London open: Blue chips lower ahead of jobs data
7th Jan 2011 08:51
London has fallen back below 6,000 as investors sit on their hands ahead of the non-farm payrolls data coming out of the US this afternoon. Estimates are for about 150,000 new jobs to have been added in December. Elsewhere, it's a quiet morning so far. There has been a further development in the s
Read moreeasyJet's December traffic up 7.6%
7th Jan 2011 07:30
Budget airline easyJet sold 7.6% more seats in December than the same time last year and filled its planes slightly better as well. The no-frills carrier flew 3.66m passengers compared with 3.34m in December 2009. That takes the rolling 12-month figure to 49.72, up 7.9% on last year. Load factor,
Read moreWednesday newspaper round-up: Oil, Wheat, BP...
5th Jan 2011 06:37
High oil prices threaten to derail the fragile economic recovery among developed nations this year, the leading energy watchdog has warned, putting pressure on the Opec oil cartel to increase production. Over the past year the oil import costs for the 34 mostly rich countries that make up the Organ
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Chemring wins US Army contract
4th Jan 2011 17:08
Chemring, the military decoy flares and mine detection firm, saw shares rise after it said its US subsidiary, Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology (NITEK), won a $38.4m contract from the US Army. The contract is for the supply and initial spares of 64 Husky Mine Detection Systems for high reliabili
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 storms past 6,000
4th Jan 2011 16:36
The top share index lost some if its strong early gains ahead of the close, but still finished above the psychologically important 6,000 point mark on a storming start to 2011. Oil giant BPwas boosted by reports that rival Shell looked into making a bid for the company in the wake of last year's G
Read moreLondon afternoon: Triple digit rise for Footsie
4th Jan 2011 14:31
Bid speculation is adding froth to a London stock market already playing catch-up with European and US markets that posted strong gains yesterday. Oil giant BPis boosted by reports that rival Shell looked into making a bid for the company in the wake of last year's Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which s
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 roars past 6,000 points
4th Jan 2011 12:01
The top share index's storming start to 2011 continues, with the FTSE 100 now well clear of 6,000 points and sitting at levels not seen since the first half of 2008. Among today's high fliers is BP, with the oil giant boosted by reports that rival Shell looked into making a bid for the company in t
Read moreLondon open: Blue chips open 2001 in buoyant mood
4th Jan 2011 08:46
Big gains in the US overnight and a strong display in Asia this morning have encouraged a rush of buying in London. Banks are strong led by Royal Bank of Scotland on good economic data coming out of Europe and the US yesterday, while Bank or America's settlement with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has
Read moreLondon pre-open: Rally seen close to 100 points
4th Jan 2011 07:36
Big gains in the US overnight and a strong display in Asia this morning are set to give London a big lift first thing Tuesday. Futures prices indicate a 93-point gain for the FTSE 100 as traders return to their desks after their Christmas and New Year break. In company news, no frills airline easy
Read moreeasyJet loads up on Airbus A320s
4th Jan 2011 07:04
No frills airline easyJet is to exercise its option to take delivery of 15 Airbus A320 aircraft between 2012 and 2014. The company has agreed new options over a further 33 A320 aircraft, while 20 of the A319 aircraft which easyJet had contracted to acquire from Airbus have been converted into order
Read moreeasyJet November passengers rise to 3.69m
6th Dec 2010 07:14
Budget airline easyJet said it carried 3.69m passengers in November, up 10.2% from the same month in 2009. The November load factor increased to 85.7% from 84.8%, making 87.2% for the rolling 12 months. easyJet transported 49.5m passengers in the 12 months to November, up from 45.8m passengers the
Read moreBroker tips: Capita, easyJet, Lonmin
18th Nov 2010 13:56
KBC Peel Hunt expects to revise down its full year revenue forecast for outsourcing specialist Capita but is still high on the medium and long term prospects of the company. "Overall trading remains solid despite subdued revenue growth, and margins are progressing, thanks to internal efficiencies a
Read moreBroker snap: Large targets for easyJet
18th Nov 2010 13:14
Nomura thinks a new focus on business customers and the introduction of other initiatives will see no-frills airline easyJet hit its target of £5 profit per seat by 2013. The annual report on Tuesday saw pre-tax profit for the year ended September surge to £154m from £54.7m the year before. While
Read moreLondon close: Battering for miners and banks
16th Nov 2010 17:08
It was downhill almost all the way for Footsie in the afternoon session after the US opened sharply lower, with miners getting a real bashing on the prospect of a slow-down in the Chinese economy. No less an authority than star fund manager Anthony Bolton raised the prospect today, in the first set
Read moreLondon afternoon: Gloomy miners
16th Nov 2010 14:10
Footsie retreated further over the lunch time session with mining stocks largely responsible for the decline, as metal prices pull back on fears that China will act to cool down its economy in the interests of reining in inflation. Antofagasta, Kazakhymys, Fresnillo, Xstrata and Rio Tinto are t
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