London close: Stocks end on back foot on Greek debt woes
12th Jun 2015 17:09
The UK stock market ended on the back foot on Friday as concerns about ongoing Greek debt talks continued to weigh on investor sentiment. The FTSE 100 was down 0.90% at 6,786 at the close after the International Monetary Fund's technical team quit discussions due to a lack of progress from Athens.
Read moreBroker tips: Whitbread, Compass Group, Infinis Energy
12th Jun 2015 11:45
Canaccord Genuity has lifted its recommendation on Costa and Premier Inn owner Whitbread from 'hold' to 'buy', saying it sees upside with the group on track to hit its medium-term targets. Analyst Nigel Parson said Whitbread's market-leading positions via Premier Inn and Costa mean the company is "w
Read moreLondon midday: UK stocks drop as Greek negotiations hit rough patch
12th Jun 2015 11:44
The UK stock market was firmly in the red on Friday as jitters about ongoing Greek debt talks continued to weigh on sentiment. The FTSE 100 was down 0.61% at 6,805.13 by midday after the International Monetary Fund's technical team quit discussions due to a lack of progress from Athens. The IMF on
Read moreCompass Group cut to 'neutral' by Exane BNP Paribas
12th Jun 2015 09:23
Exane BNP Paribas downgraded Compass Group to 'neutral' from 'outperform' and cut the price target to 1,240p from 1,330p. "After years of outperformance, we believe Compass may no longer be the best choice in the sector," it said, noting a preference for Sodexo. Exane said that Compass is now worki
Read moreLondon close: Stocks rise but weak US data dampens gains
13th May 2015 16:34
UK stocks rose on Wednesday but upside was only modest after data showed that American retail sales growth slowed to a standstill last month. The FTSE 100 finished 0.23% higher at 6,949.63, but settled firmly below the intraday high of 6,989.91. Shares extended gains in morning trade after the Bank
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Mondi surges on strong profits, Admiral hit by CEO resignation
13th May 2015 13:15
UK stocks rebounded on Wednesday, driven by the Bank of England pushing back rate-hike predictions and a dip in unemployment. Sector-wise, property stocks extended gains, while miners and supermarkets dipped. As of 02:10, the FTSE 100 was trading 9 points, or 0.28% higher at 6,954, with Mondi toppin
Read moreBroker tips: Easyjet, Compass Group, Burberry
13th May 2015 11:16
Numis Securities has lowered its recommendation for budget airline Easyjet from 'buy' to 'add' on the back of "near-term uncertainty". The broker said the "underlying investment case remains intact" but cut earnings estimates, saying that revenue per seat growth expectations are being tempered. Ber
Read moreCompass remains a 'buy' despite first-half miss, says Berenberg
13th May 2015 10:52
Berenberg has maintained a positive view on Compass Group despite the catering giant's first-half results receiving a cool reaction from the market on Wednesday. The broker kept a 'buy' rating and 1,300p target price for the stock. Compass said sales were up 5.7% organically at £9.06bn in the first
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise ahead of BoE inflation report
13th May 2015 08:20
London stocks rebounded slightly on Wednesday after a steep decline the previous session, as investors geared up for the Bank of England's Quarterly Inflation Report. The FTSE 100 was trading 0.53% higher at 6,970.37 early on, with results from blue chips Mondi, Barratt Developments and SABMiller im
Read moreCompass Group's full-year guidance unchanged after first half earnings gain
13th May 2015 07:14
Catering company Compass Group said its full-year guidance remains "positive and unchanged" as it reported an increase in first half earnings. The business posted a 4.9% rise in pre-tax profit to £637m in the six months to the end of March, as revenue jumped 5.7% to £9.1bn, driven by strong performa
Read moreMonday broker round-up
30th Mar 2015 18:40
Carnival: Numis upgrades to add with target price of 3,600p, Credit Suisse keeps at outperform, while Jefferies stays at underperform with 2,300p target. Barclays: JP Morgan Cazenove reiterates overweight. WPP: UBS reiterates buy, ups target to 1,700p from 1,500p. Marks&Spencer: Credit Suisse impr
Read moreLondon close: FTSE snaps four-day losing streak on China hopes and upbeat data
30th Mar 2015 16:45
London's Footsie managed to hold on to gains by the close on Monday, snapping a four-day losing streak, as hopes for stimulus in China and strong economic data gave sentiment a boost. The FTSE 100 finished up 0.53% at 6,891.43, though it remains well below its record closing high of 7,037.67 reached
Read moreLondon midday: Chinese stimulus hopes drive UK stocks higher
30th Mar 2015 11:57
UK stocks were in positive territory on Monday for the first time in five days as speculation about stimulus in China buoyed sentiment. Positive economic data also helped the mood in London, with UK mortgage approvals and Eurozone consumer confidence rising more than expected. The FTSE 100 was up 0
Read moreLondon open: Stocks snap losing streak on central bank hopes
30th Mar 2015 08:35
UK stocks were snapping a four-day losing streak on Monday morning as hopes for central bank support repaired sentiment. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.58% at 6,894.60 early on. "The FTSE saw tentative gains this morning as the UK index tried to stall the four consecutive days of huge losses that saw t
Read moreCompass expects interim revenue growth of 5.5%, warns of impact of lower commodity prices
30th Mar 2015 08:02
Catering group Compass Group said it remained confident of achieving first half organic revenue growth of approximately 5.5%. In a trading update on Monday, the company cited strong demand in North America and a return to growth in its European and Japanese businesses as the major driving factors be
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