London close: Footsie edges forward
12th Mar 2010 16:44
The leading share index limped higher to into the weekend only a few points ahead on the week. Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays gained. Life groups Old Mutual, Legal & General and Standard Life are also in demand. HSBC was the exception among the financials after Goldman Sachs reduced i
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie heading higher again
12th Mar 2010 14:05
Futures pointing to a strong start on Wall Street after better than expected retail sales figures and demand for the UK banks have kept Footsie moving upwards. Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays are all higher. Life groups Old Mutual, Legal & General and Standard Life are also in demand.
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Dignity drifts lower
12th Mar 2010 13:49
Shares in Dignity have continued drifting lower after yesterday's full-year figures. The funeral services group said pre-tax profits climbed to £37.5m from £35.4m on revenues that rose to £184.7m from £175.8m, but market share slipped slightly. The company also said the first quarter of 2010 is exp
Read moreLondon midday: Banks keep Footsie ahead
12th Mar 2010 12:00
Banks are driving Footsie upwards following a sluggish start. Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays are all higher. Life groups Old Mutual, Legal & General and Standard Life are also in demand. HSBC is the exception among the financials after Goldman Sachs reduced its view to 'neutral' and
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: Capita, Bovis, Tullett Prebon
9th Mar 2010 06:43
Recent full-year results from Capita were decidedly mixed - with the market particularly concerned about a slowdown in organic growth at the company in 2009 and 2010. However, the dire state of the British Government's finances mean the opportunities for this outsourcing business over the next few
Read moreLondon close: Shares end with small gains
8th Mar 2010 17:14
London's top stocks ended the day with small gains after trading in a very tight range all day as shares paused for breath following last week's good gains. Oil fabrications giant Petrofac was one of the day's major bright spot after it made a bit more than expected last year, with after tax profit
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie still seeking direction
8th Mar 2010 14:56
Footsie continues sitting around the 5,600 point mark as shares pause for breath following last week's good gains. Oil fabrications giant Petrofac is today's major bright spot after it made a bit more than expected last year, with after tax profit up 37%, and hiked the dividend by an impressive 41%
Read moreBovis writes back landbank provisions
8th Mar 2010 07:07
Housebuilder Bovis wrote back £11.6m of provisions made against its land bank in the second half of 2009 and has started to buy land again as the UK housing market stabilises. "The group has recommenced investment in land and is pleased with the progress made to date, with four consented sites acqu
Read moreWeek Ahead: New chief makes bow at Wm Morrison
5th Mar 2010 13:03
Another big week for results lies ahead, spread across a whole range of sectors. Wm Morrison's new chief executive Dalton Philips will only have been in his job for a day when the supermarket chain reports on Thursday. The figures should be good, with conditions for food retailers still helpful a
Read moreLondon close: Strong finish for FTSE 100
29th Jan 2010 16:38
Footsie gave up a recent weak spell to finish the week with good gains. Whitbread was the star performer. Following an investor day yesterday, Barclays Capital raised its price target on the Costa Coffee and Premier Inn owner to 1,700p from 1,600p. The broker thinks Whitbread will benefit from new
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Connaught hit as chief exec departs
29th Jan 2010 14:59
Shares in Connaught have fallen sharply on news Mark Tincknell will step down as executive chairman and take on the role of chief executive of the social housing firm to replace Mark Davies, it announced today. Davies originally planed to leave the company at the end of the current financial year t
Read moreLondon midday: RBS unit sued for $8bn
29th Jan 2010 12:10
After a mid-morning dip blue-chips are on the rise again, though it is not the sort of advance that is likely to change investors' view that January was a month to forget. For once, the miners are not moving in lock step with each other. Sector giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton are firmer, while go
Read moreLondon close: Footsie follows US lower
15th Jan 2010 16:39
Footsie finished the week on a low as a poor performance in the US dragged the leading share index down in afternoon trading. US shares fell after consumer confidence rose less than expected in January. Here, Man Group was the heaviest faller after the hedge fund manager suffered a 4% drop in fund
Read moreLondon afternoon: Flat Footsie
15th Jan 2010 14:27
The blue-chip index is treading water, though there has been some keen interest in the day's big results announcements. Man Group is sharply lower after the hedge fund manager suffered a 4% drop in funds under management during the third quarter, mainly due to the $1.2bn pulled out of its flagship
Read moreLondon midday: Leading shares ease back
15th Jan 2010 12:28
Leading shares are mixed, with the FTSE 100 dipping into negative territory after JP Morgan issued a mixed set of figures. The US banking titan's bottom line was healthier than expected, with fourth quarter earnings per share of 74 cents versus expectations of 60 cents, but net revenues of $25.2bn w
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