Friday newspaper round-up: Investment banking probe, British Gas, Bank mis-selling
20th Feb 2015 06:52
Investment banks in the UK are facing a competition probe by the Financial Conduct Authority, according to the Financial Times. The regulator "could force banks to stop selling products and be more transparent about how they charge clients", the paper said. Centrica's British Gas has said it might r
Read moreLondon close: Greek developments, central bank uncertainty keep UK stocks flat
19th Feb 2015 16:33
It was another subdued finish for London's stocks on Thursday as the market continued to fluctuate at a 15-year high on the back of mixed newsflow about Greece and uncertainty regarding global monetary policy. The FTSE 100 finished the session down just 0.1% at 6,888.90. The index has stayed broadly
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Centrica drops, oil and gas stocks lower
19th Feb 2015 14:14
With oil and gas prices plummeting, Centrica took dramatic action by slashing its dividend and future payout policy, warning that earnings for next year will be lower than expected too. Shares in the British Gas owner dropped sharply the company cut its dividend 21% to 19.2p, which will be a "major
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks recover as Greek hopes outweigh Fed uncertainty
19th Feb 2015 11:39
UK stocks had erased earlier losses by Thursday lunchtime as hopes about Greece outweighed uncertainty arising from the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve policy meeting. The FTSE 100 was up just 0.02% at 6,899.24 by midday, having bounced off an intraday low of 6,858.67 reached early on. The in
Read moreBroker tips: Centrica, SABMiller, BAE Systems
19th Feb 2015 11:33
The consensus stance of a 'hold' at Centrica is likely to see downwards pressure, according to Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, after the energy provider disappointed the market on Thursday. Analyst Keith Bowman said the dividend cut is a "major blow" to investors with the search for income yield b
Read moreCentrica dividend cut a "major blow" for shareholders, says Hargreaves Lansdown
19th Feb 2015 09:50
The consensus stance of a 'hold' at Centrica is likely to see downwards pressure, according to Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, after the energy provider disappointed the market on Thursday. Shares were down nearly 9% at 256.2p in morning trade after the British Gas owner slashed its 2014 dividend,
Read moreLondon open: Centrica and BAE lead markets lower after FOMC minutes
19th Feb 2015 08:43
Uncertainty surrounding the future of monetary policy in the States was weighing on UK stocks on Thursday morning, after the Federal Reserve showed it was wary of raising rates too soon. The FTSE 100 was down 0.3% at 6,879 early on, with energy provider Centrica and defence contractor BAE Systems le
Read moreCentrica slashes dividend policy 30% due to oil and gas prices
19th Feb 2015 08:00
With oil and gas prices plummeting, Centrica has taken dramatic action by slashing its 2014 dividend, future payout policy and capital expenditure plans, as well as warning that earnings for next year will be lower than expected. Directors decided to rebase the dividend policy down by 30%, starting
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to fall on Fed uncertainty
19th Feb 2015 07:34
UK stocks were expected to track Wall Street lower on Thursday morning after minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting showed that policymakers are wary of raising interest rates too soon. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open 18 points lower than Wednesday's close of 6,898.08. UK marke
Read morePanmure Gordon picks out "most vulnerable" UK dividends
18th Feb 2015 13:27
Panmure Gordon has warned of "storm clouds on the horizon" for income investors as corporate payouts reach "unsustainable" levels and has picked out several FTSE 350 companies where dividends appear particularly vulnerable. Although the UK economy has begun 2015 in rude health, the broker pointed ou
Read moreCMA energy probe warns of overpaying and "unilateral market power" over customers
18th Feb 2015 08:33
An investigation by the UK competition regulator into the 'Big Six' energy suppliers has found that households are losing significant amounts from a lack of tariff switching and that the firms have "unilateral market power" over most customers. In an update to its ongoing energy markets investigatio
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Astrazeneca lower as patent rejected, BHP boosted by Pakistan disposal
16th Feb 2015 14:11
Astrazeneca was trading lower after its patent on its Pulmicort Respules treatment for asthma was ruled by a US court as invalid. The US District Court of New Jersey ruling paves the way for generic versions of the lung drug to be released into the market. Actavis said it released a version of the d
Read moreBritish Gas takes over AlertMe for £44m
13th Feb 2015 12:41
British Gas will acquire AlertMe, an energy and home monitoring hardware company, for £44m, its parent Centrica announced on Friday. AlertMe, in which British Gas already owned a 21% stake, will give the group control over technology platforms, software development capacity, data analytics and a pat
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Lloyds, BT, Standard Chartered
1st Feb 2015 13:33
Lloyds Banking Group is preparing to pay a dividend for the first time since it was bailed out by taxpayers, the Sunday Telegraph reported. The board will sign off the group's annual results and then ask the Bank of England permission to pay a dividend before announcing results on February 27th. Llo
Read moreSector movers: Utility stocks gain as investors welcome price cuts
27th Jan 2015 14:52
Utility stocks were the best performers on London's stock market on Tuesday, as moves by energy providers to cut costs were welcomed by investors. SSE became the latest group to cut household gas bills on the back of the recent collapse in wholesale fuel costs. Shares were up nearly 2% in afternoon
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