London close: Shares slide after election
7th May 2010 16:48
Shares continued sliding on Friday as the European debt crisis rumbled on and after the previous day's election failed to produce a decisive result. Germany's parliament has approved a rescue package for Greece, but traders are still worried that the debt problems could spread to other countries, i
Read moreLondon afternoon: RBS leads retreat
7th May 2010 14:35
The market rally seen towards the end of the morning session fizzled out over lunch as London joined other European markets in retreat. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has moved into line with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and agreed that the Conservative party, which won the most seats in yesterd
Read moreLondon midday: Clegg statement calms markets
7th May 2010 12:10
After initially reacting negatively to the prospect of a hung parliament London's leading shares have rallied after Liberal Democratic party leader Nick Clegg said he is sticking with his pre-election view that the party with the most votes - in this case the Conservatives - should have first crack
Read moreLondon open: Election and Greece uncertainty hits shares
7th May 2010 08:51
London's top stocks have opened sharply lower as investors consider this morning's news that the UK is heading for a hung parliament. Latest projections are for the Tories to be largest party but will fall short of majority, as David Cameron's party fails to take many key target seats while Labour
Read moreeasyJet traffic down 8% in April
7th May 2010 07:47
Flight cancellations following last month's volcanic ash cloud from Iceland left passenger numbers at easyJet down 7.6% on April 2009 and 800,000 less than expected. The low-cost airline sold 3.49m tickets in April, down from 3.78m a year earlier, but the company had expected to fly 4.3m passengers
Read moreBroker tips: Smith & Nephew, RSA, Easyjet
6th May 2010 13:16
First quarter results from medical devices firm Smith & Nephew were ahead of expectations and Killik & Co thinks there is more to come from a company it describes as a 'world leader' in its field. "We believe the long-term outlook for the group is positive. Its markets are expected to generate mid-
Read moreBroker snap: Easyjet in favour at Commerzbank
6th May 2010 11:35
Commerzbank has reiterated its 'buy' stance on no-frills airline Easyjet citing the growth in passenger numbers recently, adding it expects interim losses to come in at £81m, which is at the top of recent company guidance. Second quarter figures are due next week from the airline. The German broker
Read moreAer Lingus and BAA update on volcano disruption
20th Apr 2010 11:27
With flights starting to take off again in parts of the UK and travel stocks having updated the market on costs incurred as a result of the volcano cloud that enveloped Europe, clarity is starting to emerge on economic effects of the disruption. Some internal flights have taken off from Glasgow an
Read moreLondon close: Volcano disruption holds back shares
19th Apr 2010 16:47
Trading was overshadowed by the volcano cloud that is keeping planes grounded across Europe, with updates on the impact of the disruption appearing throughout the day, but the leading share index finished just a few points lower. British Airways fell after saying it estimates that lost passenger an
Read moreLondon afternoon: RBS defies the trend
19th Apr 2010 14:37
The FTSE 100 briefly dropped below 5700 over the lunchtime session as share prices continued to drift lower. Travel stocks remain the big story as the major players start to count the cost of the disruption from the Icelandic volcano cloud. IATA, the international air transport association, has es
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Volcano disruption hits easyJet
19th Apr 2010 13:15
Airline easyJet is the biggest loser among second-liners as the volcano cloud across Europe continues to ground planes. Taking collateral damage is Frankie & Benny's owner The Restaurant Group, which has a number of its biggest earning restaurants located in airports. Pace's trading update has be
Read moreLondon midday: Shares still under a cloud
19th Apr 2010 12:28
UK shares remain under a cloud, with travel stocks coming under selling pressure as the disruption from the Icelandic volcano cloud continues to disrupt air travel. IATA, the international air transport association, has estimated that the airlines industry has lost $250m per day from the grounding o
Read moreLondon open: Air travel woe dominates
19th Apr 2010 08:46
Travel problems continue to dominate the market with the UK flight ban extended to tomorrow at the earliest. More than 100,000 customers of TUI Travel due to return home yesterday were left stranded by the ongoing flight ban imposed after the eruption of the volcano in Iceland last week. Currently,
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie dips below 5700
8th Apr 2010 14:21
Footsie has slipped back below 5700 with banks joining miners in the doghouse this afternoon. Miners are out of favour as metal prices show signs of fatigue. Vedanta Resources provided a spot of cheer to the sector, saying it saw a significant uplift in annual production at all its businesses in fi
Read moreLondon midday: Miners drag Footsie down
8th Apr 2010 12:21
Equity prices started to come off the bottom towards the end of the morning trading session ahead of the Bank of England interest rate and quantitative easing decision which, as expected, preserved the status quo. Miners are out of favour as metal prices show signs of fatigue. Vedanta Resources pro
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