London midday: GDP figures no comfort
26th Jan 2010 12:03
News that the UK economy limped out of recession in the fourth quarter has failed to cheer equities, which remain more concerned about China and the possibility its government will slam the economic brakes on. The UK economy grew just 0.1% in the fourth quarter, far less than expected. Economists h
Read moreLondon close: Banks and miners drag Footsie lower
21st Jan 2010 16:30
Leading UK shares lurched lower in the afternoon as US shares weakened and investors waited nervously for President Obama's new bank reforms. The US President's proposals prohibit commercial banks from owning or investing in hedge funds or owning, investing or advising private equity funds, while a
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Dividend news boosts United
21st Jan 2010 15:19
United Utilities is among the best of the risers on a tough day as an expected dividend cut following the latest Ofwat review came in lower than forecast. The group has also decided not to seek a referral to the Competition Commission of what it termed a 'challenging price review' by water regulato
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks face 'tsunami' of pressure
21st Jan 2010 14:44
Leading shares traded sideways over the lunchtime session, albeit with a small dip at 1:30pm when the US market opened a tad lower. Banks and miners are impeding Footsie's progress, with the latter still friendless on concerns about demand from China. Pundits are predicting that the Chinese authori
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie ahead after mixed morning
21st Jan 2010 12:01
Footsie can't make up its mind this morning and after dropping into the red after miners gave up early gains the index is making good progress again. Xstrata, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Fresnillo, Kazakhmys and Vedanta Resources remain the main blue chip fallers on concerns about demand from China.
Read moreLondon close: Healthy gain for Footsie
14th Jan 2010 16:26
London blue chips rose near the close to finish the day handily ahead, despite a disappointing response to the latest retail updates. Primark and British Sugar owner Associated British Foods was one of the few risers. The group had a better than anticipated end to 2009 and expects a 'significant in
Read moreLondon afternoon: US data hits London
14th Jan 2010 14:28
Disappointing US retail sales for December had repercussions this side of the pond, prompting the morning's gains to be pared. US retail sales fell by 0.3% month-on-month in December, against expectations of a slight rise. Miners remain wanted with Xstrata, Rio Tinto, Kazakhmys and Antofagasta am
Read moreLondon midday: Miners lift Footsie
14th Jan 2010 12:08
Footsie is in the blue as strength in the mining sector offsets weakness among retailers following a stream of updates from the sector. Xstrata, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Kazakhmys, Eurasian Natural Resources and Antofagasta are all among the best performers. Rio Tintohailed another very strong qu
Read moreLondon open: Miners leading the way
14th Jan 2010 08:25
Miners are leading London's top stocks higher in early dealings on a busy day on the company news front. Xstrata, Vedanta Resources, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Kazakhmys, Eurasian Natural Resources and Antofagasta are all among the best performers. Rio Tinto hailed another very strong quarter for ir
Read moreLondon pre-open: Strong performance in store
14th Jan 2010 07:50
It's been a hectic start to the day with mostly favourable trading updates from the big hitters. Share prices look set to follow Wall Street's lead and open higher, with the FTSE 100 index expected to open up 47 points higher at 5,520. Mining giant Rio Tinto hailed 'another very strong quarter for
Read moreFresnillo reports 10% rise in production
14th Jan 2010 07:15
Fresnillo saw quarterly silver production increase by 10% year on year and said it expects production to remain steady in 2010. The miner produced 9.36 million ounces of silver in the three month ended 31 December, though that is down 4% on the previous quarter. In total, attributable silver produ
Read moreLondon close: Commodity slide hits Footsie
13th Jan 2010 16:32
Footsie ended the day firmly in the red with low commodity prices helping to offset positive broker coverage. With the oil price below $80, oil titans Royal Dutch Shell and BP found themselves on traders' sell lists. BG Group also slipped even after HSBC upped its price target for the stock from 13
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Commodities weigh on Footsie
13th Jan 2010 14:56
Lower precious metals prices have hit shares in gold miner Randgold, silver group Fresnillo and platinum specialist Lonmin, while the weak oil price has Shell in the bottom 10. Telecoms group BT climbs after being upgraded by RBS to buy from hold with its target price upped to 200p from 107p. Else
Read moreLondon close: Footsie finishes below 5,500
12th Jan 2010 17:17
Equities staged a rally in the afternoon session but it was not enough to push the Footsie back into the black, largely because of weak miners, which took fright at moves by the Chinese central bank to cool down the economy by increasing the reserves ratio for Chinese commercial banks. Fresnillo, L
Read moreLondon afternoon: Chinese banking move sparks selling
12th Jan 2010 14:47
News that China has raised the reserve requirements for its banks in an attempt to choke growth in the economy has spooked global markets, including London. The prospect of China slowing down economic expansion does not sit well with miners such as Fresnillo, Lonmin, Kazakhmys, Vedanta and Xstrata,
Read more