London midday: Shares keep gains
18th Jan 2011 12:17
The top share index remains buoyant as mining sector strength and company updates attract buyers. Miners are strong led by Vedanta, Kazakhmys and ENRC.Rio Tinto's global iron ore operations set a new quarterly production record in the final three months of 2010. The group produced 65m tonnes in the
Read moreLondon open: Footsie back over 6,000
18th Jan 2011 08:49
Blue chips have rallied following a strong performance in Asia this morning, renewed demand for the miners and some good trading updates. Brewer SABMiller helped more drinkers in Africa and China quench their thirst during the third quarter, sending organic lager volumes up 3%. The owner of Peroni
Read moreExperian takes credit for strong quarter
18th Jan 2011 07:43
Credit checking company Experian enjoyed double-digit revenue growth during its third quarter as performances overseas put the UK & Ireland in the shade. Revenue both on an actual basis and at constant exchange rates was up 12% in the three months to 31 December, with organic growth at 8%. Latin A
Read moreExperian acquires social networking group
17th Jan 2011 09:56
Credit checking firm Experian has taken a further step in its strategy to increase digital marketing activities with the acquisition of a majority stake in social media marketing tool provider Techlightenment. Techlightenment, which was founded in 2007 and is based in London's trendy Shoreditch dis
Read moreLondon close: Footsie back below 6,000
29th Dec 2010 17:01
Footsie did not stay above 6,000 for long and it ended the day down 13 at 5,996. A strong performance from mining companies, particularly those involved in gold, was not enough to offset a decline in banks, which are weak on worries over the debt issues facing the eurozone. Royal Bank of Scotland
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie falls below 6,000
29th Dec 2010 12:18
Footsie has failed to stay above 6,000 today and it has been heading downwards since just after 9am. Blizzards in the US are driving oil prices to a 26-month high above $91 a barrel. Heating oil prices in particular are rising. Royal Dutch Shell was one of the best performers this morning but it
Read moreLand Securities non-exec starts building stake
14th Dec 2010 16:11
Simon Palley, a non-executive director at Land Securities, has taken his first tranche of shares in the shopping centre and office developer. He took 16,250 shares at 664.8p each, paying nearly £110,000. Palley joined the board of Land Securities, whose portfolio includes the Lakeside Retail Park
Read moreExperian non-exec invests £101,000
25th Nov 2010 17:05
Non-executive director Judith Sprieser has invested £101,000 in credit checking firm Experian. Sprieser, who was appointed to the board in June, bought 13,590 shares at 746.25p each. Sprieser is a former boss of technology software company Transora and prior to that finance director of Sara Lee.
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Morgan Crucible, Rolls-Royce, Ted Baker
18th Nov 2010 06:53
Morgan Crucible gets three fifths of its revenues from the manufacture of high-specification ceramics. These go into areas such as defence, aerospace and medical markets. Profits for the current year will be at the top end of market forecasts, putting the shares on 13 times' this year's earnings, f
Read moreLondon close: Footsie sluggish as Ireland hogs limelight
17th Nov 2010 16:52
Footsie limped to a slightly higher finish on a sluggish day dominated by uncertainty over the Irish debt situation. Ireland appeared close to accepting a European bailout Wednesday ahead of a visit from European Union and International Monetary Fund experts the following day. The discussions shoul
Read moreLondon afternoon: Waiting for the dust to clear
17th Nov 2010 14:35
Investors continue to adopt a wait and see approach, biding their time until the Irish debt situation becomes clearer. UK economic news has been good, but not amazingly so. There was an unexpected fall in unemployment in October and a widely-anticipated three-way split in views on the Bank of Engla
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Ex-dividend declines
17th Nov 2010 13:38
Footsie's fallers are dominated by shares that are going ex-dividend. Marks & Spencer, Carnival, Sainsbury and Vodafone have all gone ex-dividend today. Retailer Marks & Spencer is paying an interim dividend of 6.2p a share but the share price has fallen by nearly double the amount of the dividen
Read moreLondon midday: Shares struggle for direction
17th Nov 2010 12:00
Traders find themselves unsure which way to move with economic and company news and the intensification of the Irish debt situation giving them plenty to ponder. Chancellor George Osborne says Britain is ready to step in to help Ireland, given our close interdependence with its economy. Meanwhile,
Read moreLondon open: Footsie flat after jitttery start
17th Nov 2010 09:44
Shares are flat now following a jittery start that has seen worries over Ireland take centre stage again. Over here, utility group Centrica said it had a strong third quarter, with operating profit forecasts for 2010 "slightly" ahead of current market expectations, though earnings per share will li
Read moreLondon pre-open: EU woes pose further threat
17th Nov 2010 07:28
Big losses on Wall Street last night and a mixed session in Asia don't bode well for London this morning, with further declines expected early doors. Futures prices point to a quick 14-point decline at the start of play. The Dow Jones sank 178 points Tuesday as the debt crisis situation in Europe w
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