FTSE 100 movers: Chinese data boosts commodities and retail, Unilever sinks on dissapointing growth
20th Jan 2015 13:57
Fast-moving consumer goods giant Unilever was among the fallers after revealing slower-than-expected growth in 2014. Underlying sales were up 2.9%, faster than the markets they operate in but lower than analyst forecasts, with volumes higher by 1% and prices advancing by 1.9%. The company's core
Read moreLondon close: UK stocks settle at 2015 high as market awaits ECB decision
19th Jan 2015 16:32
London's FTSE 100 eked out a gain of 0.5% on Monday in the absence of US trading, as investors took advantage of a quiet news day to push stocks to their highest levels of the year The Footsie finished 35.26 points higher at 6,585.53, its best finish since 29 December 2014 when it settled at 6,633.5
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners lower on funding fears, Dixons boosted by Christmas trading optimism
19th Jan 2015 14:00
Dixons Carphone topped the risers after analysts expressed optimism about the upcoming Christmas trading results on Wednesday. Estimates sit at a 5% increase in like-for-like sales, as published in Sunday papers including the Sunday Express and the Mail on Sunday. Travis Perkins was also trading
Read moreLondon midday: UK stocks trim gains as miners decline
19th Jan 2015 12:17
UK stocks had pared gains and were trading more or less flat by Monday lunchtime as investors showed caution ahead of a busy week. London's FTSE 100 was up just 0.1% at 6,558 by noon, having pulled back after reaching an intra-day high of 6,589.20 early on as mining stocks extended losses. Monday's
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Enquest, Britain's economy, Bank of England
18th Jan 2015 19:00
EnQuest is cutting spending, jobs and pay in an effort to avoid breaking the terms of its bank loans, the Sunday Times reported. The biggest independent UK North Sea oil producer's shares have fallen 80% since last summer as the price of crude oil collapsed. Investors took fright because of the comp
Read moreLondon close: Oil and mining stocks lift FTSE as commodity prices rise
16th Jan 2015 16:40
After a weak start, UK stocks rose to their highest in a week as a decent performance from the resource sectors and upbeat US data gave markets a boost. London's FTSE 100 finished the session up 0.8% at 6,550.27, its best close since 8 January when it settled at 6,569.96. Oil and gas stocks were ri
Read moreSector movers: Mining stocks hammered as copper prices tumble
14th Jan 2015 14:57
Mining stocks were bearing the brunt of the sell-off on Wednesday as a tumble in the price of copper hammered share prices across the sector. Miners were lower across the board but those with exposure to copper, such as Kaz Minerals and Vedanta Resources, were faring the worst. Kaz and Vedanta were
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners plummet as copper hits five-year low, oil companies continue south
14th Jan 2015 13:52
Mining stocks fell across the board though those exposed to the copper sector were hit the hardest after copper prices fell to five and a half year lows to $5,353.25 a metric ton. Antofagasta and Anglo American fared badly, but Glencore fared the worst, falling over 11% to a new record low. On
Read moreLondon close: Retailers provide a lift as inflation data boosts economic hopes
13th Jan 2015 16:48
UK stocks put in decent gains on Tuesday as a sharper-than-expected slowdown in inflation boosted hopes for consumer spending and pushed back projections for the first rate raise. A strong start to corporate earnings season in the States and increased hopes for further stimulus by the European Centr
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Morrison boosted after axing CEO as grocers dominate risers
13th Jan 2015 13:46
The share price of supermarket group Wm Morrison jumped 5% on Tuesday following the news that chief executive Dalton Philips has been axed after the company delivered the worst Christmas performance of the Big Four. Like-for-like (LFL) sales excluding fuel fell 3.1% in the six weeks to 4 January.
Read moreLondon midday: Retailers rise, housebuilders boosted as UK inflation rate drops
13th Jan 2015 12:08
A sharp drop in the UK inflation rate and well-received updates from a number of Britain's retailers gave London stocks a boost on Tuesday. The FTSE 100 was trading up 0.6% at 6,539 just after midday with retailers and housebuilders offsetting ongoing weakness in the resources sector. Markets were
Read moreLondon midday: Weak UK production data dampens stocks ahead of US jobs report
9th Jan 2015 11:35
Disappointing UK economic data and nervousness ahead of a key labour-market report in the States sent London's FTSE 100 lower on Friday morning, as stocks pulled back after a surge the previous session. By around lunchtime, the Footsie was trading nearly 0.7% lower at 6,527 with weakness among super
Read moreLondon close: UK stocks sink 2% on Greek exit fears, oil-price plunge
5th Jan 2015 16:45
Concerns about the Greek crisis and continuing downwards pressure on oil prices drove London's stock market 2% lower on Monday, with investors scaling back their appetite for risk ahead of a busy week. The FTSE 100 finished the session down 130.64 points at 6,417.16, its lowest close since 17 Decemb
Read moreSector movers: Resource stocks drop as crude prices sink
5th Jan 2015 15:53
Stocks in the resource sectors dropped sharply on Monday as shares tracked commodity prices lower, with oil and copper prices extending multi-year lows. Oil producers such as Shell, BP, Tullow Oil, Premier Oil and Afren were trading with heavy losses. Energy services stocks were also under pressure,
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Travel stocks gain, resource shares drop
5th Jan 2015 15:03
The travel sector was booming on Monday as oil prices continued to fall. Carnival, International Consolidated Airlines Group and EasyJet were among the best performing members of the FTSE 100. Randgold Resources and Fresnillo were on the rise as gold and silver prices increased. Gold was up for the
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