FirstGroup cut to 'hold' by Panmure on recent share price strength
10th Jun 2015 12:37
Panmure Gordon cut FirstGroup to 'hold' from 'buy', noting that the shares have performed strongly in recent months and hit the brokerage's 120p price target. It said the company's full-year numbers on Wednesday were in line with expectations and showed a good improvement. "After three years of marg
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks edge higher ahead of Osborne's speech
10th Jun 2015 11:45
UK stocks reversed earlier losses and edged forward on Wednesday, as traders waited on the Chancellor's Mansion House speech. Industrial output in the UK sped past forecasts in April, thanks to a strong contribution from mining. Production grew by 0.4% month-on-month, as an 8.7% surge in oil and ga
Read moreFirstGroup's annual profits rise as improvement plan delivers
10th Jun 2015 08:05
Transport operator First Group saw annual profits rise in 2014, as its improvement plan delivered higher margins in its US and UK bus divisions. For the year to 31 March, the FTSE 250 group reported profit before tax of £163.9m, a 46.5% increase year-on-year and in line with analysts' expectations,
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie to start lower as transport sector weighs on Wall Street
10th Jun 2015 07:49
The FTSE 100 is expected to start the session between 5 to 12 points lower from Tuesday's close of 6,753.80 points. That follows a flat close on Wall Street overnight. The Dow Jones Industrials finished in negative territory for the year as the Dow Jones Transports closed at year-to-date lows, weigh
Read moreFirstGroup to invest £77.7m in new buses; hails low emission engines
29th May 2015 09:15
Shares in transport operator FirstGroup rose on Friday after the company said that it is spending £77.7m on 385 new vehicles. "First Bus' order underlines its commitment to provide high quality bus services for its customers and stakeholder partners and reflects increasing passenger and revenue grow
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: property and rail stocks surge on Tory win
8th May 2015 13:27
Wireless antenna maker Laird topped the risers on higher first quarter revenues and a strong outlook for the rest of the year. "We have some visibility on new products to be launched by customers in the second half of the year, which underpins our current full year outlook," said chief executive Dav
Read moreUtilities, rail operators most exposed to UK election, Fitch says
17th Apr 2015 10:27
Utilities and rail companies are among the corporate sectors most at risk from regulatory or government policy shifts following the upcoming UK general election on 7 May, according to Fitch Ratings. With the Conservative Party having frozen rail fares, and Labour pledging to freeze energy prices if
Read moreHSBC and Nomura slap 'buy' ratings on the UK's Go-Ahead and Stagecoach
8th Apr 2015 12:03
Go-Ahead Group and Stagecoach shares were both rated 'buy' at investment banks HSBC and Nomura who on Wednesday coincidentally offered their updated views on the UK bus and rail transport sector. In separate notes, Nomura upgraded its rating on Go-Ahead to 'buy' from 'neutral 'while HSBC established
Read moreLondon close: Stocks come off intraday highs as US data disappoints
1st Apr 2015 16:37
UK stocks trimmed earlier gains by the close after a weak start on Wall Street, but still managed to finish in the green as markets bounced slightly following a sell-off the previous session. London's FTSE 100 finished the session up 36.46 points, or 0.54%, at 6,809.50. The index had dropped 1.7% to
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Evraz higher on pledge to buy back shares, RPC reverses
1st Apr 2015 13:19
Russia-focused steelmaker Evraz surged after pledging to buy-back shares despite reporting a net loss of $1.28bn last year. FirstGroup rose strongly after saying trading for the year to the end of March had remained in line with expectations, with progress continuing on its medium-term transformatio
Read moreLondon midday: Banks lift Footsie 1% as stocks rebound
1st Apr 2015 11:19
UK stocks jumped nearly 1% on Wednesday morning, partly reversing steep losses experienced the previous session, as stimulus hopes in China and an improvement in global manufacturing repaired sentiment. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.98% at 6,839.14 by midday, after dropping 1.7% to 6,773.04 on Tuesday,
Read moreLondon open: Equities rebound as Chinese stimulus hopes rise
1st Apr 2015 09:02
UK stocks bounced off a two-and-a-half-week low on Wednesday morning as market sentiment recovered after a sharp sell-off. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.41% at 6,800.98 early on, after dropping 1.7% to 6,773.04 on Tuesday, its lowest close since 13 March. The rising possibility of state boost to the r
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to fall further as sell-off continues
1st Apr 2015 07:53
UK stocks are set to extend losses on Wednesday morning following a huge sell-off the previous session that sent the Footsie to its lowest in over two and a half weeks. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open 20 points lower than Tuesday's close of 6,773.04. The index dropped 1.7% to its lowest
Read moreFirstgroup stays on course after Greyhound losses collared
1st Apr 2015 07:17
Shares in FirstGroup steamed ahead on Wednesday as it reassured investors with confirmation that trading for the year to the end of March had remained in line with expectations, with progress continuing on its medium-term investment plans. UK rail, and US public bus units First Transit and First Stu
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Centamin surges on strong dividend, energy stocks higher
23rd Mar 2015 12:52
Profits at gold miner Centamin more than halved in 2014, as higher production was offset by increased output costs and lower commodity prices, yet the stock surged after the company's maiden dividend smashed analysts' expectations on the back of stronger cash generation. Other miners were also tradi
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