London close: Company news stream fails to budge Footsie
3rd Nov 2010 16:37
There was plenty of company news for traders to digest but also uncertainty ahead of the US Federal Reserve's decision on whether to embark on more quantitative easing, resulting in a flat performance from Footsie. The leading share index slipped in line with the US ahead of the close and finished
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie treads water
3rd Nov 2010 14:13
London is not short of corporate newsflow to generate share price movements among the blue-chips but the net effect has been to leave the Footsie little changed. Car insurer Admiral said not much has changed since August's interim results, but that simple affirmation of recent trends was enough to
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie little changed despite excitement
3rd Nov 2010 12:12
There is plenty of movement in share prices today, but with stocks moving in both directions, Footsie is little changed. Lloyds Banking's announcement of its new chief executive has attracted investor excitement. It has appointed Antonio Horta-Osorio, the head of Spanish bank Santander's UK busine
Read moreLondon open: Markets waits on Fed decision
3rd Nov 2010 08:50
Leading shares are mixed in London as traders get to grips with the implications of yesterday's US mid-term election results. The Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, but not the Senate, raising the prospect of the next two years of President Obama's tenure in the White House
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: Oil, BAE Systems, Eurozone crisis...
2nd Nov 2010 06:21
A flagship coalition policy to promote economic growth could be a "failure in large parts of England", a leaked letter from the minister in charge has warned. The introduction of local economic partnerships (LEPs) has caused "strong concerns" among business leaders and could be "in danger of failin
Read moreFriday newspaper close: BAE, Gilts, BHP Billiton...
22nd Oct 2010 06:44
Taxpayers will have to pick up the £2.6bn bill for the controversial aircraft carrier that will never carry jets because Gordon Brown agreed an "unbreakable" contract designed to protect shipbuilding jobs in Scotland. Under a 15-year agreement signed with BAE Systems, the Labour Government guarant
Read moreLondon close: Late dip slows Footsie's progress
21st Oct 2010 16:42
A late sag pulled Footsie back after it seemed destined for its highest close since the middle of April. Good company news and a bright start on Wall Street, with the Dow up 100 points at the start, meant a strong afternoon session in London, but blue chips eased back as the day ended. BT was the
Read moreLondon afternoon: Shares climb higher as Wall Street advances
21st Oct 2010 15:37
Footsie is still going strong with a good start on Wall Street underpinning earlier gains. BT is higher after a favourable court ruling. The UK government has to guarantee all BT employees in the BT pension scheme, not just the ones that joined prior to privatisation in 1984, it was decided. Glax
Read moreLondon midday: BT jumps after court ruling
21st Oct 2010 12:10
There are some big movements in both directions today, but the mood is optimistic overall and Footsie has been trading at its highest level in nearly six months. TUI Travel, owner of the Thomson travel agent brand, is sharply lower as it restated results for 2008/09 and took an extra £88m charge li
Read moreLondon open: Shares fall back
21st Oct 2010 08:24
A couple of company news items have been given a frosty reception, helping tip the leading share index into the red. TUI Travel, owner of the Thomson travel agent brand, is lower after saying it had to restate results for the 2008/09 and take an extra £88m charge linked to the integration of IT sy
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie to back off
21st Oct 2010 07:36
A small dip is expected in London this morning, replicating performances across Asia where traders mulled a decline in Chinese growth during the third quarter. The FTSE 100 is seen about 10 points lower in early deals. China said annual GDP slowed to 9.6% in the third quarter from 10.3% in the seco
Read moreDefence cuts to hit BAE growth
21st Oct 2010 07:13
Defence giant BAE expects to see a reduction in growth in 2010 due to the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) that was announced on Tuesday, it said today. The company said that, while it can help the government to achieve efficiency targets, it expects the SDSR to have a 'modest impact' o
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: S&N heads risers
20th Oct 2010 13:18
Medical devices supplier Smith & Nephew has won its appeal over a patent dispute with Kinetic Corporation. A court in Texas says that the wound management patents are "invalid due to obviousness". S&N has already won similar cases in the UK and Germany. Xstrata has given the thumbs up to the $710
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: BAE Systems, Chemring, Rio Tinto...
20th Oct 2010 06:50
BAE, Europe's largest defence company, will update the City in a trading statement tomorrow on how it expects the defence spending review to affect its British operations. It would be reasonable to assume that its UK business will be broadly flat in the coming years as the upside from Typhoon, JSF
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Broker changes move index
8th Oct 2010 13:18
Broker recommendations dominate the Footsie today. UBS has downgraded accountancy software supplier Sage from neutral to sell. Silver miner Fresnillo has also been downgraded, this time from neutral to underperform by Merrill Lynch. In contrast, HSBC has raised BAE Systems from neutral to overwe
Read more