London close: Miners keep Footsie in the blue
25th Oct 2010 17:04
Were it not for the strength of miners today Footsie would undoubtedly have ended in the red, as many share prices experienced a late swoon. Miners were wanted on expectations that the US dollar will suffer a relapse after the G20 agreement over the week-end that should, if adhered to, bring an end
Read moreLondon afternoon: Miners retain most of their gains
25th Oct 2010 14:28
London has lost some of its gains in the early afternoon but it is showing signs of a renewed upturn. Miners remain the best performers on expectations that the US dollar will suffer a relapse after the G20 agreement over the week-end that should, if adhered to, bring an end to so-called currency w
Read moreLondon midday: Banks miss out
25th Oct 2010 12:05
Having got off to a flying start London spent the mid-morning period slowly relinquishing its gains before regaining impetus just before midday. Miners continue to lead the advance on expectations that the US dollar will suffer a relapse after the G20 agreement over the week-end that should, if adh
Read moreLondon open: Currency issues lift miners
25th Oct 2010 08:48
Blue chip rose sharply as the softer dollar lifted commodity prices higher. Most Asian markets did well as the G20 economic powerhouses promised to work together to avoid "competitive devaluation" of currencies. That has been interpreted as a signal for the dollar to slide further, which has encou
Read moreLondon pre-open: Metals to lead rally
25th Oct 2010 07:41
City trading screens will be turning blue on Monday as the softer dollar gets commodity prices moving higher. Most Asian markets did well this morning as the G20 economic powerhouses promised to work together to avoid "competitive devaluation" of currencies. That was taken as a negative for the gre
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Jobs, G20, EMI...
25th Oct 2010 06:19
David Cameron faces warnings from business leaders today that Britain cannot "cut its way to prosperity" as the Government braces itself for figures suggesting that the economy may be heading for a double-dip recession. The Prime Minister will insist that he can attract investment in vital UK servi
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Vedanta, Immigration
17th Oct 2010 13:21
Two of the world's largest mining companies are set to abandon a £70 billion merger of their iron-ore operations after Europe indicated it would block the deal. BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto wanted to put their Australian operations into a joint venture that would have controlled about a third of the w
Read moreLondon open: Footsie slightly lower after updates' mixed reception
7th Oct 2010 08:33
Shares have fallen back in early dealings following a mixed reception for company updates. Traders may also be looking ahead to today's announcement from the Bank of England on whether it will resume the quantitative easing (QE) programme. There have been calls for more QE from within the nine-mem
Read moreLondon pre-open: Traders keep powder dry
7th Oct 2010 07:30
Investors seem to be in the mood to sit on their hands ahead of today's announcement from the Bank of England on whether it will resume the quantitative easing (QE) programme, with City sources suggesting the FTSE 100 index will open just a couple of points lower. There have been calls for more QE
Read moreCentrica takes stake in smart meter company
7th Oct 2010 07:21
The shopping spree at Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, shows no sign of ending as the company has taken an equity stake in home energy management services company, AlertMe. Centrica is paying £5.7m in cash for a 15.96% stake in AlertMe, and has also signed a commercial agreement, potent
Read moreThursday newspaper round-up: Banks, Ireland, Unilever
30th Sep 2010 06:29
Downing Street appeared to be snubbing the banking industry yesterday as it finalised a 16-strong panel of corporate grandees to advise the Prime Minister on business matters. While manufacturing, construction, utilities, retailing and small businesses are well represented, no one from the banking
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Unilever, Centrica, Thomas Cook...
29th Sep 2010 06:45
Unilever shares have underperformed of late, although they have started to bounce from recent lows. However, they are still more than £2 below their recent high of £20.15 seen in December. They hit a low of £16.88 at the end of August. The long-term growth will come from emerging markets, where mor
Read moreLondon open: Poor start for blue chips
28th Sep 2010 08:47
London is heading lower led by Thomas Cook after a gloomy update, while miners and banks are also under pressure after a weak finish on Wall Street overnight. Tour operator Cook said it has now started a review of its UK cost base after softer than expected business over the summer and in view of t
Read moreLondon pre-open: Leading shares stalled
28th Sep 2010 07:33
London looks set for a flat opening, continuing the lack of direction seen for much of yesterday's session. Hedge fund manager Man's first half profits will fall by a fifth to $215m as performance fees dwindled after a tough half for its flagship AHL fund. Funds under management have stabilised r
Read moreCentrica buys Connaught Compliance
28th Sep 2010 07:03
The picking over of the bones of collapsed Connaught Group continues with British Gas owner Centrica acquiring the assets of Connaught Compliance, Connaught's gas and electricity services business. Centrica is paying £11.2m for the business which will add around 400 service engineers and more than
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