London close: Footsie back below 6,000
29th Dec 2010 17:01
Footsie did not stay above 6,000 for long and it ended the day down 13 at 5,996. A strong performance from mining companies, particularly those involved in gold, was not enough to offset a decline in banks, which are weak on worries over the debt issues facing the eurozone. Royal Bank of Scotland
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie falls below 6,000
29th Dec 2010 12:18
Footsie has failed to stay above 6,000 today and it has been heading downwards since just after 9am. Blizzards in the US are driving oil prices to a 26-month high above $91 a barrel. Heating oil prices in particular are rising. Royal Dutch Shell was one of the best performers this morning but it
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners follow copper price higher
21st Dec 2010 12:31
Banks and financials are pushing Footsie to levels not experienced since before the banking crisis. Copper prices are at a record level on hopes that economic strength in the US will help sustain global economic growth, with miners such as ENRC and Vedanta leading miners into positive territory.
Read moreSector movers: Telecoms stocks surge ahead
20th Dec 2010 14:42
The fixed line telecommunications sector is performing well with BT leading the charge, seeing shares rise 2.69% Monday afternoon. KCOM Group, Cable & Wireless Worldwide and TalkTalk are also among the top performers in the sector. Alternative energy is lower with solar wafers supplier PV Crystalo
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: Euro crisis, BT, Gold...
3rd Dec 2010 06:38
The European Central Bank launched its most aggressive intervention in government bond markets for seven months after Jean-Claude Trichet, president, unveiled a determined - but carefully calibrated - response to the eurozone crisis, the FT reports. Traders said the ECB was on Thursday buying Portu
Read moreBroadband growth coming from mobile customers
2nd Dec 2010 09:56
Around 71% of UK homes now have broadband internet access, up from 68% last year, but nearly all of the growth is coming from mobile broadband services. The Communications Market Report (CMR) for 2010 from communications industry watchdog Ofcom shows that new customers for fixed line broadband serv
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: BT, Shell, Electra...
1st Dec 2010 07:03
BT recently reported an excellent set of operating figures; debt continues to fall; there has been good news on its pension deficit; and there is a chance the dividend could now offer real growth. As debt is reduced, the pension hole managed and its credit rating improves, the company should be abl
Read moreSector movers: BT boost lifts telecoms sector
26th Nov 2010 15:46
BT is lifting the telecoms sector higher after announcing that it has sold part of its stake in the Indian IT Group Tech Mahindra. It also benefits from an upbeat broker note from Exane BNP Paribas, which lifts its price target on BT by 20% to 265p. Miners retreat in line with metal prices with Ind
Read moreLondon afternoon: Losses pared
26th Nov 2010 14:39
After briefly dipping below 5600 this morning Footsie more or less halved its losses over the lunchtime session, though heavy falls are still being sustained by miners and banks. Portugal is currently going down the path trodden by Ireland and denying it is in need of a bail-out and, as with Irelan
Read moreBroker tips: BT, Dixons, Rotork
26th Nov 2010 13:40
Exane BNP Paribas has upgraded the target price for BT on Friday following the announcement of an Indian deal. The broker has hiked its target price for the UK telecoms giant by 20% on the day the group agreed to sell a 5.5% stake in Indian IT outsourcing company Tech Mahindra to Mahindra & Mahindr
Read moreTechMARK movers: BT stake sale boost
26th Nov 2010 13:31
BT is higher after announcing that it is selling 5.5% of Indian IT Group Tech Mahindra to Mahindra & Mahindra. BT will still retain 24.4% of the IT company. The telecoms firm also benefited from an upbeat broker note from Exane BNP Paribas, which lifts its share price target for BT by 20% to 265p.
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Banks take a beating
26th Nov 2010 13:28
Banks continue to decline because of worries about the euro-debt crisis with Lloyds and RBS leading the way. Rio Tinto says that capital spending will probably be around US$13bn in the 18 months to December 2011. That didn't prevent the share price declining along with other miners. Centrica, whi
Read moreBroker snap: Target price hike for BT
26th Nov 2010 12:58
Exane BNP Paribas upgraded the target price for BT on Friday following the announcement of an Indian deal. The broker has hiked up its target price for the UK telecoms giant by 20% on the day the group agreed to sell a 5.5% stake in Indian IT outsourcing company Tech Mahindra to Mahindra & Mahindra
Read moreLondon midday: Shares slide amid euro concerns
26th Nov 2010 12:01
The leading share index's losses are almost in the triple-digits now as worries over the euro-debt crisis persist. Portugal's insistence that it is not under pressure to follow Ireland in accepting a bail-out failed to reassure investors. Bond yields in Portugal and other debt-plagued eurozone coun
Read moreLondon open: Early falls for blue chips
26th Nov 2010 08:47
Losses in Asia, a lack of direction from Wall Street, where traders sat out Thursday's session for Thanksgiving, and little company news have made for a dull start. Power companies are the main point of interest after Ofgem launched a new investigation after fresh data revealed a sharp increase in
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