London midday: Banks get battered
2nd Dec 2009 12:11
After yesterday's strong gains, equities come off the boil today with banks, in particular, getting hammered, on enduring fears over exposure to Dubai debt. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Lloyds Banking are the big fallers among blue-chips, while elsewhere in the banking sector Barclays is also o
Read moreLondon open: Flat start for Footsie
2nd Dec 2009 08:41
London's blue chips have made a flat start despite gains for miners as gold hit a new record high. The metal rose above $1,200 per ounce again overnight in Asia as investors sought refuge from a weak dollar and Dubai's woes. Lonmin, Vedanta and Kazakhmys are all going well. Offsetting that are som
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: TUI Travel, Greene King, Electra
2nd Dec 2009 06:40
While its German and French divisions are still struggling, TUI chief executive Peter Long said he saw no reason why all its businesses could not make margins of at least 3%. Pricing, as capacity is kept in line with demand, should also remain firm. 2010 promises to be another tough year, but at 2
Read moreLondon close: Footsie rallies above 5,300
1st Dec 2009 16:14
Strength in the US, a record gold price and fight back by the banks had London at session highs by the close of play. Markets decided that fears about Dubai's debt have been overdone. State-owned Dubai World said it had held "constructive" talks with banks and flagged plans to restructure nearly ha
Read moreLondon afternoon: Triple digit gain for Footsie
1st Dec 2009 14:59
Leading shares kicked on again in the afternoon session after US markets opened firmer, with the number of Footsie constituents showing a loss on the day being countable on the fingers of one hand. Mining stocks are going well on hopes of a sustained recovery in Chinese manufacturing. Silver miner
Read moreComment: Landlords miss out in Greene King expansion
1st Dec 2009 14:21
There has been much talk of the demise of the proper British pub in recent years, but latest results from Greene King show that, even if the landscape in the pub sector is changing rapidly, the right kind of business model can still prosper. After posting a rise in revenues and profits, Greene King
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: JPM note boosts Premier Foods
1st Dec 2009 13:29
Investors have an appetite for shares in Premier Foods after JP Morgan upgraded its rating on the stock. The company which makes Branston Pickle and cakes for Cadbury, faces a tough 2010, reckons the broker, but based on recent underperformance of the shares the US broker has upgraded its rating on
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie consolidates gains
1st Dec 2009 12:00
London is participating in a global rally by stock markets, as doubts over the Dubai debt crisis ease. Buoyant manufacturing data from China is lifting miners. HSBC said the Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) for China climbed to a seasonally adjusted 55.7 in November from 55.4 in October. The index
Read moreLondon open: Footsie bounds ahead
1st Dec 2009 08:44
London's top stocks have opened strongly as concern over the situation in Dubai eases a little. Miners and banks are leading the rally following a strong performance by both groups on on Wall Street overnight. Royal Bank of Scotland is among the best performers this morning. It has been affected b
Read moreLondon pre-open: Shares set to recover
1st Dec 2009 07:37
London's top stocks look set to recover from their recent losses, with traders expecting Footsie to gain over 50 points early on. Travel operator TUI saw profits rise in the year to September 30 despite flat revenues despite reduced demand in the tough economic climate as it managed to raise ticket
Read moreScots boost Greene King
1st Dec 2009 07:30
Pub group and brewer Greene King shrugged off the worst of the downturn over the last six months thanks to a strong performance from its Scottish arm Belhaven. Revenue to 18 October rose by 4.3% to £464.5m. Operating profit was 3.3% lower than last year at £103.3m, but underlying profits rose by 2.
Read moreTuesday preview: TUI, Greene King, house prices
30th Nov 2009 16:34
After Thomas Cook announced better than expected interim results on Monday, attention turns to its big rival, TUI Travel, scheduled to release half-year figures on Tuesday. The tour operator should return to profitability, with the market expecting a profit before tax of £311.5m, compared to a loss
Read moreLondon close: Tough day for Footsie
22nd Oct 2009 16:41
Blue chips rallied late in the day, but it was a tough session generally with miners and insurance companies under pressure. Telcos led the rally with Vodafone, British Telecom and satellite group Inmarsat all making gains near the close. Lloyds was also a late riser as on reports that it is close
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks stuck at lower levels
22nd Oct 2009 14:10
The Footsie finished the lunch-time session little changed from where it started it, despite mining stocks trimming losses sustained in the morning. Mining giant Anglo American is actually higher on the day after it announced plans to divest assets, including its zinc and tarmac operations, as it
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Pub groups in demand
22nd Oct 2009 13:19
Pub groups are the star performers as they celebrate a victory over pressure group the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) after the Office of Fair Trading found no evidence to support CAMRA's assertion that the beer tie arrangement inflates the price of a pint of beer by around 50p. Enterprise Inns and
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