London close: Resource stocks fall with markets cautious ahead of Greek meeting
11th Feb 2015 16:33
UK stocks declined for the fourth day on Wednesday with oil and mining stocks bearing the brunt of the selling pressure as investors scaled back their appetite for risk ahead of a pivotal meeting about Greece. London's FTSE 100 finished the session down 0.2% at 6,818, with blue-chip oil group Tullow
Read moreLondon midday: Greek uncertainty pressures UK stock market lower
11th Feb 2015 12:04
UK stocks declined for the fourth straight session on Wednesday with the focus firmly on Greece as the new government faces a stand-off with its international creditors. London's FTSE 100 was down 0.4% at 6,800 by midday, ahead of an emergency meeting of Eurogroup finance ministers in Brussels. The
Read moreLondon open: Markets subdued as investors await Greek developments
11th Feb 2015 08:25
UK stock markets opened slightly lower on Wednesday, falling for the fourth straight day as investors awaited news flow from Greece. London's FTSE 100 was down 0.15% at 6,819 early on. All eyes will be on the emergency meeting of Eurogroup finance ministers on Wednesday, where Greece's Yanis Varouf
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to edge higher ahead of Greek meeting
11th Feb 2015 07:53
UK stocks are expected to open slightly higher on Wednesday after three straight days of losses, though upside will likely be limited as investors await news flow on Greece. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open eight points higher than Tuesday's close of 6,829.12. All eyes will be on the eme
Read moreGlencore cuts 2015 capex budget, plans to offload Lonmin stake
11th Feb 2015 07:02
Commodities trader and mining giant Glencore has scaled back its planned capital expenditure (capex) budget for 2015 by as much as 18% and announced plans to sell off its 23.9% stake in South African platinum miner Lonmin. The group said that in a response to the "volatile market backdrop", it has r
Read moreLondon close: Greek fears rattle stocks, but miners limit downside
9th Feb 2015 16:35
London's FTSE 100 had trimmed losses by the end of the session but still finished in the red as ongoing concerns about the future of Greece weighed on market sentiment. "Eurozone equities are being ground down by Greek fears, and financial stocks across the EU are bearing the brunt of the sell-off,"
Read moreSector movers: Mining stocks in demand despite worsening outlook for China
9th Feb 2015 14:46
Mining stocks were resilient in the face of some gloomy trade figures from top metals consumer China on Monday, as hopes increased for further stimulus measures by Beijing to avert a sharp slowdown in economic growth. The Chinese trade surplus unexpectedly ballooned to a record $60bn in January from
Read moreLondon close: Footsie at five-month high as Greek concerns ease, oil stocks surge
3rd Feb 2015 17:12
Strong gains in the oil sector pushed UK stocks to their highest in five months on Tuesday, helped by an easing of concerns about Greece. The FTSE 100 finished 1.3% higher at 6,872, its best close since 4 September when it settled at 6,878. The new government in Greece has proposed swapping its out
Read moreBroker tips: Mining stocks, CRH, Barclays
2nd Feb 2015 11:38
The recent re-rating in mining stocks and weak commodity prices has prompted Liberum to downgrade its recommendations on sector giants BHP Billiton, Glencore, Anglo American and Rio Tinto. The broker lowered its ratings on all four from 'sell' to 'hold' and slashed target prices, saying that copper
Read moreLiberum downgrades mining stocks to 'sell', cuts copper forecasts
2nd Feb 2015 10:05
The recent re-rating in mining stocks and weak commodity prices has prompted Liberum to downgrade its recommendations on sector giants BHP Billiton, Glencore, Anglo American and Rio Tinto. The broker lowered its ratings on all four from 'sell' to 'hold' and slashed target prices, saying that copper
Read moreLondon close: Stocks at highest since September on ECB optimism, upbeat data
23rd Jan 2015 17:08
UK stocks pushed higher on Friday, finishing at levels not seen in over four months, lifted by improving economic data and continued optimism surrounding a massive bond-buying plan by the European Central Bank (ECB). The FTSE 100 settled up 0.5% at 6,832.83 by the end of the session despite heavy fa
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: CRH and Reckitt rise, while commodity stocks feel the pinch
23rd Jan 2015 13:15
Irish cement maker CRH jumped on Friday after news emerged it was leading the race to buy assets from rivals Holcim and Lafarge. Both firms are offloading businesses to ensure their proposed merger is approved and CRH has reportedly bid as much as €6bn for the assets. The firm confirmed it is in dis
Read moreSector movers: ECB stimulus gives mining stocks a lift, gold rises
22nd Jan 2015 14:36
Confirmation of a massive bond-buying programme by the European Central Bank (ECB) was well-received by the market on Thursday, with mining stocks among the best performers as shares benefited from an increase in risk appetite. The ECB unveiled a quantitative easing programme totalling €1.1trn, with
Read moreLondon close: Chinese data offsets IMF downgrade
20th Jan 2015 17:23
Stocks ended the session with modest gains on the heels of better-than-expected growth figures in China. The FTSE 100 gained 34.57 points to finish the day at 6,629. China's gross domestic product expanded at a 7.4% clip in 2014, markets seemed to draw comfort from the fact that the rate of expansi
Read moreSector movers: Glencore and Anglo American rise, Admiral in reverse
20th Jan 2015 16:21
A spate of stronger-than-expected economic reports out of China overnight triggered a small rebound in commodity stocks such as Glencore and Anglo American following recent heavy losses. At 7.3%, the rate of growth in Chinese Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the last three months of last year was un
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