Halma buys cataract surgery device maker
9th Mar 2011 07:02
Acquisitive engineering conglomerate Halma has its cheque book out again, and is buying Swiss company Medicel, a designer and manufacturer of single-use injector devices for Intra Ocular Lenses (IOL) used for cataract surgery. Halma is initially paying SFr.70.0m (£46.6m) for Medicel and its subsidi
Read moreHalma buys Wagtech's water unit
2nd Mar 2011 12:02
Sensor technology firm Halma has paid £3m in cash for the water technology division of Wagtech International. The UK firm will merge the earnings enhancing acquisition with its Gateshead-based water analysis business Palintest. "Wagtech water technology division's range of water and environmental
Read moreLondon close: Blue chips close flat
17th Feb 2011 16:51
Footsie closed the day a shade higher having traded in a very narrow range all day as both buyers and sellers seem preoccupied with other things. Life insurance consolidator Resolution closed as top performer saying it is unlikely to make any further acquisitions this year. Instead, it will focus
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie stumbles after US CPI data
17th Feb 2011 14:43
Footsie fell back over the lunchtime session with sentiment taking a knock from a bigger than expected increase in US consumer prices. The US Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in January, as it did in December, on the back of higher fuel and food prices. Economists had pencilled in a 0.3% rise. On th
Read moreLondon midday: Shares little changed
17th Feb 2011 12:07
Banks are setting the pace today, while other stocks are moving in both directions after updates. The FTSE 100 is flat overall. Nomura says Lloyds Banking Group is the preferred name of the UK lenders, and has the best exposure to recovery of traditional banking, without the overhang of a capital m
Read moreLondon open: Shares edge higher
17th Feb 2011 08:40
The FTSE 100 has moved higher in early dealings, with miners helping to offset weakness on the back of company updates. African Barrick Gold, which yesterday announced strong sales figures for the full year, is leading the mining sector - and the FTSE 100 - higher. However, elsewhere in the FTSE
Read moreEmerging markets drive Halma growth
17th Feb 2011 08:11
Things are ticking along as expected at sensor technology firm Halma in the second half of its financial year. Revenue in the first six months of the year was 12% ahead of 2009/10 and this trend has continued into the first four months of the second-half of the financial year. The relative perfor
Read moreHalma buys medical device components firm
17th Dec 2010 13:41
Safety, health and sensor technology supplier Halma is buying Accudynamics Inc for an initial $24m (£15.2m). This deal is immediately earnings enhancing and boosts Halma's presence in the medical and scientific markets. Massachusetts-based Accudynamics manufactures pumps, fluid handling componen
Read moreNew WPP director takes a stake
8th Dec 2010 16:19
Solomon Trujillo, a recently-appointed director at the advertising group WPP, has splashed out about £76,000 shares in the firm. He took 2,000 American Depositary Receipts, paying $59.90 (3,800p) for each one, and now has the equivalent of 10,000 shares in the company. Trujillo has worked with se
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: BT, Shell, Electra...
1st Dec 2010 07:03
BT recently reported an excellent set of operating figures; debt continues to fall; there has been good news on its pension deficit; and there is a chance the dividend could now offer real growth. As debt is reduced, the pension hole managed and its credit rating improves, the company should be abl
Read moreLondon close: Late blow for Footsie
30th Nov 2010 16:28
Blue chips climbed out of the red late afternoon as losses across the Atlantic narrowed, but a late sell-off took the leading index back into negative territory and a new two-month low. A better than expected read on US consumer confidence helped trim the deficit on Wall Street, although fears abou
Read moreLondon afternoon: Vedanta falls after yanking flotation
30th Nov 2010 15:02
Though the majority of its constituents are lower, the FTSE 100 index is little changed on the day. Financials remain unnerved by worries over the future of the eurozone but otherwise the picture remains mixed, as it has been for most of the day. In a mixed mining sector Vedanta heads lower after i
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Halma numbers fail to impress
30th Nov 2010 14:38
Sensor technology group Halma is among today's laggards, even after it saw increased revenue and profit in all three of its divisions in the 26 weeks to 2 October. Group revenue rose 12% to £249.1m from £222.1m at the interim stage last year. Organic revenue growth on a constant currency basis was
Read moreLondon midday: Shares hesitant as nervousness continues
30th Nov 2010 12:05
Shares are still seeking direction having given up their early lead amid nervousness over the European debt situation. The US could provide a lead. Investors are gearing up for a report on US consumer sentiment at 3pm UK time and the S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values, due out an hour earlie
Read moreLondon open: Modest early gains
30th Nov 2010 08:52
Footsie has recovered some of yesterday's losses in early dealings after Wall Street perked up near the end of the US trading day. Trading is subdued even so, with travelling disrupted by the weather and little company news about. Miners African Barrick and Rio Tinto are still in demand after yest
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