London open: Sharp gains for Footsie as Greek fears ease
24th Jun 2011 08:42
The Footsie registered sharp gains in early trading, after last night's reports from Greece buoyed sentiment in London. The FTSE 100 opened up 68 higher at 5,742 on Friday morning. With Greece and the European Union settled on the contents of the austerity package to be put before the Greek parliam
Read moreLondon pre-open: Shares set for Greek bounce
24th Jun 2011 07:47
With Greece and the European Union settled on the contents of the austerity package to be put before the Greek parliament next week, hopes have risen that the prospect of a default by Greece on its loans can be put to bed. As news broke of the agreement late yesterday, the US markets performed an
Read moreBerkeley beats expectations, but dividend delayed
24th Jun 2011 07:12
London and south-east house builder Berkeley Group reported forecast-beating figures on Friday, on both the sales and the profit level, but investors will have to wait a little longer before they they can benefit from the resumption of a dividend. Full-year revenue jumped by 20.7% from £615.3m to £
Read moreFriday preview: Brokers divided on dividends for Berkeley
23rd Jun 2011 16:35
London and south-east house builder Berkeley raised the bar for full-year results back in March when it said earnings would be at the high end of its expectations. Brokers responded by revising their forecasts, and expectations now are for pre-tax profit of £129.8m on sales of £694.5m. Panmure Gord
Read moreBroker tips: Berkeley, Dunelm, Betfair
7th Apr 2011 12:21
RBS ups its forecasts for housebuilder Berkeley Group after it highlighted a further step-up in volume momentum. The broker notes that the group's reservation growth rate has risen to 25% year-on-year in the second half, from 20% in the first, driven by both a shift in group strategy and the benefi
Read moreBroker snap: Target upped at Berkeley
7th Apr 2011 12:19
RBS ups its forecasts for housebuilder Berkeley Group after it highlighted a further step-up in volume momentum. The broker notes that the group's reservation growth rate has risen to 25% year-on-year in the second half, from 20% in the first, driven by both a shift in group strategy and the benefi
Read moreLondon close: Strong finish to tough week
18th Mar 2011 16:52
Shares went into the weekend on the front foot after a week that was overshadowed by international events. Libya has acquiesced to the United Nations Security Council's resolution calling for an end to hostilities between government forces and the rebels. The United Nations Security Council voted
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Go-Ahead boosted on Southeastern news
18th Mar 2011 14:15
Rail and bus operator Go-Ahead is among the best performers Friday after it announced that it will continue to operate the Southeastern rail franchise in Kent until 2014, through its joint venture with French transport group Keolis. London and south-east housebuilder Berkeley Group continues to ben
Read moreLondon afternoon: Oil guzzlers welcome Libyan ceasefire
18th Mar 2011 14:03
The market's advance regained impetus over the lunchtime session as news came through of a ceasefire in Libya. Libya has acquiesced to the United Nations Security Council's resolution calling for an end to hostilities between government forces and the rebels. The United Nations Security Council
Read moreLondon midday: Shares rise after Japan intervention
18th Mar 2011 12:23
Shares are on the rise again today, helped by international financial intervention to help Japan following its catastrophic earthquake. The seven leading industrialised nations have taken concerted action to stop the rise of the Japanese yen. Monetary authorities in Japan, Europe, Britain and the U
Read moreLondon open: OfGem report prompts National Grid surge
18th Mar 2011 08:39
Buoyed by a strong performance last night on Wall Street and the recovery this morning of Tokyo, London has started the day on the front foot. Miners are pushing the blue-chip index higher, with Xstrata, African Barrick and BHP Billiton to the fore. It is power and gas grid operator National Grid
Read moreLondon pre-open: Revival to continue
18th Mar 2011 07:37
London looks set to pick up where it left off yesterday, with bargain hunters sniffing around oversold stocks. City traders predict the FTSE 100 index will open around 20 points up from last night's closing value of 5,696. Bookmaker William Hill has been granted an extension to the injunction prev
Read moreBerkeley to hit high end of forecasts
18th Mar 2011 07:14
London and south-east housebuilder Berkeley continues to benefit from the region's position as a pocket of strength in an otherwise gloomy housing market. "Berkeley anticipates reporting earnings at the high end of its expectations for the year ended 30 April 2011 and the investment in work in prog
Read moreLondon close: One-month high for Footsie
13th Dec 2010 16:33
More than £2bn of merger and acquisition activity got pulses racing in City dealing rooms, combining with strong miners and gains on Wall Street to send London to its highest in a month. Oilfield services group Wood Group is forking out $955m (£607m) for rival PSN, which it will merge with its prod
Read moreWeekend tips round-up: Davis Service, Compass, Berkeley...
5th Dec 2010 10:56
Davis Service operates a broad-based British and Continental business, renting out work uniforms, sheets, towels and even surgeons' operating gowns as well as doormats. The starategy is to concentrate on areas where it is doing well, such as uniform and mat rental, and spend less time and money on
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