London pre-open: London to enjoy Wall Street boost
30th Mar 2011 07:33
A strong finish on Wall Street last night looks set to give London a boost with the blue-chip index expected to open around 36 points higher at 5,968. Oil company Tullow Oil has sold off two-thirds of the interests it holds in numerous assets in Uganda for a cash sum of $2.9bn, with CNOOC and Total
Read moreHouse price rally lifts Bellway profits
30th Mar 2011 07:03
Housebuilder Bellway posted higher profits in the six months to 31 January after selling more homes at higher prices, but warned that consumer confidence remains fragile. As previously reported, the company, one of Britain's biggest housebuilders, completed sales of 2,332 homes, up from 2,247 over
Read moreWednesday preview: Domino's Pizza, Bellway
29th Mar 2011 17:07
Pizza delivery outfit Domino's Pizza's shares have been steadily declining since a trading update on 5 January and are now priced around 140p below the 52-week high of 586p achieved the day before that update. Anyone still holding the stock in expectation of it regaining its mojo will be banking on
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: St Modwen, Ocado, Kofax...
8th Feb 2011 06:46
Property group St Modwen's net asset value is forecast to be up to 234.5p by next year and the shares are beginning to suggest a re-valuation may be in order if it can keep things looking healthy in what the company admits are "challenging markets". The prospective yield, at 1.6%, is nothing to wr
Read moreLondon close: Good gains for FTSE 100
7th Feb 2011 16:40
Shares held onto their gains after a decent start on Wall Street to close well in advance of 6,000 points. Gold miner Randgold Resources is wanted after it shrugged off operational and political setbacks in 2010 to post a sharp increase in profit, helped by the increase in the price of gold. Profi
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Exillon higher after test results
7th Feb 2011 15:48
Shares in Exillon Energy started the week on the front foot after test well results in the West Siberia basin kept up the oil producer's 100% drilling success rate since 2006. Defence firm Cobham has bought US surveillance technology company Corp Ten International. Cobham is paying $11.5m to acquir
Read moreLondon afternoon: Gains pared
7th Feb 2011 14:19
Leading shares saw gains trimmed over the lunch time session but the Footsie remains comfortably in positive territory, due in no small part to the strength of mining stocks, Gold miner Randgold Resources is wanted after it shrugged off operational and political setbacks in 2010 to post a sharp in
Read moreLondon midday: Miners push FTSE 100 past 6,000
7th Feb 2011 12:04
Strength in the miner sector has helped lift the FTSE 100 well above 6,000 points. Gold miner Randgold Resources as among the best performers after it shrugged off operational and political setbacks in 2010 to post a sharp increase in profit, helped by the increase in the price of gold. Profit befo
Read moreLondon open: Footsie through 6,000 again
7th Feb 2011 08:53
After an uncertain start, Footsie has now pushed on through the 6,000 barrier as miners rally from some early profit taking. Gold miner Randgold Resources shrugged off operational and political setbacks in 2010 to post a sharp increase in profit, helped by the increase in the price of gold. Profi
Read moreLondon pre-open: Renewed assault on 6,000
7th Feb 2011 07:38
Footsie looks set to have another crack at breaking through the 6,000 barrier with City traders predicting the blue-chip index will open around 12 points firmer at 6,009. AstraZeneca's run of disappointing drug development results has continued with the early end to a trial of prostate cancer treat
Read moreBellway sticks with full year forecasts
7th Feb 2011 07:04
Housebuilder Bellway has been encouraged by the pick up in site visits and reservations in 2011 following the cold snap in December. The group said it sold 2,332 homes in the six months to end-January, an increase of 85 on the corresponding period a year earlier. The average sales price over the p
Read moreLondon close: Stocks fall as nervousness sets in
28th Jan 2011 16:51
Shares were nursing big losses by the end of the day as more gloomy economic figures stoked nervousness. Consumer stocks were under the cosh after UK consumer confidence in January slumped in January, as the VAT rise kicked in. Insipid weekly trading figures from department store group John Lewis h
Read moreLondon afternoon: Confidence blow for equities
28th Jan 2011 14:50
Leading shares are lower, with consumer stocks under the cosh after UK consumer confidence in January slumped in January, as the VAT rise kicked in. Insipid weekly trading figures from department store group John Lewis have not helped sentiment. The GfK NOP Consumer Confidence Index dropped eight p
Read moreBroker tips: Rentokil, Mulberry, Bellway
21st Jan 2011 13:51
Panmure Gordon has upped the price target for Rentokil Initial , having crunched the numbers and come up with a new sum of the parts (SOTP) valuation. The new price target is 108p, up from 96p, even though the new valuation is based on based on the group's troublesome City Link business being wort
Read moreBroker snap: Bellway the pick of mid-sized housebuilders
21st Jan 2011 13:11
Bellway is still the preferred mid-size builder of financial services firm Martrix Group, which said that the surprise recovery in the housebuilder's sales has made it more likely that full year financial targets will be met. "Progress on the key metrics provide confidence for the outcome of the cu
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