London afternoon: US jobs data provides fresh impetus
1st Apr 2011 14:28
The release of generally favourable US non-farm payrolls data has given London shares fresh impetus. Some disappointing factory data here has failed to dull investor appetite. The March UK manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index PMI fell unexpectedly to 57.1 points, against consensus expectations f
Read moreLondon midday: Shares rise ahead of US jobs data.
1st Apr 2011 12:03
Shares have added to their early gains on hopes that jobs data from the US later today will fuel global economic optimism. Non-farm payroll numbers are due at 1.30pm. Some disappointing factory data here has failed to dull investor appetite. The March UK manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index PMI
Read moreLondon open: Shares win back gains
1st Apr 2011 08:34
Shares have got off to a decent start, clawing back some of the gains that came in late trading yesterday. Banks, which had been awaiting yesterday afternoon's banking stress test results nervously, are leading the way today, with Barclays, Lloyds and RBS posting good gains. In other news, Marks
Read moreLondon pre-open: Quiet start ahead of US jobs data
1st Apr 2011 07:37
After going into a late dive yesterday following the publication of the Irish banking stress tests London's leading shares are set to claw back some of those losses at the outset, though trading is likely to be low in the absence of signficant company news and ahead of this afternoon's March jobless
Read moreCentrica boosts upstream assets
1st Apr 2011 07:15
The North American spending spree of British Gas owner Centrica shows no sign of abating, with the company snapping up some Canadian gas assets. Centrica's North American subsidiary, Direct Energy, is paying C$47m (£30m) in cash to Shell Canada Energy for some natural gas assets located in the Wild
Read moreNorth Sea tax hike deters explorers
30th Mar 2011 14:08
Norwegian oil giant Statoil has stopped work on two projects in the North Sea following a tax hike on oil fields announced in last week's Budget, and others are set to follow. The state-owned firm says it is considering what to do with its Mariner and Bressay fields, while Centrica, which owns Scot
Read morePlexus wins £3.3m contract with Centrica
29th Mar 2011 11:37
Oil and gas engineering services firm Plexus has won a contract worth £3.3m with a consortium led by the Norwegian subsidiary of Centrica for the supply of its proprietary 'POS-GRIP' wellheads and mudline suspension systems for exploration activities offshore Norway. The consortium includes Norway-
Read moreCentrica sells Dutch business
24th Mar 2011 16:23
Centrica has completed its withdrawal from the retail supply of energy in Continental Europe by selling its Dutch business to Eneco. The electricity and gas customer supply business of Oxxio was sold to Eneco for €72m (£63m) in cash. Centrica has already sold similar businesses in Belgium and Sp
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: Power suppliers, Budget...
22nd Mar 2011 06:31
The Big Six household energy suppliers have been spared an industry-wide Competition Commission investigation, despite Ofgem finding evidence that they may be profiteering, manipulating their own figures and misleading consumers. Alistair Buchanan, Ofgem's chief executive, said: "Energy companies h
Read moreLondon close: Stocks hold on to gains
21st Mar 2011 16:17
The FTSE 100 remained broadly flat since 0900, holding on to gains made in early trading. Sentiment was boosted by signs of progress being made in the handling of the nuclear crisis. Two reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan were successfully brought into cold shut down unde
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks consolidate gains
21st Mar 2011 14:53
Stocks have largely been in consolidation mode in the afternoon session after a strong performance this morning. Telecoms titan Vodafone is a high riser on the back of AT&T's $39bn bid for Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA. If the bid is allowed, the enlarged firm will become number one, but both AT&
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Barclays sells mortgage assets
21st Mar 2011 13:44
Barclays has sold a portfolio of property loans to CreXus Investment Corp, a commercial mortgage REIT, for $586m in cash. CreXus needs to sell shares to raise money via a share issue in order to buy the 30 commercial real estate assets. CreXus is managed by a subsidiary of Annaly Capital Managemen
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks back on the climb
21st Mar 2011 12:23
Footsie finished the morning 10 points or so below its high for the day after regaining impetus following a mild spell of profit taking mid-morning. Telecoms titan Vodafone is a high riser on the back of AT&T's $39bn bid for Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA. If the bid is allowed, the enlarged firm
Read moreLondon open: Telecoms power forward on AT&T move
21st Mar 2011 08:50
Footsie has opened brightly with telecoms stocks powering ahead on the back of AT&T's huge $39bn bid for Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA. Vodafone is top riser as analysts have wasted little time working out what it means in value terms for Vodafone's 45% stake in current US market leader Verizon
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie set for strong start
21st Mar 2011 07:39
The firmer trend seen towards the end of last week has continued this morning as the situation in Libya looks like it is coming to a head while repair work gets underway at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan. City traders predict the top share index could open around 70 points highe
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