FTSE 250 movers: FirstGroup surges on higher profits, oil stocks higher
10th Jun 2015 13:26
Mid-caps inched higher on Wednesday, led by gains across mining, oil and transport stocks. As of 15:30 BST, the FTSE 250 was trading 0.7% higher at 17,966. Transport operator FirstGroup saw annual profits rise in 2014, as its improvement plan delivered higher margins in its US and UK bus divisions.
Read moreWednesday broker round-up
27th May 2015 07:57
Beazley: JP Morgan upgrades to overweight from neutral and sets 308p target, up from 255p. Hiscox: JP Morgan upgrades to overweight from neutral and ups target to 950p from 801p. Lancashire Holdings: JP Morgan improves target price to 642p from 589p, stays at neutral. Dixons Carphone: Exane keeps
Read moreLondon close: Stocks finish flat on global economic data comes in mixed
21st May 2015 16:42
A barrage of mixed economic data from across the globe had an equally mixed impact on the markets on Thursday, with UK stocks finishing broadly flat after swinging between gains and losses for most of the session. Mining shares were lifted by stimulus speculation in China while the energy sector was
Read moreSector Movers: Oil, retail stocks plus chatter on Vodafone inches London market higher
21st May 2015 15:58
Oil and gas, petrochemicals and retail stocks drove the FTSE 100 higher on Thursday as chatter about Vodafone's rumoured tie-up with Liberty Global went into overdrive. At the close of trading, the blue chip index came in at 7,013.47 points up 0.09% as Vodafone shares continued to advance on specula
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Booker soars on retail bid, Inchcape hit by weaker revenue
21st May 2015 13:20
London's secondary equity index was inching higher on Wednesday afternoon, buoyed by stronger than expected retail sales and strong performances from mining, telecommunications and pharmaceutical stocks. As of 3:40, the FTSE 250 was trading 4.4 points higher at 18,140. Food wholesaler Booker jumped
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks dip as investors shrug off strong retail sales
21st May 2015 11:58
Stronger-than-expected retail sales data wasn't enough to boost London's stocks on Thursday with markets rangebound as the FTSE 100 continues to fluctuate around the 7,000 mark. UK retail sales jumped 1.2% in April, according to the Office for National Statistics, more than making up for the 0.7% de
Read moreBroker tips: Royal Mail, Vodafone, M&S, Smiths Group, Booker, Aveva
21st May 2015 11:30
Royal Mail's full year results were given the stamp of approval by analysts at Deutsche Bank and Shore Capital on Thursday, although there remained caution about the highly competitive environment. ShoreCap retained a 'buy' rating, while Deutsche Bank reiterated its 'hold' stance on the shares and t
Read moreInvestec lifts Booker target on strong results and Londis/Budgens deal
21st May 2015 10:50
Investec has lifted its target price for Booker at the food wholesaler's annual results beat forecasts, saying that the proposed acquisition of Londis and Budgens represents a "strong fit" to the business. The broker raised its profit forecasts for the next two years and reiterated its 'buy' recomme
Read moreLondon open: FTSE flat ahead of UK retail sales data
21st May 2015 08:42
A mixed reaction to corporate earnings and a number of blue chips going ex-dividend weighed on UK stock markets on Thursday morning, with the Footsie opening broadly flat. The FTSE 100 was trading 0.01% lower at 7,006.62 early on. Concerns about Greece continued to rumble on in the background follo
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE expected to slip early on
21st May 2015 07:44
Stocks in London are set for a lower start on Thursday morning with City sources predicting the FTSE 100 will open 10 points lower than Wednesday's close of 7,007.26. Concerns about Greece continue to rumble on in the background following comments from the German finance minister that he could not r
Read moreBooker surges on Londis, Budgens deal as it posts full-year profit growth
21st May 2015 07:08
Shares in food wholesaler Booker surged nearly 10% on Thursday after the company said it has signed an agreement to acquire the entire issued share capital of Musgrave Retail Partner, which comprises the Londis and Budgens businesses for £40m, and announced a capital return of 3.50p a share. Followi
Read moreUBS optimistic on UK supermarkets, 'buys' Tesco, Sainsbury and 'sells' Morrisons
30th Apr 2015 13:40
Rather than fighting on price, UBS declared in its 'initiation of coverage' on the European food retail sector after its Evidence Lab undertook a large consumer survey in the UK, "the future is about differentiation". Overall, the earnings outlook for the European food retailers is "better than it w
Read moreLondon close: Stocks rise tentatively ahead of four-day weekend, M&S jumps
2nd Apr 2015 16:37
Strong performances from Marks & Spencer and others in the retail sector pushed London stocks higher on Thursday ahead the four-day weekend. However, gains were only modest on the back of mixed economic data, UK political uncertainty and concerns over Greece. The FTSE 100 was up 0.35% by the end of
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: BTG surges on strong forecasts, Electrocomponents hit by weak Q4
2nd Apr 2015 14:55
Drugs group BTG topped the risers after raising sales forecasts for the year, partly thanks to the acquisition of lung device company PneumRx. Food wholesale retailer Booker also rose after saying it had a "good end to a good year" with a 1% rise in fourth-quarter sales despite ongoing price deflati
Read moreLondon midday: Retail stocks buoy markets led by M&S, but upside limited
2nd Apr 2015 12:01
London's stocks edged higher on Thursday ahead of the long weekend, helped in no small part by strong gains in the retail sector. However, gains were only modest as developments in Greece and uncertainty ahead of a live political debate in the UK weighed on sentiment. Meanwhile, mining stocks weaken
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