London afternoon: Hershey & Ferrero size up Cadbury
18th Nov 2009 14:05
It has been a day for high profile board room appointments, with the share prices of Marks & Spencer and ITV both responding well to an end to uncertainty over leadership issues. Retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has poached Marc Bolland, chief executive of supermarket chain Morrisons, to be its new b
Read moreLondon midday: Market cheers M&S appointment
18th Nov 2009 12:02
Retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) moved to the top of the news agenda this morning after it announced it has poached Marc Bolland, chief executive of supermarket chain Morrisons, to be its new boss. While Marks & Spencer's shares responded positively to the appointment, shares in Morrisons fell back o
Read moreLatin America lifts Experian
18th Nov 2009 07:41
Credit checking firm Experian boosted profits at its half-year point despite tough market conditions. Reported profit before tax in the six months to 30 September rose to $351m from $318m a year earlier. Benchmark pre-tax profit, which excludes exceptional items, rose 5% to $437m. Broker Charles S
Read moreWednesday preview: Land Securities, Experian, Mothercare
17th Nov 2009 15:13
Following hot on the heels of results from British Land on Tuesday, fellow real estate giant Land Securities issues interim figures on Wednesday. Like British Land it has been disposing of assets, selling its stake in the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham. The firm is still repaying debt but s
Read moreLondon close: Tough day for Footsie
22nd Oct 2009 16:41
Blue chips rallied late in the day, but it was a tough session generally with miners and insurance companies under pressure. Telcos led the rally with Vodafone, British Telecom and satellite group Inmarsat all making gains near the close. Lloyds was also a late riser as on reports that it is close
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks stuck at lower levels
22nd Oct 2009 14:10
The Footsie finished the lunch-time session little changed from where it started it, despite mining stocks trimming losses sustained in the morning. Mining giant Anglo American is actually higher on the day after it announced plans to divest assets, including its zinc and tarmac operations, as it
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie off worst but still lower
22nd Oct 2009 12:12
Footsie is off its worst but is still showing hefty falls as miners and insurers lead the market lower. Platinum miner Lonmin has again unsettled the mining sector as it saw a 20% decline in production of the precious metal in the fourth quarter after having to shut down mines for safety reasons an
Read moreSirius directors pick up 6m shares
15th Oct 2009 16:28
Sirius Petroleum is at its highest in 3½ years on news that directors have bought £300,000 of shares in the AIM-listed oil company. Mike Hirschfield, former group finance executive of Lupus Capital, snapped up 3.1m shares at 5p each, costing him £155,000. Fellow director Toby Hayward shelled out £
Read moreLondon close: Triple digit gains for FTSE 100
14th Oct 2009 16:36
Footsie ended with gains in excess of 100 points amid a backdrop of cheery economic news and encouraging earnings from the US. Shares started well after US chip-maker Intel smashed forecasts with its third quarter results, were given a boost by a smaller than expected rise in unemployment, then cli
Read moreLondon midday: Shares soar on US earnings optimism
14th Oct 2009 12:12
Shares are racing away after US bank JP Morgan followed Intel and smashed through forecasts for the third quarter. Futures are pointing to more than a 120 point gain for the Dow when the US kicks off and UK shares are climbing in anticipation. Intel's results came in well ahead of expectations per
Read moreLondon open: Bulls charge ahead after Intel optimism
14th Oct 2009 08:44
The bulls are in full charge mode this morning after forecast-busting third quarter results from Intel raised optimism for a strong US third quarter earnings season and eventual US economic recovery. Intel, the world's largest computer chipmaker, reported an 8.3% drop in net income for the three mo
Read moreLondon pre-open: Buying spree predicted
14th Oct 2009 07:39
Forecast-busting third quarter results from Intel overnight look set to inject some life into proceedings today, with futures prices indicating big gains for London. The leading index is expected to add more than 50 points at the start of play following an optimistic outlook from the world's larges
Read moreExperian sales up 1%, full-year on track
14th Oct 2009 07:24
Information services company Experian reported a 1% rise in half year sales and said it remains on track to at least maintain margins, grow profits at constant currency and deliver strong cash flow conversion. Group organic revenue growth was 1% year-on-year, with consistent trends throughout the h
Read moreWednesday preview: Burberry, Experian, Punch Taverns
13th Oct 2009 17:55
Fashion group Burberry gives a trading update covering the July to September period, the second quarter in the company's financial year. This is an important quarter for the wholesale arm, as it begins to process Christmas orders. Broker Nomura Securities predicts second quarter sales will be down
Read moreAnother Experian non-exec sells
26th Aug 2009 16:23
David Tyler, a non-executive director of Experian, has sold £525,100 worth of shares in the credit checker. Tyler, who is also the chairman of IT contracting company Logica, sold 100,000 shares at a price of 525.14p each. He is the second non-executive director to sell a large chunk of his holdin
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