London afternoon: Shares clinging on after US open
14th Dec 2010 15:26
Shares have crept higher after a decent start on Wall Street, but the gains are modest amid a mixed reception for company updates. Whitbread, the company behind Costa Coffee and the Premier Inn hotel chain, posted another strong set of numbers though there were a few signs of weakness and the share
Read moreLondon midday: Shares little changed
14th Dec 2010 12:01
Company updates have given investors plenty to mull over today, but shares are little changed overall. Whitbread, the company behind Costa Coffee and the Premier Inn hotel chain, posted another strong set of numbers though there were a few signs of weakness and the shares have fallen. Another boo
Read moreBunzl growth picks up
14th Dec 2010 07:39
Bunzl has seen a slight improvement in its second half growth rate compared to the first half of 2010. The distributor of a whole range of disposables expects group revenue growth for the year to be between 3% and 4% driven by underlying revenue growth and the positive impact from acquisitions and
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Sports Direct, Eddie Stobart, Bunzl
21st Oct 2010 06:49
Sportswear retailing has long had something of a Wild West reputation, marred as it is by feuds, backbiting and the odd run-in with the law. Tuesday's announcement by the Serious Fraud Office that it was no longer pursuing a cartel inquiry against Sports Direct and JJB Sports may go some way to salv
Read moreG4S's Gibson secures nearly £500,000
20th Oct 2010 16:06
Grahame Gibson, chief operating officer of security group G4S, has sold 180,000 shares at 265.81p each for £478,458. Gibson has been involved in the security industry for 27 years, having joined the group's UK operating company in 1983 as the finance director. Since then, he has held a number of o
Read moreUK and ROI still a drag on Bunzl
19th Oct 2010 07:48
Bunzl, the international distribution and outsourcing group, said trading in the second half of 2010 has been in line with expectations. Group revenue for the third quarter was up 6% compared to the same period last year, while it has increased 3% year to date, due to underlying revenue growth and
Read moreLondon close: Footsie rallies amid US optimism
31st Aug 2010 17:00
Footsie gave up its poor start to close in the red after positive economic figures from the US. The latest survey on US consumer confidence came in ahead of expectations, easing fears over the state of the world's biggest economy. The reading on consumer confidence for August was 53.5, ahead of exp
Read moreLondon afternoon: Markets continue to struggle
31st Aug 2010 14:22
It remains a struggle for blue chips today with US markets unlikely to give much help as futures point to an early fall. Investors are now nervous about a Conference Board report on consumer confidence in the world's number one economy later today. Here, GfK NOP's consumer confidence index came in
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: Kesa, Serco, Lloyds Banking
6th Jul 2010 06:39
The City's bearishness on Kesa shares partly reflects concerns over the tough trading environment that Comet faces in the UK. Furthermore, the City's UK-centric view glosses over the fact that Darty continues to deliver the bulk of the group's operating profit. Therefore, along with an improved per
Read moreLondon close: Footsie drops slightly
5th Jul 2010 16:33
London's main markets closed slightly lower after trading within a tight range all day. BP was the strongest blue chip all day on reports that the governments of Kuwait, China and Singapore could inject funds under a £6bn plan designed to shore up the oil group's finances in the wake of the Gulf di
Read moreLondon afternoon: London continues drifting
5th Jul 2010 14:21
London shares are stuck in neutral, with the Footsie barely changed on the day. BP is the strongest blue chip on reports that the governments of Kuwait, China and Singapore could inject funds under a £6bn plan designed to shore up the oil group's finances in the wake of the Gulf disaster. The cost
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks tread water
5th Jul 2010 12:17
The London stock market ended the morning little changed, with the general air of lethargy reinforced by the absence of any directional input from the US market, which is closed today. BP is the strongest blue chip on reports that the governments of Kuwait, China and Singapore could inject funds un
Read moreLondon open: Slow start for Footsie
5th Jul 2010 08:42
Early gains for Footsie have disappeared quickly in the face of a poor start for the miners and the absence later on of Wall Street, closed for Independence Day. BP is one of the gainers on reports the governments of Kuwait, China and Singapore could inject funds under a £6bn plan designed to shore
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie targets tiny gain
5th Jul 2010 07:37
It's looking like a quiet and nervy start for London as US stocks struck a new low for 2010 in very late trade Friday. Any moves will be locally-led in the absence of Wall Street, closed for Independence Day. Futures prices indicate a 4-point gain in early trade. The Dow Jones closed down 46 on Fri
Read moreBunzl in bolt-on acquisition
5th Jul 2010 07:21
Distribution and outsourcing group, Bunzl, has snapped up Belgian cleaning and hygiene consumables firm Etablissements Glorieux SA. The Belgian company, which trades at Global Net, is being acquired from the owners, Olivier and Luc Glorieux. The company operates in the Walloon region of Belgium, s
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