RBS and 11 other banks hit by downgrade
7th Oct 2011 08:24
UK bank stocks have been hit following a downgrade to 12 financial institutions by the credit ratings agency Moody's. Lloyds TSB, Santander UK and the Co-Operative Bank were downgraded one notch, while Nationwide and RBS went down two levels. Smaller institutions, including Clydesdale Bank were al
Read moreLondon close: Late surge propels Footsie 3.7% higher
6th Oct 2011 16:35
The Footsie finished at the highest level of the day, with just four stocks in the red, as gains were built on after the opening bell in New York, which saw stocks rise on the back of a better-than-expected unemployment claims report. It was a busy day on the macroeconomic front with policy rate de
Read moreLondon open: Footsie jumps back above 5,000, retailers mixed
5th Oct 2011 08:37
The Footsie has clawed its way back over the 5,000 level on Wednesday morning, with just four stocks registering losses, following on from a dramatic rally on Wall Street late Tuesday night. Driving the bull market in the last hour in the US - which saw the Dow swing 400 points - were reports from
Read moreLondon close: Footsie finishes well below 5,000
4th Oct 2011 17:31
Though share prices recovered a tad after some reassuring noises from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, London still finished the day deep on the red, with the Footsie well below the psychologically important 5,000 level. Federal Reserve president Ben Bernanke told the Joint Economic Committe
Read moreLondon midday: Banks plummet, retailers buck trend
4th Oct 2011 12:29
A decent performance from the retail sector was not enough to pull the market higher by lunchtime, as investors bailed out of banking, engineering and mining stocks on concerns over the global economy. Jean-Claude Juncker, chairman of the Eurogroup finance minister committee, has said that there wi
Read moreLondon open: Financial drag Footsie towards 5,000
4th Oct 2011 08:30
The poor performance seen Monday has continued with the Footsie dropping towards the 5,000 mark once again in the opening minutes, as concerns in the Eurozone continue to dominate the markets. Nevertheless, there were further messages of support for Greece - even if they have yet to be backed up by
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: 'Neutral' Burberry heading lower
3rd Oct 2011 14:07
Shares were down at Burberry after Nomura maintained its neutral rating on the British luxury brand ahead of the group's first half trading update on 12 October. The broker expects Burberry to report 29% constant currency sales growth to £820m, but forecasts a 50 basis point decline in the first ha
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks off intraday lows after manufacturing data
3rd Oct 2011 12:13
While losses have been trimmed since the open, Greek deficit fears continued to weigh on stocks at midday, with the banking peers Standard Chartered, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland among the heaviest fallers. Banks across Europe joined in with the sell-off, with French lenders BNP Paribas and
Read moreLondon open: Footsie drops below 5,000
3rd Oct 2011 08:29
The Footsie plummeted in early trading on Monday, dropping below the 5,000 level, as euro worries continue to dampen sentiment. Despite Greece's tough austerity measures, the debt-stricken country revealed on Sunday that it will miss its deficit target for 2011, as it unveiled plans for job cuts ac
Read moreWednesday newspaper round-up: "Stupid" US, "stupid" Miliband, Google
28th Sep 2011 06:26
Germany and America were on a collision course on Tuesday night over the handling of Europe's debt crisis after Berlin savaged plans to boost the EU rescue fund as a "stupid idea" and told the White House to sort out its own mess before giving gratuitous advice to others. German finance minister Wol
Read moreLondon close: Financials soar on Eurozone bailout hopes
26th Sep 2011 17:15
In a battle between booming banks and melting miners, the banks emerged on top, as Footsie reversed early losses to finish in the blue. Hopes that Eurozone governments will get their act together and seriously bumnp up the Eurozone bailout fund, while pushing through more severe "haircuts" - reduc
Read moreFTSE 100: BAE falls on job loss rumours
26th Sep 2011 13:53
The UK's main defence contractor, BAE Systems, was heading south after it news that it appears set to shed 3,000 jobs as it sees a slump in orders for its Typhoon aircraft. Reports from Sky News and the Telegraph indicate the plants most likely to be affected are in Warton, Lancashire, and Brough i
Read moreLondon midday: Banks power FTSE 100 rebound
26th Sep 2011 12:10
Stocks have rebounded strongly from their weak start, with a buoyant performance from the banking sector helping to offset continued weakness in mining stocks. Precious metals stocks in particular are in the firing line as prices for gold and silver continue their downward turn, bucking the usual r
Read moreLondon open: RBS, Barclays and Lloyds shrug off decline
26th Sep 2011 08:31
The top share index has recovered partially after tumbling below the 5,000 point mark on continuing worries over the Eurozone situation. Plans by European policymakers to up the amount of funds set aside to deal with the ongoing problems in Greece have failed to reassure markets. Miners lead the
Read moreLondon close: Buoyant RBS, Barclays and Lloyds boost FTSE 100
23rd Sep 2011 16:38
Stocks rediscovered their earlier strength, but only after tumbling below the 5,000 point mark on another volatile day for the leading share index. Banks were prominent among the risers, with Barclays, Lloyds and RBS posting decent gains, after talk of a 50 basis point cut in European Central Bank
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