London afternoon: Stocks come off the boil
9th Nov 2010 14:44
Investors creamed off a few profits over the lunchtime session pushing the Footsie back below 5900. Fund manager Schroders has muscled its way to the top of the Footsie leaderboard, seeing off competition from several other heavy hitters that have made trading updates today. Profits rocketed at Sc
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie climbs high as results impress
9th Nov 2010 12:21
Footsie has been hitting new highs in line with its pre-financial crisis levels as well-received company results drive the leading share index higher. Barclays is in demand after eked out a small increase in nine-month profit as a doubling of profit at the investment banking arm offset huge impair
Read moreBP did not risk safety for profits, report says
9th Nov 2010 09:41
A US investigation into the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year has found no evidence that BP put profits before safety. The presidential commission examining the oil spill said it agreed with about 90% of BP's analysis of the disaster, which began with the explosion of the rig and 11
Read moreLondon open: Results give Footsie a lift
9th Nov 2010 08:48
London has opened stronger than expected after the dip on Wall Street overnight, largely due to some well received trading updates from index heavyweights on a very busy company announcement day. Barclays eked out a small increase in nine-month profit as a doubling of profit at the investment banki
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: BP, Gartmore, Rolls-Royce...
9th Nov 2010 06:21
A US presidential commission investigating the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster has found no evidence to support charges that BP and its rig partners put profits ahead of safety. Chief counsel Fred Bartlit, who was involved in the investigation of the Piper Alpha disaster in the North Sea in whic
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Rolls-Royce, BP, AIM...
7th Nov 2010 10:12
Rolls-Royce, the embattled aero-engine maker, is under further pressure this weekend after one of its rivals accused it of infringing a patent. America's Pratt & Whitney filed lawsuits in Connecticut and London's High Court late on Friday claiming Rolls unlawfully copied the design of a fan blade i
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Standard Life, Admiral, Logica
4th Nov 2010 06:29
Insurer Standard Life is gaining ground in its priority market of Britain where, at £94.4 billion (up 10 per cent since January), almost 60 per cent of its £157.7 billion of fee-producing assets are managed. Standard Life is finally beginning to motor. Worth a punt, says the Times. Elsewhere in ins
Read moreWednesday newspaper round-up: US mid-terms, BP, LSE...
3rd Nov 2010 06:34
Republicans have seized control of the US House of Representatives but failed to take the Senate in midterm elections that rank as a crushing setback to President Obama's vision of a reforming presidency, the Times reports. Mr Obama's party suffered its worst defeat in a generation, losing at least
Read moreLondon close: More gains for Footsie after well-received results
2nd Nov 2010 16:36
A strong performance on Wall Street ahead of the US Federal Reserve's decision on whether to increase monetary stimulus measures - not to mention the mid-term election - helped sustain good gains in London. Sentiment here was buoyed by well-received results from some big names. Beleaguered oil gia
Read moreSector movers: Tobacco moves ahead after Imperial numbers
2nd Nov 2010 14:52
Unusually on a buoyant day for equities, tobacco is the best performing sector today. This is due to a warm reception for Imperial Tobacco's full-year results. The Gauloises and West firm topped market forecasts with its full year profits, and took a big bite out of its debt mountain. The only ot
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie builds on gains
2nd Nov 2010 12:15
Footsie has built on its earlier gains as investors react positively to updates. Beleaguered oil giant BP comfortably beat third quarter profit forecasts though it has had to take an additional $7.7bn charge in respect of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The market had been expecting underlying net in
Read moreLondon open: Big guns lift Footsie
2nd Nov 2010 08:55
Results from the big guns reporting this morning have generally been favourable, helping Footsie to notch up decent gains so far. Beleaguered oil giant BP comfortably beat third quarter profit forecasts though it has had to take an additional $7.7bn charge in respect of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill
Read moreUpdate: BP ponders increasing 2011 capex budget
2nd Nov 2010 07:09
Beleaguered oil giant BP comfortably beat third quarter profit forecasts and is considering upping the amount of capital expenditure it has budgeted for next year. The market had been expecting underlying net income on a replacement cost basis to be around $4.5-$4.6bn, but after what it termed a "s
Read moreLondon pre-open: Big guns overshoot targets
2nd Nov 2010 07:02
Results from the big guns reporting this morning have generally been favourable, but the Footsie is still tipped to open a few points lower, with traders reluctant to over commit ahead of today's US mid-term elections, not to mention the big decisions on quantitative easing from the Bank of England
Read moreTuesday preview: BP, BG, IMPs
1st Nov 2010 16:42
In a week of big results, the biggest of the big is Tuesday's announcement from stricken oil giant BP. Not only has the company got to withstand comparison with Shell's announcement of an 88% increase in underlying third quarter earnings but much of the UK pension fund industry will be waiting for
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