London pre-open: Chinese data figure knocks investor sentiment
1st May 2012 07:28
City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open down nine points from yesterday's close of 5,738 after Chinese manaufacturing data for April came in slightly below expectations at 53.3, missing a forecast of 53.6. The number was up from 53.1 the previous month at 53.1. Profits at Lloyds Banking Group
Read moreBP profit on the skids
1st May 2012 07:02
Underlying replacement cost profit at integrated oil major BP was down in the first quarter, with the downstream business primarily responsible for the fall-off. Underlying replacement cost profit after tax in the three months to the end of March came in at $4,799m, down from $5,504m in the first q
Read moreTuesday preview: BP, Lloyds, IMPs ...
30th Apr 2012 16:01
There are plenty of big names reporting on Tuesday but the two most likely to catch they eye are BP and Lloyds Banking. Starting with integrated oil giant BP, recently returned to the dividend standard, Charles Stanley's Tony Shepard thinks first quarter net income will be flat at $5.4bn compared t
Read moreWeek Ahead: Lloyds, RBS, BP, US unemployment
27th Apr 2012 11:54
Banking results season gets in to full swing with Lloyds and RBS giving first quarter updates. There are plenty of other blue-chip companies clamouring for the limelight but it will be hard to ignore the first quarter update from BP on Tuesday, while on the economic front, US jobless figures for Apr
Read moreThursday newspaper round-up: Eurozone, BP, North Sea
26th Apr 2012 07:14
Nicolas Sarkozy has promised to hold a referendum on Europe's fiscal pact, dealing a hammer-blow to Angela Merkel's "non-negotiable" plans to impose austerity on the Eurozone. The French president, who is struggling in his bid to be re-elected, said he intended to insert the "balanced budget" rule i
Read moreLondon close: Footsie up despite rising yields in Spain
16th Apr 2012 16:59
- Int'l Power leads risers after bid from GDF - Energy stocks lifted by JP Morgan - Financials weighed down by euro worries The FTSE 100 finished slightly higher on Monday with investors shrugging off concerns about the Eurozone periphery as sentiment was lifted by upbeat economic data and the Citi
Read moreLondon close: Shell rallies as it denies oil slick blame
12th Apr 2012 17:11
After a mixed morning session, London's top shares kicked on in the afternoon, buoyed by Wall Street's strength. Bulls seized upon comments by New York Fed President William Dudley who opined that the US economy is not yet firing on enough cylinders to make a serious dent in the jobless numbers.
Read moreSector movers: GKN lifts autos, Shell weighs on oils
12th Apr 2012 15:03
FTSE 100 engineering giant GKN was providing a lift to the automobiles and parts sector today after an upgrade from Credit Suisse. The Swiss broker raised its rating from neutral to outperform saying that following the 11% share price fall over the last month, any concerns surrounding the rumoured
Read moreLondon midday: Mid-caps set the pace
12th Apr 2012 11:49
The top share index spent the morning spinning its wheels with most of the excitement taking place among the mid-cap stocks. Last night, the Federal Reserve's April Beige Book survey encouraged the maintenance of the status quo. The Fed's survey revealed that overall activity "continued to expand a
Read moreLondon open: Shell weighs on the Footsie
12th Apr 2012 08:19
- Shell drops on oil sheen reports - GKN up after upgrade - World Bank cuts Chinese GDP forecast Despite an initial rise, the FTSE 100 index had fallen into the red within the opening hour with oil giant Shell providing a drag on reports of an oil sheen in the Gulf of Mexico. Eurozone peripheral
Read moreLondon close: Banks, miners lead the rebound
11th Apr 2012 16:43
- Spanish, Italian yields fall on ECB intervention speculation - Barclays leads banks higher after upgrade - UK retail sales values rise in March London's FTSE 100 index finished Wednesday's session strongly following a steep fall yesterday, as investors saw opportunity to build positions in two he
Read moreBHP Billiton approves Gulf of Mexico investment
11th Apr 2012 07:02
Phase two of resources titan BHP Billiton's Mad Dog jointly-owned project in the Gulf of Mexico looks set to go out in the midday sun after the company's board approved the investment in the oil exploration programme. BHP Billiton's share of the investment, which will facilitate detailed engineerin
Read moreTotal scrambles to control Edgin gas leak
28th Mar 2012 08:59
French oil company Total's share price plunged 6% on Tuesday as the gas leak at one of its rigs in the North Sea continued in what has become a situation reminiscent of BP's Gulf of Mexico spill last year. The French oil company is now concentrating all its focus on putting a stop to the gas leak
Read moreLondon close: Oil and gas stocks slump after North Sea gas leak
27th Mar 2012 16:27
- Elgin gas leak weighs on stocks - Wolseley, Compass disappoint after updates - Banks rise, RBS wanted on speculation UK stocks slumped in afternoon trade as earlier optimism quickly faded with consumer confidence data from the US disappointing late on. Meanwhile, oil and gas heavyweights were pro
Read moreBP offloads North Sea gas assets to Perenco
27th Mar 2012 15:00
Oil titan BP is to pocket 400m dollars cash from selling its interests in its southern gas assets (SGA) in the UK North Sea to European oil and gas group Perenco. The FTSE 100 company is currently well into its $38bn disposal programme and, after this agreement, has already divested around $23bn-wo
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