London close: Footsie up 0.7% as banks and IAG surge
19th Jan 2012 17:05
-Euro optimism drives gains. -Barclays, Lloyds, RBS leads the risers. -Essar falls 11.9%, still volatile after Indian tax ruling. A combination of better-than-expected earnings figures and economic data from the US, talks of progress between the Greek government and private creditors, and strong de
Read moreSector movers: Banks rise on euro optimism
19th Jan 2012 16:23
Banks rose by an average 4.98% on Thursday as euro optimism lifted sentiment across global markets. Barclays jumped 10%, closely following by Lloyds and RBS, with the buying mood bolstered by several different factors, including: better-than-expected results from Bank of America; talks of progress
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Banks move higher
19th Jan 2012 14:42
Bankings stocks were providing a lift at midday with Barclays, RBS, Lloyds and HSBC all among the best performers, aided by euro optimism which has given a boost to sentiment. Tesco was also on the rise after US investor Warren Buffett stocked up on shares in the supermarket giant. Meanwhile, Es
Read moreLondon midday: Banks lead risers, Essar still volatile
19th Jan 2012 11:54
- Spain sells more than target in debt auction - Greek talks ongoing - Consumer confidence falls The Footsie extended gains by midday, with the banks performing well, with euro optimism giving a boost to sentiment. The Spanish Treasury has this morning sold €6.61bn in long-term debt, well above th
Read moreLondon open: Footsie flat despite euro optimism
19th Jan 2012 08:22
The FTSE 100 opened flat on Thursday morning, following gains made yesterday after the news that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is boosting its lending capacity by at least $500bn. Lifting sentiment was a source from the Greek finance ministry, who told French news agency Agence France-Pre
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie flat as markets digest S&P move
16th Jan 2012 11:54
After a stint in the blue, and the red, the Footsie was trading flat by midday on Monday, as the markets digested the S&P move to downgrade nine Eurozone countries on Friday evening. Eyes are on France as the nation looks to issued €8.7bn in government debt today. Standard & Poor's (S&P) "finally"
Read moreLondon open: Footsie slips after S&P move, Carnival drops
16th Jan 2012 08:17
The Footsie slipped 0.2% in the opening minutes, following Friday's move by S&P to downgrade nine Eurozone nations. Meanwhile, cruise ship operator Carnival saw shares drop early on after releasing a statement relating to the grounding of a luxury liner off the Italian coast. Standard & Poor's (S&P
Read moreLondon close: French downgrade rumours sink Footsie
13th Jan 2012 16:34
Markets turned south in afternoon trade on rumours of imminent action by ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) to downgrade the ratings of several Eurozone countries. A senior Eurozone government official has been cited as saying that both France and Austria could have their ratings downgraded by
Read moreFTSE 100 Movers: RBS in top spot for a second day running
13th Jan 2012 12:44
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) led the way higher on Friday morning, extending gains from yesterday, when the shares bounced after the lender revealed a massive shake-up to its investment banking and wholesale businesses, including a mass job cull of 3,500. Seymour Pierce fuelled gains after upgrading
Read moreLondon midday: Gains trimmed as US futures fall
13th Jan 2012 12:03
The Footsie's earlier gains were pared by lunchtime as US stock futures slipped ahead of key earnings report from JP Morgan Chase & Co and the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index. Italy issued €4.75bn in medium-term debt, the top of its €3-4.75bn target range. The borrowing costs of Ju
Read moreLondon open: Banks lead the rise but Invensys plummets
13th Jan 2012 08:30
Banks were leading the way on Friday with Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) topping the charts, lifting the Footsie above the 5,700 level. Hopes that the sovereign debt crisis in Europe is easing lifted the mood on the markets, with investors looking ahead to a key Italian debt auction later today. Just
Read moreLondon close: Stocks erase gains, Tesco falls 16%
12th Jan 2012 16:24
Gains were pared in afternoon trade on Thursday following a poor start on Wall Street, meaning that the FTSE 100 finished in the red for the second day in a row. It was a busy day on the corporate news front, with Tesco and RBS grabbing the headlines, while central banks did what was expected and ke
Read moreFTSE 100 Movers: Tesco on the bottom shelf
12th Jan 2012 14:24
Tesco's Christmas trading statement plunged the UK's leading supermarket chain into the bottom spot after reporting that its sales performance in the home market fell below expectations, prompting the company to advise full-year trading profit growth will be around the low end of the range of analys
Read moreLondon midday: Banks rise, retailers drop, BoE maintains rate
12th Jan 2012 11:58
After a subdued start, the Footsie seems to have found its direction, trading up near the 5,700 level, helped by the latest Italian and Spanish debt auctions which saw solid demand and a fall in yields. Italy has sold a total of €12bn in bills, with yields on its 12-month debt falling to 2.74% from
Read moreLondon close: Euro worries pull Footsie lower
11th Jan 2012 16:58
Eurozone debt worries weighed on London's stock market today with some disappointing economic data from the region's largest economy dampening the mood. Energy stocks led the decline on the FTSE 100, tracking oil prices lower. SOVEREIGN DEBT CRISIS RUMBLES ON News that German gross domestic produc
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