London midday: Lloyds pulls Footsie higher
5th Aug 2009 11:24
Footsie is in the blue now as financials push ahead again on the back of Lloyds Banking, which is motoring forward. Lloyds Banking shares are up over 13% as investors bet that the worst of the bad debts that caused an underlying loss of £4bn in the half year to June are passed. Impairment charges
Read moreSector movers: Ferrexpo optimism cheers industrial metals
5th Aug 2009 10:18
The industrial metals sector is higher after Ukrainian iron ore pellet producer Ferrexpo saw profits slide 82% in the half of the year as commodity prices tumbled, but said it was seeing signs of normalisation in the market with spot prices for iron ore increasing. It posted a pre-tax profit of £28
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Carpetright jumps as UK sales grow
5th Aug 2009 10:15
Carpet retailer Carpetright is the top riser in the FTSE 250 after it posted a rise in like-for-like sales in UK and Ireland in the 13 weeks to August 1. Ferrexpo saw profits slide 82% in the half of the year as commodity prices tumbled but the Ukrainian iron ore producer said it was seeing signs o
Read moreLondon open: Lloyds gives market a boost
5th Aug 2009 08:39
Footsie has shrugged off a host of ex-dividends to move gently ahead with Lloyds and British Airways leading the way. Lloyds Banking posted an underlying loss of £4bn in the half year to June as impairment charges jumped by nearly £11bn to £13.4bn reflecting huge write-downs of HBOS's commercial pr
Read moreLondon pre-open: Lower start expected
5th Aug 2009 07:48
Footsie is expected to add to yesterday's losses as the stream of results from banks and insurers continues. Lloyds Banking posted an underlying loss of £4bn in the half year to June as impairment charges jumped by nearly £11bn to £13.4bn reflecting huge write-downs of HBOS's commercial property lo
Read moreFerrexpo profits slump
5th Aug 2009 07:18
Ferrexpo saw profits slide 82% in the half of the year as commodity prices tumbled but the Ukrainian iron ore pellet producer said it was seeing signs of normalisation in the market with spot prices for iron ore increasing. It posted a pre-tax profit of £28.7m, compared with £157.7m over the same p
Read moreLondon close: Stocks pull out of tailspin
14th Jul 2009 17:09
Indecision on Wall Street prompted a spell of profit taking in the UK in the middle of the afternoon session which threatened to wipe out the morning's gains, but London's blue-chips rallied at the death to keep the Footsie in the blue. Mining stocks were the best performers with silver miner Fresn
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie climbs despite weak retailers
14th Jul 2009 14:10
London's leading shares continue to edge higher, with sentiment given a boost in the afternoon by expectations of a moderately firm start on Wall Street and a strong set of second quarter results from US bank Goldman Sachs, which announced record revenues. Mobile phone giant Vodafone, the third lar
Read moreLondon midday: Early gains are consolidated
14th Jul 2009 12:11
The Footsie is trading sideways, holding on to gains after a bright start. Inflation data was much as expected, with the inflation rate falling below the Bank of England's 2% target for the first time since September 2007 last month. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed a drop in consu
Read moreLondon open: Early gains for Footsie
14th Jul 2009 08:41
London's blue chips have made early gains after the hundred-point plus surge on Wall St overnight. Miners are leading the way with Fresnillo, Lonmin, Xstrata and Rio Tinto all going well. Defensive stalwarts are the weak spots with Diageo, Imperial Tobacco and Reckitt Benckiser all lower. Enginee
Read moreLondon pre-open: Bright start expected
14th Jul 2009 07:40
Footsie is expected to rise after last night's good showing on Wall Street. Engineering conglomerate Melrose is trading in line with expectations for the full year and said cash generation during the first six months of 2009 has been 'excellent'. Net debt has reduced by £127m since 31 December 2008
Read moreFerrexpo trades profitable in second quarter
14th Jul 2009 07:11
Iron ore firm Ferrexpo said it produced at full capacity and traded profitable in the second quarter. Total pellet production in the second quarter rose by 21.1% compared with the previous three month period and was up by 3.8% compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Higher grade 65% Fe pell
Read moreTelford quartet act on optimism
18th Jun 2009 16:35
Telford Homes shares have rallied in recent weeks as the developer responsible for affordable homes in East London gave a "cautiously optimistic" view of its prospects. Founder and chief executive Andrew Wiseman has topped up his holding with the purchase of 25,000 shares at 55p. Other directors Ja
Read moreSector movers: Miners jump despite caution
10th Jun 2009 10:53
Mining stocks are going strong despite cautious updates from two sector heavyweights. BHP Billiton said it agreed to cut the price of metallurgical coal, which is used by steelmakers, by 58% for the current shipping year. Kazakhstan-based Eurasian Natural Resources (ENRC) anticipates that pressure
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Charter falls after warning
10th Jun 2009 10:51
Engineer Charter International falls back after warned that if difficult conditions seen in May persist, it anticipates the outcome for 2009 will be materially lower than its previous expectations. Turning to the risers, IG Group is going well for the second day in a row after yesterday saying it e
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