London close: US confidence sours sentiment
14th Aug 2009 16:28
Weaker than expected US consumer sentiment data upset the apple cart Friday, giving investors an excuse to bank profits ahead of the weekend. Stockmarkets on both sides of the Atlantic have risen 15% in the past month, so no wonder investors were keen to trim their portfolios. Wall Street headed s
Read moreLondon afternoon: US sentiment data disappoints
14th Aug 2009 15:30
London's stockmarket overcame a technical glitch Friday afternoon only for equities to turn lower following a surprise plunge in US consumer confidence. Wall Street tumbled three figures shortly after the University of Michigan said its consumer sentiment index for August fell to 63.2 rather than t
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Bid talk lifts British Land
14th Aug 2009 15:28
Shares in British Land continued to rise today on reports the property firm could get a bid worth £10bn. Indian steel giant Lakshmi Mittal and Abu Dhabi's ruling family have approached Credit Suisse to prepare a possible bid, according to the Telegraph. The investors from Abu Dhabi and a group of I
Read moreLondon midday: Equities still on the REIT track
14th Aug 2009 11:59
Properties, miners and housebuilders were the sectors making the running this morning as London's blue-chip index strives to make it three days of rises in a row. Reports this morning suggested a consortium of some of the world's richest families is plotting a bid for British Land. Liberty Internat
Read moreSector movers: Bid talk boosts property stocks
14th Aug 2009 11:59
Shares in British Land are lifting the real estate sector on reports the property firm could get a bid worth £10bn. Large cap peers Hammerson, Land Securities and Liberty International are also higher. Indian steel giant Lakshmi Mittal and Abu Dhabi's ruling family have approached Credit Suisse t
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Housebuilders on the up
14th Aug 2009 11:57
Housebuilders and real estate stocks are among the mid-cap index's top performers. An upgrade to 'buy' from 'hold' by RBS has helped put housebuilder Taylor Wimpey among the top 10 risers. RBS, which lifts its target price on Taylor Wimpey to 47p from 37p, said the firm's recent results continued
Read moreTechnical Analysis Snap: British Land jumps on bid talk
14th Aug 2009 11:19
British Land's share price has jumped over the past few days on bid speculation that a group of investors headed by the Abu Dhabi ruling family was poised to make an offer. This interest has been interpreted as a sign that there could be signs of a recovery in the property sector. Since its peak
Read moreBritish Land up on bid rumours
14th Aug 2009 10:02
Shares in British Land continued to rise today on reports the property firm could get a bid worth £10bn. Indian steel giant Lakshmi Mittal and Abu Dhabi's ruling family have approached Credit Suisse to prepare a possible bid, according to the Telegraph. The investors from Abu Dhabi and a group of
Read moreLondon open: British Land bid talk lifts market
14th Aug 2009 08:44
London's blue chips have opened slightly higher on a relatively quiet day with bid rumours among the big property groups the main talking point. Reports this morning suggested a consortium of some of the world's richest families is plotting a bid for British Land. Hammerson and Land Securities are
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: Bank bonuses, British Land, Enterprise Inns
14th Aug 2009 06:21
Senior cabinet ministers are so disappointed with the Financial Services Authority's new pay rules, released this week, they are considering whether legislation may be needed to crack down on bankers' bonuses. A number of ministers, including Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, are understood t
Read moreLondon close: US optimism lifts blue chips
13th Aug 2009 16:32
Optimism over the state of the US economy, fuelled by yesterday's statement from the Federal Reserve helped Footsie post good gains. Miners were in demand. Kazakhmys led the mining sector higher, with Xstrata, Lonmin, ENRC, Rio Tinto, Vedanta, and Antofagasta also going well. Anglo American is
Read moreLondon afternoon: Advance slowed by US retail sales data
13th Aug 2009 14:15
Optimism over the state of the US economy, fuelled by yesterday's statement from the Federal Reserve that the US economy may have seen the worse of the recession, took a knock from the release of US retail sales figures which unexpectedly showed a fall in July. The news took the shine off some of th
Read moreLondon midday: Shares hold on to early gains
13th Aug 2009 12:17
The Footsie has been trading sideways since around 10:00am after a bright start that was inspired by yesterday's statement from the Federal Reserve that the US economy may have seen the worse of the recession. The news has spurred demand for commodities stocks on expectations that a recovery in the
Read moreLondon close: Stocks pushed lower
5th Aug 2009 17:00
London's top stocks finished in the red as a poor start in the US and ex-dividends eventually ate into the early gains. US shares made a dull start on worse than expected job losses in July according to the private firm ADP. It said 371,000 people were laid-off compared to estimates of 350,000. L
Read moreLondon afternoon: Blue chips hang onto gains
5th Aug 2009 14:27
Footsie is holding its own in the afternoon session with Lloyds soaring despite a massive interim loss. US shares have made a dull start on worse than expected job losses in July according to the private firm ADP. It said 371,000 people were laid-off compared to estimates of 350,000. The survey is
Read more