FTSE 100 movers: Man Group leads the way after upgrade
27th Apr 2012 15:24
Hedge fund manager Man Group became the highest riser after Societe Generale upgraded its rating on the stock from hold to buy. Earlier this week Swiss bank UBS suggested the hedge fund operator could be a takeover target as its shares have more than halved over the last year, and are down by a quar
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks rise as markets await US GDP data
27th Apr 2012 11:56
- US futures flat ahead of GDP data - UK investors shrug off Spanish downgrade - Man, CRH, British Land rise after upgrades The Footsie was trading firmly higher on Friday morning as investors shrugged off a downgrade for Spain and some disappointing UK economic data. US stock futures were pointi
Read moreFriday broker round-up - UPDATE
27th Apr 2012 09:21
AstraZeneca: Credit Suisse maintains underperform rating and 2,600p target. ASOS: HSBC upgrades from neutral to overweight, target cut from 1,900p to 1,780p. Barclays: Nomura reiterates neutral recommendation and 268p target. British American Tobacco: Jefferies maintains buy recommendation and 3,
Read moreLondon open: Spanish downgrade weighs on sentiment
27th Apr 2012 08:41
- S and P downgrades Spain - UK consumer confidence misses estimates - Banks, miners lead the downside in London The FTSE 100 opened cautiously on Friday morning looking like it could snap a three-day winning streak, with banking and mining blue chips providing a drag on the back of concerns over t
Read moreBarclays faces shareholder rebellion on the Southbank
27th Apr 2012 08:24
London's Royal Festival Hall is world-renowned for its acoustics but the building on the Southbank will resonate to discord on Friday morning as it plays host to Barclays' annual general meeting (AGM). The lack of harmony arises from a group of shareholders who believe executive pay does not reflec
Read moreFriday preview: Barclays AGM, WPP trading statement
26th Apr 2012 17:50
After Thursday's barrage of company announcements there is the usual Friday let-up. Advertising firms WPP and Aegis will have the stage much to themselves, although the annual general meeting of Barclays could prove lively if the subject gets round to executive remuneration. In an effort to stave o
Read moreLondon close: Whitbread leads the Footsie higher
26th Apr 2012 16:41
- Whitbread up 6pc, Astra down 6pc - Economic data from UK and US comes in mixed - Fed sees growth picking up gradually The Footsie rallied in afternoon trade to finish close to its intraday highs reached in the morning session. Investors had to digest a barrage of company results and trading updat
Read moreBroker tips: Barclays, AstraZeneca, Whitbread
26th Apr 2012 12:49
Nomura has maintained its neutral rating and 268p target price for UK lender Barclays saying that while the first-quarter results were slightly better than expectations, the second-quarter outlook is 'deteriorating'. Barclays said that while the first-quarter performance was "encouraging", "the con
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie flat as AstraZeneca provides a drag
26th Apr 2012 11:51
- Footsie flat after strong start - AstraZeneca drops after disappointing first-quarter results - Domestic economic data comes in mixed After a strong rise early on, the FTSE 100 had erased gains to trade broadly flat by lunchtime after a mixed reception to a barrage of company results and trading
Read moreBroker snap: Nomura highlights 'deteriorating' outlook at Barclays
26th Apr 2012 10:30
Nomura has maintained its neutral rating and 268p target price for UK lender Barclays saying that while the first-quarter results were slightly better than expectations, the second-quarter outlook is 'deteriorating'. Both revenue (£8,14bn) and adjusted pre-tax profit (£2.445bn) came in ahead of con
Read moreBarclays beats forecasts but gives cautious outlook
26th Apr 2012 09:34
Adjusted profits at UK lender Barclays came in well above expectations in the first quarter of 2012, but the company gave a cautious outlook owing to 'continued challenging market conditions'. Adjusted pre-tax jumped 22% from £2,004m registered in the first three month of 2011 to £2,445m this year.
Read moreLondon open: Footsie rises after barrage of results
26th Apr 2012 08:36
- Unilever, Shell, Whitbread, Barclays rise after results/updates - Astra, Croda, Admiral provide a drag - Fed expects growth to 'pick up gradually' The FTSE 100 was heading for its third consecutive rise on Thursday with some well-received results from Unilever, Royal Dutch Shell, Whitbread and Ba
Read moreThursday broker round-up - UPDATE
26th Apr 2012 08:36
Admiral: Oriel Securities retains sell rating and 740p target. AstraZeneca: Panmure Gordon maintains buy rating and 3,600p target. Barclays: Nomura reiterates neutral rating and 268p target; Exane BNP Paribas keeps outperform rating and 300p target; Oriel Securities keeps buy rating and 285p targe
Read moreLondon pre-open: Small rise expected in early trading
26th Apr 2012 07:39
City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open up 13 points from yesterday's close of 5,719, following comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday that US monetary policy was 'more or less in the right place', indicating further quantitative easing in the near-term is unlikely.
Read moreAdjusted profits jump at Barclays
26th Apr 2012 07:05
Adjusted profits at UK lender Barclays surged by over a fifth in the first quarter of 2012, well above expectations. Adjusted pre-tax jumped 22% from £2,004m registered in the first quarter of 2011 to £2,445m this year. Consensus estimates were for a reading of £2,006m. Adjusted results exclude the
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