London afternoon: Miners push Footsie higher
30th Jul 2009 14:48
Corporate news-flow and resurgent miners are driving Footsie higher today, with the benchmark index adding to its gains over the lunch-time session. Telecoms giant BT racked up a double-digit percentage gain in the morning after quarterly figures that were not as bad as feared. EBITDA (earnings b
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie tops 4600
30th Jul 2009 11:54
Footsie has broken through the 4,600 barrier, helped by well received results from index heavyweight BT and strong demand for miners. Telecoms giant BT racked up a double-digit percentage gain in the morning after quarterly figures that were not as bad as feared. EBITDA (earnings before interest, t
Read moreGo Ahead acquires East Thames buses
30th Jul 2009 08:18
Rail and bus group Go-Ahead has agreed to acquire the assets of East Thames Buses from Transport for London (TfL)for £5m. The firm estimates the acquisition will save it £5m over nine years as a result of the sale of its assets, reduced operating costs and economies of scale. East Thames Buses, wh
Read moreLondon open: Positive start to busy day
30th Jul 2009 08:16
Investors have a batch of results to consider this morning, with BT currently leading London's blue chips higher after publishing quarterly figures. Telecoms giant BT saw adjusted EBITDA fall 3% in the first quarter, held back by BT Global Services. It saw adjusted EBITDA come in at £1.3bn against
Read moreCVC and Cosmen family in National Express bid
24th Jul 2009 07:53
National Express's main shareholder, Spain's Cosmen family, today launched a bid for the troubled rail and bus group in conjunction with CVC, the private equity group. In a stock exchange statement, CVC said it and the Cosmen family had made an indicative cash bid. The Cosmen's own 18.5% of Nation
Read moreLondon close: Footsie closes flat
18th Jun 2009 16:34
A late afternoon rally fizzled out to leave Footsie little changed after a volatile day. Economic stories dominated the news with mixed data in the UK offset by better than expected intial jobless figures in the US. UK mortgage lending eased in May from the month before and was 58% lower than the
Read moreLondon afternoon: US rally lifts Footsie
18th Jun 2009 15:03
Better than expected US dole queue figures have lifted Footsie in the afternoon session, despite very mixed economic data here at home. Mortgage lending eased in May from the month before and was 58% lower than the same time last year, figures showed today. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) s
Read moreLondon midday: Economic data knocks retailers
18th Jun 2009 12:02
Leading shares drift lower after disappointing retail sales and weaker mortgage lending in May. The economic data proved to be a double-whammy for DIY retailers Home Retail and Kingfisher, which feature prominently among the main fallers. Elsewhere in the retail sector fashion chain Next and Currys
Read moreLondon open: Miners and banks on the rise
18th Jun 2009 08:17
Miners and banking shares are leading London's top stocks higher in early dealings following recent heavy falls. In the mining sector, Xstrata is the strongest performer, closely followed by Kazakhmys, Fresnillo and Antofagasta. Banks are also in demand, with both Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds
Read moreLondon pre-open: Modest rally expected
18th Jun 2009 07:43
The recovery in equity prices seen late in the afternoon session on Wall Street yesterday has encouraged traders in London to expect a modestly firm opening on this side of the pond, with the FTSE 100 tipped to open around 16 points higher. Dairy Milk chocolate maker Cadbury has left its revenue gr
Read moreLFL revenues still rising at Go-Ahead
18th Jun 2009 07:04
Bus and train group Go-Ahead has continued to grow like-for-like (LFL) bus and rail revenue in the last two months. Bus revenue from the regulated bus operations for the full year to end-June is expected to rise by around 6%. LFL revenue in its deregulated bus operations since the end of April has
Read moreThursday preview:Cadbury, Carnival, Go-Ahead
17th Jun 2009 15:42
Confectioner Cadbury enjoyed strong sales in its UK homeland over Easter but things were tougher on the European mainland and in North America. The Dairy Milk maker left its revenue growth guidance for the full-year unchanged at 4% to 6% back in April while hinting that the final result will be to
Read moreLondon close: Footsie finishes flat
9th Jun 2009 17:05
The UK's blue-chip index spent the day flitting above and below last night's closing level so it should have been no surprise when the FTSE 100 closed virtually unchanged. Thomas Cook was the day's best performer after it calmed investors' nerves over the collapse of Arcandor, which has a 52% stake
Read moreLondon afternoon: Thos. Cook soars on bid spec
9th Jun 2009 14:39
It's been a see-saw day for London's leading shares which are now predominantly firmer, after US markets opened moderately higher. Lloyds Banking Group has confirmed press reports that it is to close its Cheltenham & Gloucester branch network in a move that will see 1,000 jobs go. Lloyds also annou
Read moreLondon midday: Defence stocks beat a retreat
9th Jun 2009 12:05
Leading shares are now lower, dragged down by expectations of a weak start on Wall Street and by a trimming of the strong early gains made by miners. Lloyds Banking Group is still in the blue on reports it is to axe a further 1,500 jobs and close the branch network of Cheltenham & Gloucester. Gla
Read more