FTSE 100 movers: Broker changes move index
8th Oct 2010 13:18
Broker recommendations dominate the Footsie today. UBS has downgraded accountancy software supplier Sage from neutral to sell. Silver miner Fresnillo has also been downgraded, this time from neutral to underperform by Merrill Lynch. In contrast, HSBC has raised BAE Systems from neutral to overwe
Read moreLondon midday: Nervous wait for US jobs data
8th Oct 2010 12:25
The clock is ticking down on this afternoon's release of US non-farm payrolls data and the market is showing signs of nervousness, with the Footsie drifting back and in danger of slipping below 5600. Bank Barclays is down after PCP3, a vehicle linked to Man City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-N
Read moreLondon open: Quiet start ahead of jobs data
8th Oct 2010 08:52
London has opened quietly as traders focus on the US where September's non-farm payrolls numbers are due to be released this afternoon. Expectations are for a 5,000 increase in non-farm payrolls, while the unemployment rate is expected to nudge up to 9.7% from 9.6% in August. Until those numbers a
Read moreLondon close: Strong start to final quarter
1st Oct 2010 16:41
The last quarter of 2010 started well for London's leading share index, with buoyancy in the oil sector helping to offset continuing economic worries at home and abroad. Manufacturing data was subdued. Footsie gave up some of its early gains after figures from the US showed Manufacturing grew at th
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie back above 5600
1st Oct 2010 14:56
The afternoon session has seen the Footsie advance confidently, almost regaining its high for the day which was hit shortly after 10:00am. A solid start by Wall Street on the back of better than expected spending data has helped sentiment this side of the pond. Oil giant BP is higher amid speculat
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Brazilian optimism for BG
1st Oct 2010 13:40
BG is higher after its Spanish peer Repsol announced a deal with the Chinese refiner Sinopec, which will result in Sinopec holding a 40% stake in Repsol's Brazilian unit. BG and Repsol have been exploring for oil in the waters of Brazil in partnership and the deal is thought likely to be beneficia
Read moreLondon close: Stocks close lower as rally fizzles out
22nd Sep 2010 17:00
Footsie gave up a brief rally to close in the red on an uncertain day's trading in the wake of Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's nervous comments on US economic prospects yesterday. Shares in the US moved lower despite having rallied earlier. Similar sentiments to those expressed by Bernank
Read moreLondon afternoon: Miners shore up Footsie
22nd Sep 2010 14:45
Leading shares made steady progress over the lunch time session returning the blue-chip index more or less back to where it finished overnight. Mining stocks are primarily responsible for the Footsie's level position, with industrial metal miners such as Antofagasta, Kazakhmys and Rio Tinto now do
Read moreLondon midday: Gold stocks shine in dull market
22nd Sep 2010 12:11
The market has been absorbed in interpreting smoke signals from the US and UK central banks today. In the US, the Federal Reserve left interest rates at just above 0% and said yesterday it expects the recovery to continue, but added "the pace of economic recovery is likely to be modest in the near-t
Read moreLondon close: Footsie makes round trip
14th Sep 2010 16:52
Footsie finished the day as it started it, marginally in positive territory, but for much of the day it languished in the red, as investors turned their attention to gold. The most actively traded contract in the yellow stuff has risen to a record high of $1,269.50 an ounce in New York trading, as
Read moreLondon close: US cheer gives Footsie another lift
1st Sep 2010 16:39
An already buoyant Footsie enjoyed a second wind in late trading as manufacturing data from the US added to hopes that the global economy remains on course for recovery. The Institute for Supply Management's factory index rose to 56.3 from 55.5 in July, against expectations of a decline. That gav
Read moreLondon afternoon: Morning's gains consolidated
1st Sep 2010 14:21
Leading shares moved sideways over the lunch time session, consolidating the morning's gains. In the battle of the "bid speculation" stocks, package tour operator TUI Travel leapfrogged over Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CWW) to claim the prize as best performing blue-chip. TUI Travel is higher on h
Read moreSector movers: Miners on the march
1st Sep 2010 13:47
Mining stocks are going well with Fresnillo, Kazakhmys and Xstrata among the top risers after China's official purchasing managers' index rose to 51.7 in August from a 17-month low of 51.2 in July, causing an improvement in commodity prices and overall sentiment. Among the smaller companies in the
Read moreLondon midday: Bid talk boosts Footsie pair
1st Sep 2010 11:58
It is a quiet day on the corporate news front and, as is often the case on such days, bid gossip is occupying the thoughts of traders. Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CWW), the demerged part of Cable & Wireless that is predominantly comprised of the telecoms giant's UK business, is being touted as a po
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Chip acquisition boosts ARM
31st Aug 2010 16:50
Chip designer ARM is higher following yesterday's $1.4bn purchase of Infineon's wireless subsidiary by Intel. The Infineon business' chips use ARM architecture so Intel may have to push its rival's technology. Miners had a strong afternoon with Fresnillo and Randgold Resources among the highest r
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