London midday: Aviva and Friends Life lead stocks higher ahead of ECB
5th Mar 2015 11:37
UK stocks gains on Thursday with decent gains by insurers Aviva and Friends Life offsetting weakness in the mining sector, as investors took an optimistic approach ahead of a much-anticipated central bank decision in Europe. The European Central Bank (ECB) is widely expected to keep policy unchanged
Read moreLondon close: Stocks erase losses as ITV, StanChart and IAG gain
4th Mar 2015 16:41
After a weak start, UK markets managed to push into positive territory by Wednesday's close as decent gains from ITV, Standard Chartered and IAG offset some heavy falls in the mining sector. The FTSE 100 snapped three days of losses to finish up 0.44% at 6,919.24. Economic data from across the glob
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: ITV soars after beating 2014 forecasts, Fresnillo plunge on weak profits
4th Mar 2015 15:11
ITV topped the risers after the strongest advertising performance in five years helped it beat forecasts for 2014, as it hiked its annual dividend 34% and proposed an extra payout for shareholders. Numis Securities upped its rating on the broadcaster and producer from 'add' to 'buy'. Emerging market
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE continues retreat from record highs as mining stocks decline
4th Mar 2015 11:55
UK stocks were falling for the fourth straight day on Wednesday after a batch of mixed corporate earnings and global economic data. The FTSE 100 was down 0.32% at 6,866.94 by midday, on track for its lowest close since 16 February, with mining giants Fresnillo and Glencore providing a drag. Stocks
Read moreLondon open: Stocks slip on mixed earnings, Fresnillo and L&G drop
4th Mar 2015 08:23
UK stocks edged lower on Wednesday morning as gains from Standard Chartered and ITV were offset by declines by Fresnillo, Glencore and Legal & General, as investors awaited a barrage of economic data. Following a brief spell in positive territory, the FTSE 100 had fallen 0.2% to 6,875.90 after the f
Read moreLondon pre-open: Subdued start expected ahead of economic data
4th Mar 2015 07:38
After closing at their worst level in nearly two weeks, UK stocks are expected to rebound on Wednesday, albeit only slightly, as investors await key economic data. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around five points higher than Tuesday's close of 6,889.13. This was the index's worst finis
Read moreFresnillo shares tank as 2014 profits plunge 40%
4th Mar 2015 07:31
Mexican precious metals producer Fresnillo said it delivered a "reasonable performance" in 2014 in the face of lower silver and gold prices as profits plunged, sending the shares firmly into the red on Wednesday. While revenues declined 12.5% to $1.41bn, pre-tax profits dropped 40% to $251.1m as a r
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Barclays and Glencore fall after annual results, Taylor Wimpey higher
3rd Mar 2015 13:44
Shares in Barclays fell after the bank set aside a total of £1.25bn for provisions to cover litigation costs related to ongoing probes into mis-selling PPI and rigging foreign exchange rates. The news came as Barclays reported a pre-tax loss of £532m for the fourth quarter. Commodities trader and mi
Read moreSector movers: Miners fall as PBOC rate cut underwhelms
2nd Mar 2015 15:37
Mining stocks declined on Monday as investors shrugged off some improving economic data from top metals user China and a rate cut by its central bank in an attempt to boost growth. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point for the second time in three month
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: HSBC lower on tax scandal fines, LSE boosted by higher price target
23rd Feb 2015 14:59
HSBC was among the fallers after reporting a 17% drop in pre-tax annual profit to $18.68bn, as the lender was hit by fines for its involvement in the foreign exchange rigging scandal. Chief executive Stuart Gulliver said 2014 was a "challenging year in which we continued to work hard to improve busi
Read moreBroker tips: Tesco, Fresnillo, Coca-Cola HBC
18th Feb 2015 11:44
The appointment of Dixons Carphone chairman John Allan as the head of Tesco's board has been applauded by analysts at Shore Capital, who said it represented "another job completed in the repair of Tesco". The broker, which kept a 'hold' rating on the supermarket stock, said that Allan "has a disting
Read moreFresnillo may not pay a final dividend for 2014, says UBS
18th Feb 2015 09:50
UBS has lowered its target price for Fresnillo, saying that the Mexican precious metals miner's final dividend payout for 2014 is "uncertain". The bank cut its 12-month target for the shares from 950p to 850p and retained a 'neutral' recommendation for investors. Fresnillo last week updated the mar
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Astrazeneca lower as patent rejected, BHP boosted by Pakistan disposal
16th Feb 2015 14:11
Astrazeneca was trading lower after its patent on its Pulmicort Respules treatment for asthma was ruled by a US court as invalid. The US District Court of New Jersey ruling paves the way for generic versions of the lung drug to be released into the market. Actavis said it released a version of the d
Read moreLondon close: FTSE closing in on record high as commodity stocks rally
13th Feb 2015 16:30
UK stocks jumped on Friday as rising commodity prices lifted shares in the oil and mining sectors, while hopes increased that Europe can come to an agreement over the future of Greece. The FTSE 100 rose 0.7% to 6,873.52 by the end of trade, its best finish since early September 2014. The index is no
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Glaxosmithkline upgraded, miners and oil stocks higher
13th Feb 2015 14:29
Glaxosmithkline's shares were given a boost by UBS which upgraded its rating for the pharmaceutical stock by two notches from 'sell' to 'buy', saying that the business is now at an "inflection point" after a tough few years. The bank hiked its target price for the stock from 1,250p to 1,700p. The sh
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