SocGen upgrades British American Tobacco despite missed forecasts
30th Apr 2015 09:30
British American Tobacco missed analysts' forecasts slightly with its first-quarter results this week, but that wasn't enough to deter Societe Generale from upgrading the stock from 'hold' to 'buy'. The French bank said that the solid pricing backdrop means that the cigarette and tobacco group is st
Read moreLondon close: Stocks retreat further from record on weak US data, Greece
29th Apr 2015 16:30
Stocks dropped sharply again on Wednesday as gloomy US economic data and ongoing uncertainty in Greece hammered sentiment. London's FTSE 100 finished 1.2% lower at 6,946.28, with investors extra cautious ahead of a policy statement at the Federal Reserve after the close. This was the second straigh
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks pause ahead of US GDP and Fed announcement
29th Apr 2015 12:06
UK stocks markets wavered on Wednesday after a sell-off the previous session as investors treaded lightly ahead of economic growth data and a policy decision Stateside. London's FTSE 100 was trading 0.04% lower at 7,027.68 by midday with a flurry of mixed corporate earnings to digest from the likes
Read moreLondon open: Stocks flatline amid earnings flurry ahead of FOMC
29th Apr 2015 09:16
UK stocks opened flat on Wednesday morning as investors digested a barrage of blue-chip earnings and awaited a Federal Reserve policy decision in the US. The FTSE 100 was trading just 0.03% lower at 7,028.48 early on. The index had retreated on Tuesday to 7,030.53 after setting a new all-time closi
Read moreBritish American Tobacco's slow-burn sales disappoint
29th Apr 2015 08:16
Sales volumes and revenues were lower at British American Tobacco in the first quarter but the group grew market share from its top brands and said results would be "significantly skewed" to the second half of the year. The company's headline performance was dented by continued pressure on consumers
Read moreImperial Tobacco to light up tobacco sector, says Exane
27th Apr 2015 13:09
Imperial Tobacco is the top pick in the sector for broker Exane, as the industry returns to "normal service" after a tough two years. While organic trends in food, beverages and household and personal care are set to be below par again in 2015, Exane noted that tobacco, in contrast, after a tricky t
Read moreSector Movers: Tobacco, housebuilders and engineering stocks lead London market to new highs
9th Apr 2015 12:59
Tobacco, engineering and housebuilders helped FTSE 100 extend gains above the 7,000 mark on a day when the market shrugged off prevailing political uncertainty about a hung parliament as well as weak industrial output. At 16:18 BST, the FTSE 100 was up 0.87% or 61.35 points to 7076.71 with tobacco b
Read moreLondon close: FTSE plunges 1.7% as investors take profits ahead of quarter-end
31st Mar 2015 16:31
Sharp falls from mining and tobacco stocks sent the FTSE 100 to its lowest close in two and a half weeks on Tuesday as investors used some weak economic data as an excuse to rebalance their books before the quarter-end. After briefly trading in the green early on, the Footsie finished had plunged 1.
Read moreSector movers: Tobacco, oil & gas and mining drag FTSE 100 into the red
31st Mar 2015 13:39
Tobacco, oil & gas and mining stocks knocked the FTSE 100 down on a day of few positives over the course of Tuesday's trading in London. At 16:25, the FTSE 100 was trading down 93.98 or 1.36% at 6797.45 with tobacco stocks taking the biggest knock of the day. The decline arrived early on during the
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Kingfisher surges on store closures, tobacco stocks lower
31st Mar 2015 13:22
DIY retailer Kingfisher soared as it impressed investors with plans to close 60 stores, as new chief executive Véronique Laury announced full-year results and set out her plans for a "very different" company. The company announced a £200m cash return for the coming financial year as it revealed adju
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE drops sharply to two-week low at quarter-end
31st Mar 2015 12:11
After a brief stint in positive territory, UK stocks dropped sharply into the red by Tuesday lunchtime as concerns about the Eurozone outweighed upbeat data closer to home. London's FTSE 100, which rose initially to a high of 6,910.07, had sunk over 1% to 6,819.82 by midday. The index has not closed
Read moreLondon open: Stocks inch higher, but gains limited early on
31st Mar 2015 09:14
UK stocks edged higher on Tuesday morning ahead of a busy day for economic data, with B&Q owner Kingfisher leading the rise early on. The FTSE 100 was up 0.1% at 6,896.06, extending gains after snapping a four-day losing streak on Monday. Asian stocks rose on Tuesday after Beijing unveiled new meas
Read moreFTC recommends lawsuit to block $27bn merger Reynolds American and Lorillard
31st Mar 2015 08:55
The Federal Trade Commission has recommended a lawsuit to prevent a proposed $27bn merger between tobacco giants Reynolds American and Lorillard. US regulators are due to meet on Tuesday on a merger vote, which is understood to be involving the world's second and third-biggest cigarette makers. How
Read moreBritish American Tobacco drops and sues its auditor PwC
24th Mar 2015 14:56
Cigarette maker British American Tobacco on Tuesday announced the end of its 17 year relationship with its auditor PriceWaterhouseCoopers and has taken them to court over a potential $1bn US environmental damages bill. The British-based maker of Lucky Strike and Dunhill cigarettes has appointed KPMG
Read moreSector Movers: Real estate and housebuilders in the green, but tobacco takes a hit
19th Mar 2015 14:35
The UK 2015 Budget continues to impact market sentiment as real estate and housebuilding stocks followed oil and gas services companies in posting an uptick in performance. In his final budget before the General Election on May 7, Chancellor George Osborne announced a series of measures considered t
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