks pull FTSE 100 lower ahead of data
12th Jun 2014 08:25
- Profit taking continues as miners fall - Traders await global economic data - Broker downgrades hit blue chips techMARK 2,839.63 -0.04% FTSE 100 6,827.09 -0.17% FTSE 250 16,073.58 -0.09% UK stocks opened flat on Thursday morning as weakness in the mining sector held back any chances of a rebound
Read moreAstraZeneca signs licence deal with Synairgen
12th Jun 2014 07:42
British drugs maker AstraZeneca has signed a licence agreement with AIM-listed Synairgen for the development of SNG000l, a treatment for respiratory tract viral infections in patients with severe asthma. Under the deal, FTSE 100-listed Astra will pay Synairgen a $7.25m up-front fee and potential de
Read moreAstrazeneca to present 43 abstracts at US diabetes conference
11th Jun 2014 07:47
Drug giant AstraZeneca on Wednesday revealed that the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in San Francisco has accepted 43 diabetes research and development studies. The FTSE 100 group, which has been facing a takeover bid from US rival Pfizer, will present clinical data from a number of analyses,
Read moreAstraZeneca looking to fast-track lung cancer drugs
3rd Jun 2014 07:51
Biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is reportedly planning to make available to UK patients two of its main lung cancer drugs long before they have undergone full clinical testing under the recently launched scheme that fast-tracks the most promising new drug developments. The programme, which was
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Shire, China housing, IGas
2nd Jun 2014 07:01
Shire has lined up a $5bn credit facility from banks led by Citigroup to finance a takeover offer for NPS Pharmaceuticals, an American developer of a new drug for sufferers of a debilitating bowel condition. An initial approach to NPS by Shire has been rebuffed, according to insiders. However, a for
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Lloyds Banking, Tesco, AstraZeneca
1st Jun 2014 14:03
Lloyds Banking Group has given TSB a £450m "dowry" as part of its £15bn initial public offering, the Sunday Telegraph reported. The small print of the TSB offer document reveals that Lloyds will pay up to £450m of integration costs if TSB changes its technology platform or is taken over. The unusual
Read moreAstraZeneca hopes data will justify turning down Pfizer
30th May 2014 17:37
AstraZeneca hopes data to be released on several new cancer drugs in the next few days will help justify its decision to turn down a takeover bid from Pfizer. The UK drugmaker's strength in oncology was one of the benefits enticing US-based Pfizer to make a £70bn bid for the group. Pascal Soriot,
Read moreSector movers: M&A continues to lift healthcare stocks as Smith & Nephew jumps
28th May 2014 15:14
Healthcare stocks were at the top of the pile on Wednesday on the back of continued M&A activity in the sector, with UK-listed medical device maker Smith & Nephew in focus on reports of bid interest from overseas. The Financial Times reported today that US group Stryker had hired banks and was work
Read moreWednesday broker round-up UPDATE
28th May 2014 09:57
Accesso Technology Group: Numis initiates with a target price of 690p and a buy recommendation. Alternative Networks: Westhouse Securities upgrades from add to buy with a target price of 540p. Astra Zeneca: Deutsche Bank raises target price from 3800p to 3950p and keeps a hold recommendation. AVE
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: AstraZeneca, AG Barr
28th May 2014 07:46
Shares of AstraZeneca continue to trade well above the price at which they were at before Pfizer came along - 37 pounds. However, it seems implausible that investors are still holding out on hopes of another bid coming through. Rather, it is probably a reflection of the ambitious growth targets whic
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: IHG leads markets higher on bid rumours
27th May 2014 14:05
InterContinental Hotels Group shares surged on Tuesday after Sky News reported that the the company rejected a 6bn-pound takeover bid on the grounds that it was too low. While the identity of the bidder has not been confirmed, analysts have suggested that the proposal could have come from Starwood H
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