London open: Markets nervous ahead of US GDP data
26th Apr 2013 08:41
Markets opened in negative territory on Friday morning as eyes turned to the all-important reading of first-quarter economic growth in the US. The US Commerce Department is expected to reveal later on that gross domestic product (GDP) in the world's largest economy expanded at a 3.0% pace in the fi
Read moreLondon close: Markets underwhelmed by strong growth figures
25th Apr 2013 17:00
UK growth figures prompted a mixed reaction on stock markets on Thursday as stronger-than-expected activity in the first quarter quashed hopes that the Bank of England (BoE) would ramp up its quantitative easing programme in order to kick-start the economy. Nevertheless, data from the States lifted
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners lead the risers
25th Apr 2013 15:23
Mining stocks rose on Thursday on the back of rising metal prices, led by Randgold Resources, Antofagasta, Vedanta, ENRC, and Polymetal. Heading the other way was consumer good group Unilever after it had to rely on robust growth from emerging markets as it grew marginally slower than expectations
Read moreSector movers: Miners rise on ECB stimulus hopes
24th Apr 2013 16:04
Increasing hopes of an interest-rate cut in the Europe spurred investor appetite for risk on Wednesday, boosting the miners to the top of the pile. Gloomy figures from the Ifo institute this morning showed that the deterioration of the German economy continued this month with its headline business
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Standard Life soars after beating analyst expectations
24th Apr 2013 15:09
Insurance giant Standard Life was a strong riser after beating analysts' predictions in the first quarter after delivering strong sales and group assets under administration. The group recorded a 24% increase in long-term savings sales to £6.3bn and a 26% increase in long-term savings net flows to
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 jumps two per cent on stimulus hopes
23rd Apr 2013 16:59
Markets on the whole shrugged off disappointing data from the Chinese manufacturing sector on Tuesday, as decent corporate earnings and stimulus hopes in Europe pushed the FTSE 100 two per cent higher. The Markit Eurozone composite purchasing managers' index (PMI) released this morning was unchange
Read moreLondon midday: ARM leads markets higher after strong first quarter
23rd Apr 2013 11:31
The UK stock market was making decent gains by Tuesday lunchtime as strong performances from ARM Holdings, AB Foods and IAG helped to offset some weakness in the mining sector. Sentiment was lifted this morning as gloomy economic data from the Eurozone sparked speculation that it could open the doo
Read moreLondon open: Markets rise despite concerns over China
23rd Apr 2013 08:20
Decent gains for ARM Holdings, Associated British Foods and Rolls-Royce were providing a boost to London's stock market on Tuesday morning, offsetting relative weakness in the heavyweight mining sector. Miners were under pressure early on after a disappointing reading of Chinese manufacturing. The
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: ENRC rockets on possible takeover plans
19th Apr 2013 16:01
Mining stocks were performing well as investors sought gains after a volatile week for the sector. Vedanta, EVRAZ and Fresnillo were all making decent gains by mid-afternoon. ENRC shares surged Friday after major shareholder Alexander Machkevitch said he was considering a takeover bid for the Kaza
Read moreFriday broker round-up UPDATE
19th Apr 2013 08:47
African Barrick Gold: JP Morgan cuts target price from 290p to 200p, while leaving its underweight rating rating unchanged. Fox Davies reduces target price from 353p to 315p and maintains a hold rating. Westhouse Securities lowers target price from 195p to 180p retaining a neutral rating. Belvoir L
Read moreLondon open: FTSE 100 snaps five-day losing streak
19th Apr 2013 08:20
The FTSE 100 looks set to finish the week on a brighter note, rebounding after a five-day losing streak, as strong gains in the mining sector lifted London's benchmark higher in early trading on Friday morning. "European markets opened confidently today as investors decided to take an optimistic vi
Read moreLondon midday: Markets snap four-day losing streak
18th Apr 2013 11:17
Developments in the Eurozone were supporting stocks on Thursday morning as markets rebounded to snap a four-day losing streak. However, the focus is likely to turn to the US later on as first-quarter earnings season continues to dictate sentiment. Wall Street benchmarks slumped last night after som
Read moreBroker tips: Tullow, Debenhams, Gold miners
18th Apr 2013 11:14
Tullow Oil's recent pull-back due to investor uncertainty over its exploration-led strategy has created a buying opportunity, according to Societe Generale, which has upgraded its rating for the shares from 'hold' to 'buy'. "Short-term catalyst-driven investors should now have moved on from the s
Read moreBroker snap: Tradenext highlights 'buys' in gold sector after sell-off
18th Apr 2013 11:00
The sharp sell-off in the gold price this week on the back of concerns over demand has created some buying opportunities across the gold-mining sector, according to Tradenext. Gold slumped by around 9.0% on Monday, its biggest on-day drop since the start of the 1980s as a slowdown in China and pric
Read moreLondon open: Stocks edge higher early on
18th Apr 2013 08:59
UK stocks edged higher on Thursday morning, snapping a four-day losing streak, despite some weakness in the heavyweight mining sector. Things were pretty busy on the corporate news front today, with a host of companies on the FTSE 100 releasing trading updates and reports, giving investors plenty t
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