London open: Stocks weighed down by Greece, Moody's
16th Feb 2012 08:35
- Greek bailout hit by more delays. - Moody's reviews ratings on 114 European financial institutions. - BAE Systems tumbles after results. London's blue chip index sank in early trading on Thursday, with just five stocks on the rise, as the Greek bailout faces fresh delays. Meanwhile, Moody's warn
Read moreMoody's reviews 114 financial institutions, nine in UK
16th Feb 2012 07:42
Moody's Investors Service has announced rating actions affecting no less than 114 financial institutions in 16 European countries as the sovereign debt crisis continues to take its toll. The credit ratings agency aptly points out that the "adverse and prolonged" impact of the euro area crisis make
Read moreLondon close: Stocks finish down with Greece in focus
15th Feb 2012 16:38
- Oil rises on supply concerns. - PBOC to keep buying Eurozone debt. - Samaras to honour terms of new package. Despite an earlier rise, the FTSE 100 index slumped in afternoon trade to finish in the red as strong performance by banks was offset by some heavyweight stocks that went ex-dividend. All
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Ex-dividend stocks provide a drag
15th Feb 2012 14:46
Drugs giant AstraZeneca plunged into bottom spot, followed by sector peer GlaxoSmithKline and big oil players BP and Shell, after all four went ex-dividend today. Shares of ITV took a hit following a downgrade from Peel Hunt. The broker said that with the shares of the broadcaster having gained ste
Read moreLondon midday: Banks provide a boost
15th Feb 2012 11:45
- Banks lead the risers on the Footsie. - PBOC to keep buying Eurozone debt. - Venizelos foresees bailout resolution. UK stocks were slightly higher by midday after China pledged to continue buying Eurozone bonds, easing concerns of the region's debt crisis. Banks were the best performers of the d
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise as China pledges to keep helping Eurozone
15th Feb 2012 08:19
- PBOC to keep buying Eurozone debt. - Eurogroup meeting cancelled. - Essar leads the risers early on. UK stocks rose in early trading on Wednesday, rebounding after yesterday's decline, with European indices following Asian markets higher after China pledged to continue buying Eurozone debt. Spea
Read moreLondon close: Stocks finish lower on macro concerns
14th Feb 2012 16:24
-Banks, miners weigh on Footsie. -Markets digest sovereign downgrades from Moody's. -Investors await Eurogroup meeting tomorrow. UK stocks finished in the red on Tuesday as concerns over the state of the Eurozone continued to weigh on sentiment. Trade was volatile as mid-morning gains on the back o
Read moreLondon midday: German ZEW survey provides a boost to UK stocks
14th Feb 2012 11:48
- German ZEW expectations index swings into positive territory. - Moody's downgrades six nations, cuts outlook for three others to negative. - Bunzl, Barclays higher after broker upgrades. After an initial slump on the back of a mass downgrade of European sovereigns by Moody's, a sharp rise was rec
Read moreBroker tips: Barclays, UK insurers, Yell
14th Feb 2012 11:25
UBS has raised its target price for UK lender Barclays by 21% but has maintained its neutral rating on the stock, saying it is "well-positioned but under-earning." The uplift in the target price, from 199p to 240p, reflects the improvement in tangible net asset value from the BlackRock revaluation
Read moreBroker snap: UBS ups target for Barclays
14th Feb 2012 10:47
UBS has raised its target price for UK lender Barclays by 21% but has maintained its neutral rating on the stock, saying it is "well-positioned but under-earning." The uplift in the target price, from 199p to 240p, reflects the improvement in tangible net asset value from the BlackRock revaluation
Read moreTuesday broker round-up - UPDATE
14th Feb 2012 10:40
British Land: Credit Suisse downgrades to neutral from outperform, target cut to 532p from 560p. Barclays: UBS raises target from 199p to 240p, neutral rating kept. Shore Capital upgrades to neutral from sell. Exane BNP upgrades to overweight from neutral. Standard Life: Nomura raises target from
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: Helical Bar, Highland Gold, Barclays
14th Feb 2012 06:58
In the Times the Tempus column runs the rule over property firm Helical Bar and decides it does not really measure up. In the last three months of last year 13 of the group's tenants went out of business or failed to renew their rents, cutting income by over £700,000, and there's the rub for inves
Read moreLondon close: Greek optimism buoys Footsie
13th Feb 2012 16:39
- Stocks rise as Greece approves austerity package. - CBI cuts UK GDP forecasts. - Vodafone confirms potential takeover of C&W Worldwide. Stocks managed to hold on to gains on Monday as Greece moves one step closer to securing the next crucial tranche of aid. Mining and financial stocks led the ri
Read moreBank lending to SMEs falls short of targets in 2011
13th Feb 2012 15:17
Lending to businesses by the five major UK banks exceeded targets in 2011, but loans to small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) came up short, according to the latest data from the Bank of England (BoE). Gross lending from Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander totalled £214
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners buoyed by Greek deal
13th Feb 2012 13:07
Antofagasta lead the risers, closely followed by its fellow miners, after the Greek deal sparked a rise in the euro against the dollar, sending greenback-denominated metals´ prices higher. Anglo American, Kazakhmys, Rio Tinto and Xstrata were all making gains of at least 2%, with Anglo American pe
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