London pre-open: Stocks to pause ahead of Eurogroup meeting on Greece
16th Feb 2015 07:28
UK markets are expected to open cautiously on Monday after settling at a five-month high in the previous session. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open more or less unchanged from Friday's close of 6,873.52. This was the index's best finish since early September 2014, taking it to within touc
Read moreBalfour Beatty hires ex-BHP boss to chair company
11th Feb 2015 08:58
Balfour Beatty, which is rumoured to soon be the subject of a takeover bid, has appointed a former head of BHP Billiton's energy arm as its new chairman. Philip Aiken has been named by the construction group as its next non-executive chairman, taking over the position from 26 March. Balfour Beatty
Read moreBroker tips: Experian, Balfour Beatty, Anglo American, Afren
28th Jan 2015 12:40
Broker Liberum reiterated its 'buy' rating on Experian after the information services firm announced an unexpected £394.7m buyback, which amounts to 5% of its stock. "Experian's sustainable superior cash generation remains a key strength," Liberum said. UBS has lifted its target price for Balfour B
Read moreUpside limited at Balfour Beatty but sentiment has improved, says UBS
28th Jan 2015 11:11
UBS has lifted its target price for Balfour Beatty's shares, saying that the recent rally in the stock shows that the market is giving the infrastructure group "the benefit of the doubt" after a tough year. After numerous profit warnings and board changes over the last year, the company on 22 Januar
Read moreBalfour Beatty wins preferred-bidder status on £120m deal
26th Jan 2015 10:57
Balfour Beatty has revealed itself as the "preferred bidder" on a £120m, 50-year residential contract with the University of Sussex. The contract would involve Balfour Beatty leading the development of the university's East Slope Residences project, designing, building, financing and operating the n
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Jimmy Choo rallies after trading update
23rd Jan 2015 17:04
Jimmy Choo was topping the FTSE 250 after reporting net revenue rose 12% to £299m last year, driven by growth in Asia. In its first trading update since listing on the London Stock Exchange in October, the luxury shoe maker said it was "delighted" with sales which were helped by new store openings i
Read moreSector movers: CRH, Balfour Beatty lift construction sector
23rd Jan 2015 15:03
M&A speculation surrounding CRH and a broker upgrade for Balfour Beatty were giving the UK construction and materials sector a lift on Friday. Building materials firm CRH was 2.5% higher, extending gains made on Thursday after confirming speculation that it was in talks to buy some of Lafarge and Ho
Read moreBalfour Beatty slashes guidance, cancels buyback and reviews dividend after KPMG review
22nd Jan 2015 07:10
Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has slashed its expectations for 2014 UK construction profits by a further £70m, cancelled a proposed share buyback and cast doubts over its future dividend after a review of the business by advisers KPMG. The much-anticipated review by advisers KPMG, put in place
Read moreBalfour Beatty appoints new CFO Philip Harrison
20th Jan 2015 07:19
Infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty has appointed Philip Harrison as its new chief financial officer (CFO). As a qualified accountant, Harrison will join the board later in the year as CFO. It has also been confirmed that he will receive an annual salary of £400,000 and will participate in the compan
Read moreLondon close: UK stocks settle at 2015 high as market awaits ECB decision
19th Jan 2015 16:32
London's FTSE 100 eked out a gain of 0.5% on Monday in the absence of US trading, as investors took advantage of a quiet news day to push stocks to their highest levels of the year The Footsie finished 35.26 points higher at 6,585.53, its best finish since 29 December 2014 when it settled at 6,633.5
Read moreLondon midday: UK stocks trim gains as miners decline
19th Jan 2015 12:17
UK stocks had pared gains and were trading more or less flat by Monday lunchtime as investors showed caution ahead of a busy week. London's FTSE 100 was up just 0.1% at 6,558 by noon, having pulled back after reaching an intra-day high of 6,589.20 early on as mining stocks extended losses. Monday's
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise ahead of busy week with ECB in focus
19th Jan 2015 08:38
UK stocks rose on Monday morning ahead of a busy week, as investors shrugged off a sell-off on Chinese markets overnight. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.4% at 6,577 in early deals. Stocks in Shanghai plunged 8% on Monday with shares in the financial sectors faring the worst after securities regulators
Read moreLondon pre-open: Positive start expected despite sell-off in China
19th Jan 2015 07:39
UK stocks were expected to rise on Monday despite a massive sell-off on Chinese markets overnight after the government cracked down on margin-trading accounts. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open 20 points higher than Friday's close of 6,550.27. Stocks in Shanghai plunged 8% on Monday with
Read moreBalfour Beatty wins £1.5bn contract for Scape Group national framework
19th Jan 2015 07:18
Infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty has been appointed sole contractor to a new £1.5bn framework that will run until February 2019. The national framework is operated by public sector-owned environment specialist Scape Group and hope to stimulate local jobs. Balfour Beatty has been brought on board
Read moreSunday share tips: Mitie, UK Mail, Vodafone
18th Jan 2015 18:44
Mitie's shares have fallen but not as fast as those of outsourcing rivals such as Serco and Balfour Beatty, Danny Fortson pointed out in the Sunday Times. Matthew Earl, a former City analyst who writes a blog, criticised Mitie for buying companies to compensate for its own slow progress and for the
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