London afternoon: Prices drift lower
30th Jun 2009 15:24
London continues to sleepwalk to the end of the month, with prices drifting lower in light trading after Wall Street opened in negative territory. With the oil futures contract edging steadily higher, heavy fuel users such as airline British Airways and cruise operator Carnival are on the slide. I
Read moreLondon close: Carnival floats higher
19th Jun 2009 17:18
The so-called "triple witching" day, when options, index futures and options on index futures all expire on the same day, passed without the high volatility usually associated with the event. If anything it was a quieter day than usual, with broker comment rather than corporate news flow driving t
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie riding high
19th Jun 2009 13:58
London's blue chip index is trading at session highs as investors gear up for a strong start on Wall Street. Insurers remain among the top performers after Deutsche Bank upgraded its price targets for a number of major players in the life assurance sector. Aviva, Friends Provident and Standard L
Read moreBroker tips: Water companies, Carnival, Taylor Wimpey
19th Jun 2009 13:19
Cruise operator Carnival's second quarter trading update yesterday has been generally well received by the investment analyst community, with Evolution, Numis and Charles Stanley all making positive noises. Charles Stanley said the second quarter figures were ahead of prior guidance and market cons
Read moreBroker snap: Calmer seas for Carnival
19th Jun 2009 13:02
Cruise operator Carnival's second quarter trading update yesterday has been generally well received by the investment analyst community, with Evolution, Numis and Charles Stanley all making positive noises. Charles Stanley said the second quarter figures were ahead of prior guidance and market cons
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie advances on triple witching day
19th Jun 2009 12:12
Footsie looks set to finish a disappointing week on a bright note, an outcome of keen interest to options and futures traders as today is a "triple witching" day when options, index futures and options on index futures all expire on the same day. Insurers lead the advance after Deutsche Bank upgra
Read moreLondon close: Footsie closes flat
18th Jun 2009 16:34
A late afternoon rally fizzled out to leave Footsie little changed after a volatile day. Economic stories dominated the news with mixed data in the UK offset by better than expected intial jobless figures in the US. UK mortgage lending eased in May from the month before and was 58% lower than the
Read moreLondon afternoon: US rally lifts Footsie
18th Jun 2009 15:03
Better than expected US dole queue figures have lifted Footsie in the afternoon session, despite very mixed economic data here at home. Mortgage lending eased in May from the month before and was 58% lower than the same time last year, figures showed today. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) s
Read moreCarnival bookings strong but lowers guidance
18th Jun 2009 14:56
Shares in cruise operator Carnival rallied as its second quarter came in slightly better than expected, despite revealing a sharp fall in revenues and profits. Carnival blamed lower cruise ticket prices, weaker onboard spending and unfavourable currency exchange rates for the decline, though passen
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Carnival rallies after figures
18th Jun 2009 12:06
Shares in mining giant Xstrata rallied as US brokers Morgan Stanley and Citigroup upped their rating on the mining giant. Morgan Stanley has upgraded Xstrata from "equal weight" to "overweight", noting that on a two to three year review, the stock represents "one of the most compelling risk-reward
Read moreThursday preview:Cadbury, Carnival, Go-Ahead
17th Jun 2009 15:42
Confectioner Cadbury enjoyed strong sales in its UK homeland over Easter but things were tougher on the European mainland and in North America. The Dairy Milk maker left its revenue growth guidance for the full-year unchanged at 4% to 6% back in April while hinting that the final result will be to
Read moreLondon close: Banks boost Footsie late
11th Jun 2009 16:33
London rallied strongly late on, helped by gains for banks, which outweighed profit taking among the big mining stocks and weakness among oil users as the price of crude rose again. Speculation is growing about the timing of the government's withdrawal from ownership of large stakes in Royal Bank
Read moreLondon close: Footsie ends on low note
15th May 2009 16:29
London closed lower after a lacklustre afternoon session with losses on properties and travel companies outweighing gains on miners. Shocking figures from property giant Land Securities on Wednesday still cast a shadow over the real estate investment trusts (REITs). LandSecs leads the sector lowe
Read moreLondon afternoon: Travel companies trip Footsie
15th May 2009 14:10
London continues its gentle downward drift, with losses on properties and travel companies outweighing gains on miners. The market seems unlikely to get any sort of lift from Wall Street which is expected to open moderately weaker. Shocking figures from property giant Land Securities on Wednesday
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