Thursday preview: All eyes on the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street
4th Jul 2012 18:11
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will be revealing its policy decision at midday on Thursday with the majority of economists expecting the Bank of England (BoE) to ramp up its asset purchase programme, or quantitative easing (QE). Analysts at Investec are predicting that the MP
Read moreLondon close: Stocks flat, attention turns to Barclays late on
4th Jul 2012 16:48
- Former Barclays CEO quizzed by MPs over LIBOR fixing - Market subdued as Wall Street closed - Tomorrow's policy decisions eyed After a brief foray into positive territory, gains for the Footsie were pared in the final hour of trade with the focus shifting to Barclays as its former boss was being
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie edges lower on weak PMI data
4th Jul 2012 11:34
- PMI data from China and Europe disappoints - US markets closed for July 4th - Investors await policy decisions tomorrow The Footsie was trading within a narrow range of just 17 points on Wednesday as volumes were seen to be light given that Wall Street is closed for Independence Day. Disappointin
Read moreLondon open: Markets cautious ahead of policy decisions
4th Jul 2012 08:38
- Ex-div stocks provide a drag in London - Chinese economic data dampens the mood - US markets closed for national holiday UK stocks slipped in early trading on Wednesday with volumes expected to be light as US markets remain closed for Independence Day; investors are likely to be cautious ahead of
Read moreThursday broker round-up
31st May 2012 09:26
Aviva: Nomura cuts target from 600p to 540p, buy rating unchanged. Babcock: Panmure Gordon downgrades from buy to hold, target left at 940p. BG Group: Jefferies reiterates buy stance and 2,000p target. BHP Billiton: Credit Suisse maintains outperform rating and 2,460p target. BT Group: Nomura ke
Read moreThursday broker round-up
17th May 2012 09:36
African Barrick Gold: Goldman Sachs upgrades from sell to neutral. Amlin: Nomura maintains neutral rating and 383p target. Aviva: Shore Capital downgrades from buy to hold; Nomura keeps buy rating and 600p target. Babcock: Liberum Capital downgrades from buy to hold. Brammer: Westhouse Securitie
Read moreWednesday broker round-up - UPDATE
16th May 2012 08:26
Babcock: UBS raises target from 880p to 950p, buy recommendation unchanged. Barclays: UBS upgrades from neuter lot buy, target cut from 272p to 215p. Cineworld: Merchant Securities maintains buy rating and 244p target. Compass Group: Numis upgrades from add to buy, target left at 750p. Experian:
Read moreLondon close: Stocks slip as Greece heads for new elections
15th May 2012 16:30
- Greece fails to form coalition - Eurozone GDP unchanged in first quarter - IAG falls after downgrade, miners track metals prices lower London's blue chip index fell sharply for a second straight day on Tuesday as it was revealed that Greek leaders failed to form a coalition, meaning that the coun
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Renishaw in top spot on good growth
15th May 2012 16:05
Precision tool maker Renishaw leapt into the top spot after saying that despite continuing global macroeconomic headwinds it has seen good growth over the year to date and has started to see signs of an upturn in the electronics market. Also wanted was Babcock, the engineering support services com
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie edges higher as Eurozone avoids recession
15th May 2012 11:55
- Eurozone GDP flat in first quarter - German GDP surprises to the upside - UK trade deficit narrows slightly The FTSE 100 was registering only slight gains by Tuesday lunchtime as Greek concerns continue to dampen sentiment. The benchmark lost almost two per cent of its value yesterday on speculat
Read moreBroker tips: Smiths Group, Kazakhmys, Babcock
15th May 2012 11:18
Investec has cut its target price for technology firm Smiths Group following the firm's third-quarter trading update this morning, saying that while there was no major surprises, there also wasn't any reason to get excited. With little change in the operating performance from the interim results, I
Read moreBroker snap: Jefferies ups forecasts for Babcock
15th May 2012 11:10
Jefferies has maintained its buy recommendation and hiked its target price for engineering support services Babcock after the firm's strong full-year results and bullish outlook statement this morning. Earnings per share (EPS) for the year to the end of March were 4% ahead of consensus estimates on
Read moreTuesday broker round-up
15th May 2012 09:10
Babcock: Investec reiterates buy, puts target under review; Jefferies raises target from 780p to 910p, buy rating kept. BT Group: Espirito Santo upgrades from sell to neutral, lifts target from 180p to 210p. Chariot Oil & Gas: UBS slashes target from 340p to 215p, buy rating unchanged. Drax: Inv
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rebound on German GDP data
15th May 2012 08:27
- German GDP surprises to the upside - Eurogroup rules out Greek exit - G4S on track to meet full-year guidance Blue-chip stocks opened broadly higher on Tuesday morning following a steep sell-off yesterday which saw the Footsie set a new low for 2012. Helping sentiment this morning was an upwards
Read moreBabcock raises guidance after record year
15th May 2012 07:56
Babcock International, the engineering support services company, expects earnings in the current year to be ahead of previous expectations, thanks to its bulging order book. "Our key markets remain strong and the current economic climate is favourable to the further growth of our business. We have
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