Tuesday newspaper round-up: Russia, North Korea, BP...
23rd Dec 2014 06:54
According to Alexis Kudrin, Moscow's former finance minister and a key ally of president Vladimir Putin, Russia is heading for a "full-blown economic crisis", writes The Times. He said that the turmoil could trigger a wave of corporate defaults across the country and urged the Kremlin to start negot
Read moreLondon midday: Markets quiet ahead of Christmas but stocks extend gains
22nd Dec 2014 11:35
UK stocks were set to hit a two-week high on Monday as the 'Santa Rally' continued into its fifth straight day, with energy shares providing a boost on a continued rebound in crude prices. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.8% at 6,597 by around midday. It has not closed above this mark since 8 December. "
Read moreLondon open: Late Santa Rally puts UK stocks on track for two-week high
22nd Dec 2014 08:48
UK stocks rose for the fifth straight session on Monday and were set to hit a two-week high with the so-called 'Santa Rally' finally taking hold ahead of a shortened trading week. London's FTSE 100 was trading 0.8% higher at 6,598 in early deals. It has not closed above this mark since 8 December.
Read moreLondon close: Stable oil prices and upbeat retail news buoys Santa rally
19th Dec 2014 16:03
The Santa rally continued on its merry way on Friday as oil prices rose and upbeat retail data boosted supermarkets. The FTSE 100 Index closed 79.27 points ahead at 6545.27, its fourth session of gains in a row. Oil heavyweights rose as the price of Brent and US crude recovered from earlier falls t
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Oil stocks gain as crude prices rebound
19th Dec 2014 14:25
Oil and gas stocks were advancing on Friday after a strong rebound in crude prices, with Tullow Oil, BP, Shell and BG Group putting in decent gains. Brent futures were up 2.7% at $60.85 a barrel on the back of optimistic comments about future demand from Saudi Arabia's oil minister. The price droppe
Read moreLondon midday: UK stocks back in the red ahead of Fed meeting
17th Dec 2014 12:18
UK stocks were back in the red on Wednesday after their first gain in seven days the previous session, with investors scaling back risk appetite ahead of a number of risk events. Along with a host of economic data due out during the session, markets were keeping an eye out for minutes for the latest
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks extend slide as Chinese data disappoints
16th Dec 2014 08:20
Yet more disappointing economic data from China pushed UK stocks lower for the seventh straight session on Tuesday, with markets extending losses despite plunging to an 18-month low the previous session. Not even the news that the Bank of England (BoE) has given a clean bill of health to seven out o
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Oil stocks track oil price lower
12th Dec 2014 15:15
Petrofac, Tullow Oil, BP, Shell and a host of stocks exposed to the oil price were suffering heavy losses on Friday. Oil and gas engineer Weir, however, was bouncing back after recent declines following an upgrade by Canaccord Genuity from 'hold' to 'buy'. The broker said the stock's valuation now l
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks tumble as oil prices extend losses, data disappoints
12th Dec 2014 11:36
Weaker-than-expected data from across the globe and a continued plunge in oil prices meant that there was no let-up in the sell-off for UK equity markets on Friday. Stocks were falling for the fifth day straight, with shares in the oil and gas sector faring the worst. London's FTSE 100 was down a s
Read moreBroker tips: BP, Whitbread, Oil engineering stocks
11th Dec 2014 12:18
Investec came away from BP's seminar this week with largely positive comments, saying that the oil major delivered a "confident upstream update" despite the recent sharp drop in oil prices to below $65 a barrel. However, the broker said that with uncertainties surrounding Russia and the continued fa
Read moreLondon midday: Mining stocks drag markets lower on ECB loan disappointment
11th Dec 2014 12:06
UK stocks retreated into the red after a positive start on Thursday as renewed concerns about the health of the Eurozone pressured mining stocks lower. Markets had edged higher early on after finishing the previous session at a five-week low, but gains were quickly erased after it was revealed that
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rebound from five-week low as energy shares gain
11th Dec 2014 08:21
UK stocks edged higher on Thursday after sinking to a five-week low, though gains were only modest ahead of a data-heavy session. The FTSE 100 was up 0.3% at 6,520 early deals, helped by a small rebound in the energy sector. A three-day sell-off wiped 3.5% off the value of the Footsie and sent the
Read moreLondon close: UK stocks drop to five-week low as oil sinks further
10th Dec 2014 16:40
UK stocks dropped to their lowest levels in five weeks on Wednesday as turmoil in the oil prices intensified with crude prices sinking to a fresh five-year low. The FTSE 100 erased earlier gains to finish down 0.45% at 6,500. It has not closed below this level since 4 November when it settled at 6,4
Read moreJobs at risk as BP warns of $1bn restructuring plan amid oil-price plunge
10th Dec 2014 15:47
Oil major BP warned of $1bn of restructuring charges over the coming year on Wednesday, as turmoil in the crude market continued with prices dropping to a fresh five-year low. In a day-long presentation to investors in London, the company said it expects to incur non-operating restructuring charges
Read moreSector movers: Energy stocks tank as oil-price plunge intensifies
10th Dec 2014 15:43
Stocks in the oil producing and oil services sectors were hit by renewed selling pressure on Wednesday as crude prices dropped to fresh five-year lows. A weaker demand forecast from OPEC and a surprise increase in US crude inventories were weighing heavily on oil prices in afternoon trade, with Bren
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