Recruiter Hays expects strong full year profit, highlights forex challenges
9th Jul 2015 08:36
Recruitment firm Hays reported a strong second quarter as group net fee growth improved by 9% and said currency movements remained a challenge for the company. The job placement firm reiterated guidance it would deliver strong group profit for the full year, and said second half operating profits wo
Read moreHays finance boss offloads £1.2m in shares
21st May 2015 16:10
The finance director of Hays has raised over £1.2m from selling shares in the recruitment specialist, cutting his stake by 44%. Paul Venables, a chartered accountant who was appointed to the board in 2006, offloaded 750,000 shares in Hays at a price of 163.6615p each. His transaction, which raised
Read moreLondon close: UK stocks set a new record high despite growth concerns
10th Apr 2015 16:32
London's FTSE 100 surged to a new all-time high on Friday, topping a previous peak reached two weeks ago, despite concerns about a slowdown in UK economic growth. The Footsie finished 74.41 points higher, rising 1.06% to a fresh record of 7,089.77, helped by gains from Shire, Aberdeen, ITV and a hos
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks shrug off weak data as FTSE closes in on new record
10th Apr 2015 11:44
Weaker-than-expected UK data wasn't enough to stop shares from advancing on Friday, as decent gains in the housebuilding sector pushed the FTSE 100 back towards its record high. The Footsie was up 0.36% at 7,040.54 by midday. The index's previous closing high of 7,037.67 was set on 23 March, while
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks near record highs as housebuilders rise
10th Apr 2015 08:33
UK stocks were on track to hit a new record on Friday, helped by strong gains in the housebuilding sector. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.46% at 7,047.39 shortly after the open. The index's previous closing high of 7,037.67 was set on 23 March, while the intraday record of 7,065.08 was set on 24 March.
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE to retest record high early on
10th Apr 2015 07:43
UK stocks are expected to retest record highs on Friday morning ahead of a relatively quiet day in terms of economic data. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open 24 points higher than Thursday's close of 7,015.36. The index set an all-time closing high of 7,037.67 on 23 March. Friday's will se
Read moreHays optimistic of strong second half after third-quarter recruitment growth
10th Apr 2015 07:19
After a strong third quarter showing, recruiter Hays said it now expects to deliver second half operating profits slightly ahead of the first. In the three months to 31 March, the FTSE 250 recruitment firm increased net fees 5% against the prior year on a headline basis and 8% on a like-for-like bas
Read moreThursday broker round-up
9th Apr 2015 11:58
Marks&Spencer: Cannacord Genuity reiterates hold and tweaks price target to 530p from 525p. Antofagasta: Credit Suisse reiterates neutral stance with a 710p target. BG Group: Citigroup reiterates buy and lifts target to 1,332p. Robert Walters: Credit Suisse reiterates outperform and improves targe
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Petrofac beats analysts' expectations, AO World and Supergroup drop
25th Feb 2015 14:21
Petrofac topped the risers as profits came in above analysts' expectations, albeit towards the bottom of the company's own guidance. Chief executive Ayman Asfari said the company was well positioned to deal with the oil industry's declining prices, as the group ended the year with a record-breaking
Read moreHays boosts dividend on strong corporate confidence
25th Feb 2015 08:15
Hays, the British staffing specialist, raised its dividend after it posted a 10% rise in underlying net fees on strong corporate confidence in all of its major markets. The recruitment specialist, which places workers in areas such as finance, construction and information technology, raised its divi
Read moreHays boosted by demand for permanent staff in UK, Europe and Asia
8th Jan 2015 08:17
Strong demand for permanent staff in the UK, Asia and Europe saw recruitment group Hays post an 11% increase in underlying second-quarter fees. The firm, which specialises in placing workers in the finance, IT and construction industry, said net fees for permanent job placements rose 16% on a like-f
Read moreMonday broker round-up
15th Dec 2014 09:29
Ashtead Group: Berenberg raises target price from 1170p to 1345p and keeps its 'buy' recommendation. Aviva: Citi increases target price from 590p to 620p and maintains a 'buy' recommendation. Bellway: Deutsche Bank ups target price from 1760p to 1778p and reiterates its 'hold' recommendation. Berk
Read moreLondon pre-open: Gains expected ahead of ECB meeting
4th Dec 2014 07:43
The FTSE is expected to open higher on Thursday morning amid expectations the European Central Bank (ECB) will take a step closer to full quantitative easing (QE) at its December meeting. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around 16 points higher than yesterday's close of 6,716.63. Preside
Read moreHays purchases 80% stake in Veredus
4th Dec 2014 07:04
Recruitment company Hays has acquired an 80% stake of US IT staffing firm Veredus for £28m on a cash-free basis. The purchase will be fully funded from existing debt facilities and Hays has the option, which will be available for exercise in March 2018, to acquire the remaining 20% from the selling
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: Germany, Energy, Oil
9th Oct 2014 19:03
The Eurozone is showing the symptoms of Japan's longstanding economic issues and needs to adopt measures to avert the threat of recession, the Guardian reported on Friday. Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, warned there was a "serious risk" of a recession in the Eurozone
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