Direct Line Group reiterates forecast for 2015 combined operating ratio
3rd Nov 2015 07:29
(ShareCast News) - Direct Line Group posted a 3.1% increase in total written gross premiums for the three months to 30 September, led by a 6.8% increase in Motor. That came alongside a 7% drop in total costs for ongoing operations, while investment income yield rose to 2.4%. For the nine months to
Read moreBroker tips: Card Factory, Direct Line, Serco
11th Aug 2015 14:03
(ShareCast News) - Broker Peel Hunt reiterated its 'buy' recommendation for Card Factory, saying the retailer was one of its top picks for the sector, especially as it was "all systems go" for the upcoming special dividend. First-half results from the FTSE 250 group indicated a 1% acceleration in th
Read moreCharles Stanley downgrades Direct Line to reduce
11th Aug 2015 09:39
(ShareCast News) - Analysts at Charles Stanley downgraded insurer Direct Line Group to 'reduce' from 'hold', and advised investors to take profits. The brokerage moved its price target up to 387.8p from 350p. Shares in Direct Line were trading at 383.7p at 0951 BST, having lost 1.06% since the marke
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 declines on surprise construction slowdown
4th Aug 2015 12:21
(ShareCast News) - The FTSE 100 continued its slide as investors weighed earnings, mixed news from Greece and a worse-than-expected report on the UK construction sector. The Markit/CIPS purchasing mangers' index on UK construction activity fell to 57.1 in July from 58.1 a month earlier, missing fore
Read moreLondon open: Stocks slump as commodities weaken
4th Aug 2015 09:23
(ShareCast News) - London equities were dragged into negative territory by natural resource related stocks as commodity prices weakened. A measure of mining shares were in the red, including Rio Tinto, Anglo American and Fresnillo, as gold and silver prices declined on the Comex. The mining sector
Read moreDirect Line first-half profit rises amid fewer claims
4th Aug 2015 08:37
(ShareCast News) - Direct Line Insurance Group reported a rise in pre-tax profit for the first half and a largely unchanged gross written premium, as it said underlying trends remain broadly in line with prior expectations. Pre-tax profit for the six months ended 30 June came in at £427.8m, up from
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Easyjet soars on higher earnings outlook, insurers extend gains
22nd Jul 2015 14:40
(ShareCast News) - London markets edged lower on Wednesday after the Bank of England's rate-setting meeting had investors fretting about inflation risks. As of 15:00, the FTSE 100 was trading 1.4% lower at 6,672. Leading the fallers was ARM Holdings, which dropped after the chip maker reported seco
Read moreAdmiral, RSA, Direct Line driven north by premiums news and bargain hunters
21st Jul 2015 15:54
(ShareCast News) - Car insurers Admiral Group, RSA and Direct Line steered to the top of the blue chip leader board on Tuesday, sparked by a 5% rise in car insurance premiums in the second quarter. As well as the boost from insurance premiums announced by AA, Admiral was further lifted by bargain hu
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Royal Mail dips on underwhelming revenues, insurers and supermarkets higher
21st Jul 2015 14:04
(ShareCast News) - London markets were muted on Tuesday as investors awaited earnings reports from US tech giants and remained wary of interest rate hikes from the Bank of England and Federal Reserve. As of 15:00 BST, the FTSE 100 was trading flat at 6,784. Royal Mail dipped after delivering a mixe
Read moreCitigroup cuts Admiral to 'sell'; says stock is fully valued
25th Jun 2015 08:37
Citigroup downgraded Admiral to 'sell' from 'neutral' and cut the price target to 1,335p from 1,354p, saying it's a high-quality name, but fully valued. "Admiral is undoubtedly a high-quality business and has been the benchmark for the UK motor sector for several years. As a result, Admiral consiste
Read moreDirect Line to pay 27.5p per share and consolidate shares
29th May 2015 13:56
Insurer Direct Line said it will pay a special dividend to shareholders of 27.5p per share after completing the sale of its international division. The FTSE 100 company, which was spun out of RBS via a flotation in 2012, agreed the sale in September of its Italian and German operations to Spanish ri
Read moreLondon close: Stocks edge higher after choppy session amid Greek uncertainty
28th May 2015 16:38
London's stocks finished a choppy session in the green, though gains were only modest as sentiment continued to be dominated by mixed newsflow from Greece. The FTSE 100 settled the session up 7.59 points (+0.11%) at 7,040.92 after swinging between gains and losses for most of the day, with trading v
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks shrug off weak UK data as Greek newsflow continues
28th May 2015 11:44
Stocks erased losses to push into positive territory by Thursday lunchtime despite some disappointing UK economic data, as investors continued to focus on newsflow from Greece. The FTSE 100 was up 0.18% at 7,045.78 by midday, having bounced off an earlier low of 7,005.88. Markets seemingly shrugged
Read moreBroker tips: HSBC, Intertek, ICAP, Non-life insurers
28th May 2015 11:36
UBS has maintained a 'neutral' stance on HSBC ahead of the bank's strategy update on 9 June, saying that management is unlikely to deliver what is needed. HSBC's Asian franchise is the bank's "jewel in the crown", UBS said, but it faces substantial challenges over the next few decades as Hong Kong i
Read moreJPMorgan names Esure as top non-life pick, upgrades Direct Line
28th May 2015 10:08
Non-life insurers in the UK are currently struggling with tough conditions, though things should improve as motor pricing picks up, according to JPMorgan Cazenove. JPMorgan named Esure as its top pick with an 'overweight' rating, and upgraded Direct Line from 'neutral' to 'overweight'. It said that
Read more