London close: Shares jump after sluggish start
24th Jan 2011 16:46
Shares put their early indecisiveness behind them to close with good gains after a decent start on Wall Street. Banks were weak after comments by the head of the Independent Banking Commission over stricter capital rules and possible separation of the retail and investment bank arms. The political
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks edge higher
24th Jan 2011 14:49
After a morning of indecision, leading shares pushed on over the lunch time session, despite the weakness of the banking sector. Banks are weak after comments by the head of the Independent Banking Commission over stricter capital rules and possible separation of the retail and investment bank arms
Read moreLondon midday: Banks hold back FTSE 100
24th Jan 2011 12:13
Shares are still seeking direction as banks fall back. The sector is weak after comments by the head of the Independent Banking Commission over stricter capital rules and possible separation of the retail and investment bank arms. The political problems in Ireland have also unsettled the mood. RBS
Read moreLondon open: Cautious start to week
24th Jan 2011 08:51
London is muddling along in the early exchanges despite the decent finish to last week on Wall Street. Banks are weak after comments by the head of the Independent Banking Commission over stricter capital rules and possible separation of the retail and investment bank arms. The political problems i
Read moreRecord prices for Gem Diamonds
24th Jan 2011 08:03
Gem Diamonds received record average prices for stones from its Let?eng and Ellendale mines during the fourth quarter. Over the last three months of 2010, 24,517 carats of rough diamonds from Let?eng in Lesotho were sold at an average price of US$3,291 per carat, up 74% from the $1,894 it made the
Read moreBroker tips: InterContinental, Mothercare, Gem Diamonds
25th Nov 2010 13:10
Nomura says that the long-term growth potential for hotel giant InterContinental Hotels (IHG) lies in the opportunity in emerging markets. IHG expects the size of the Chinese hotel market to more than double from 2.3m to 4.8m rooms by 2020, predicting that it will surpass the size of the US hotel m
Read moreBroker snap: Dazzling prices achieved by Gem Diamonds
25th Nov 2010 12:35
Diamond prices in the fourth quarter are remaining strong, judging by the prices achieved by Gem Diamonds' recent sale of two giant stones. Gem announced Thursday the sale of the 196 and 184 carat (ct) diamonds for a total of $22.74m, well above broker Panmure Gordon's $19m estimate. The two rough
Read moreGem Diamonds makes a 185 carat discovery
2nd Nov 2010 14:19
Shares in Gem Diamonds were sparkling after tit announced that a 'remarkable' 185 carat rough white diamond was recovered from its Let?eng mine in Lesotho at the end of October. It is the second big diamond to come out of the mine in about two months. On August 24 it retrieved a 196 carat white dia
Read moreSmall caps round-up: Max, Cluff Gold, Namakwa Diamonds...
28th Oct 2010 11:24
Kazakhstan-focused oil firm Max Petroleum came back a bit today despite news that the UTS-1 exploration well on the Uytas prospect in Block A has found oil in three zones. Testing "to verify commerciality of what we believe could be a significant post-salt discovery" should begin in about one month
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Gem Diamonds, Bowleven
16th Sep 2010 06:31
If London buses tend to come in pairs, then so does the good news for Gem Diamonds. Yesterday, it was that the company had negotiated a 25 per cent price increase for the rocks it sells to the jewellery group Tiffany. Sadly, for investors, all this good news has not translated into a solidly rising
Read moreLondon close: Lower close as rally falters
15th Sep 2010 16:35
Footsie closed a few points in the red Wednesday as a rally brought about by an improvement on Wall Street lost momentum. The US had a weak start following poorly-received manufacturing figures but sentiment recovered as trading progressed. Here, BP was lower in line with weaker oil prices, with t
Read moreLondon afternoon: Retailers provide some cheer
15th Sep 2010 14:29
Resource stocks remain a weight around Footsie's neck and have been joined over the lunch time session by banks, which are lower as the market ponders the implications of the Basel III banking guidelines. BP is lower in line with weaker oil prices, with the oil giant suffering more than its peers
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie hobbled by resource stocks
15th Sep 2010 11:58
Resource stocks are dragging London lower despite a good showing by retailers. Lower commodity prices are largely responsible for the sell off of commodity stocks, though legal battles also hover over a couple of stocks. BP is lower in line with weaker oil prices, with the oil giant suffering more
Read moreLondon open: Gentle upward progress
15th Sep 2010 09:00
London has made modest progress in early dealings with Next providing a fillip to retailers after half year results. Over here, Next did pretty much as expected in the six months to July given that the clothes retailer's last update was only a month ago, but the high street remains a "testing" plac
Read moreGem gets more for yellow diamonds
15th Sep 2010 07:13
Gem Diamonds has negotiated a 25% price rise for rare yellow diamonds produced at its Ellendale mine in Australia with Laurelton Diamonds, the diamond sourcing and polishing subsidiary of jeweller, Tiffany & Co. "The Ellendale Mine in Australia is the world's single largest producer of rare fancy
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