London midday: Stocks power ahead as market cheers surprise Tory election win
8th May 2015 11:23
London stocks posted healthy gains on Friday as investors welcomed news that Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative party is on track for a second term in power. The FTSE 100 was up 1.7% at 7,004.23 by midday, with banks, utility stocks and housebuilders pacing the advance. Lloyds Banking Grou
Read moreConservative victory in UK election will provide relief to utilities, says SocGen
8th May 2015 09:23
Utility stocks surged on Friday, with the threat of any energy price cap by the Labour party falling away as the Conservatives looked set for a surprise UK election win. Given that opinion polls had suggested a broadly 50/50 probability of either a Conservative or Labour government, concerns regardi
Read moreMarket overview: Stocks surge on election results
8th May 2015 08:56
1630: Close Stocks ended day sharply higher following the surprise win by the Conservatives. Various issues received a significant boost as traders readjusted their positions to the prospect that the current economic policy settings would be maintained and the implications that would have for those
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Shire surges on earnings growth, RBS hit by weak revenues
30th Apr 2015 13:04
Shire surged after reporting that earnings rose 20% in the first quarter as sales at the Dublin-headquartered drug company overcame a sharp drop in its Intuniv attention deficit disorder drug and dollar headwinds. Royal Dutch Shell was trading higher after revealing a better-than-expected 56% drop i
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Astrazeneca hit by rival success, Centrica higher on takeover preparations
28th Apr 2015 13:28
Astrazeneca was trading lower after the results of a study showed US rival Merck's diabetes drug met heart-safety requirements. The British drug-maker's own treatment for the disease was recently required by US authorities to provide information about the risk of heart failure. Standard Chartered wa
Read moreBritish Gas invests £50m in 350 new customer service jobs
27th Apr 2015 16:02
British Gas announced it will invest £50m to create 350 new jobs and improve its customer service. The money will be spent in training and new systems in the next three years, with the aim to reduce call waiting times. Ian Conn, chief executive of Centrica, British Gas' parent company, said: "Custo
Read moreLondon midday: Bounce in UK industrial data lifts stocks
27th Apr 2015 11:43
London equities returned to positive territory by midday as UK manufacturing data provided encouragement and earlier concerns about stalled Greek debt negotiations were assuaged by more positive rumours. German newspaper Bild suggested that Greece has revised its list of reforms and was ready to sus
Read moreLondon pre-open: Sharp gains expected in HSBC
27th Apr 2015 08:11
The Footsie is being called to start the day roughly flat on Friday´s closing level of 7,070.70. The news-flow surrounding corporate activity and M&A is front and centre before the opening bell. HSBC is expected to be the standout gainer on the top-flight index at the start of trading. That follows
Read moreCentrica maintains gloomy forecast, acknowledges UK political risk
27th Apr 2015 07:33
British Gas owner Centrica maintained its previous forecast issued in February as UK political risk and a rocky global commodities market continue to hound the company. In a trading update to the London Stock Exchange on Monday, Centrica said: "The group continued to trade in line with the guidance
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Anglo American, utility stocks surge
23rd Apr 2015 13:30
Anglo American, owner of jeweler De Beers, surged on Thursday as the mining giant cut its forecast for annual diamond production in order to avoid overproduction in the weaker diamond market. United Utilities, SSE and Centrica was making gains as investors sought refuge in defensive utility stocks.
Read moreUtilities, rail operators most exposed to UK election, Fitch says
17th Apr 2015 10:27
Utilities and rail companies are among the corporate sectors most at risk from regulatory or government policy shifts following the upcoming UK general election on 7 May, according to Fitch Ratings. With the Conservative Party having frozen rail fares, and Labour pledging to freeze energy prices if
Read moreLondon open: Stocks inch higher ahead of data, but Greek worries persist
14th Apr 2015 08:19
After an initial drop, London's Footsie bounced into positive territory on Tuesday morning, though gains were only modest as investors awaited key economic data and reacted to uncertainty in Greece. Reports that Athens is preparing for a debt default if it can't reach a deal with its creditors were
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to fall ahead of economic data
14th Apr 2015 07:44
London stocks are expected to retreat further from their recent records on Tuesday ahead of some key economic data, including UK inflation and US retail sales. Uncertainty in Greece is also likely to weigh on sentiment on reports that Athens is preparing for a debt default if it can't reach a deal w
Read moreCentrica names former Aviva UK head as new British Gas MD
14th Apr 2015 07:17
Mark Hodges, the former board member and head of UK operations at Aviva, has been named as the new managing director at British Gas, owner Centrica said on Tuesday. The appointee, who will take up his new responsibilities on 1 June, will also join the Centrica board. Hodges, who spent over 20 years
Read moreE.On to pay a further £7.75m in fines
2nd Apr 2015 09:02
UK energy supplier E.On has agreed to pay a further £7.75m in fines for overcharging its customers, industry regulator Ofgem confirmed on Thursday. In November 2012, E.On paid a £1.7m penalty for a similar breach, although a spokesperson for the company claimed the "underlying cause" was different.
Read more