London afternoon: Banks throw a Moody
6th May 2010 14:16
Footsie's morning gains evaporated over the lunch time session as fears over the debt crisis spreading from Greece reared up again. Banks were hit hard as ratings agency Moody's warned that the UK lenders are "at risk of Greek contagion". Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and even Asia-focus
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: Mervyn King, BP, Essar Energy
30th Apr 2010 06:33
The Governor of the Bank of England was at the centre of an electoral storm last night after saying that the austerity measures needed to tackle Britain's budget deficit would be so unpopular that whoever wins next week would not get back into government for a generation. Mervyn King's opinion, rev
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks off the bottom
28th Apr 2010 12:13
Blue-chips are beginning to recover their poise, helped by demand for heavyweight oil stocks in the wake of better than expected results from Shell, and a positive reaction to results from Glaxo, released at noon. Higher oil prices helped Royal Dutch Shell post a sharp rise in earnings in the first
Read moreFSA raps knuckles of UK banks
28th Apr 2010 09:49
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has found evidence of what it terms 'unacceptable standards' in the way some British banks handle complaints, and has instructed five unnamed UK banks to make changes to their customer complaints procedures as a result. Two of the five banks face possible fine
Read moreMonday's newspaper round-up: Tesco, Goldman Sachs, Gartmore
26th Apr 2010 06:32
Tesco, the supermarket chain, plans to develop four "mini-villages" in the South East along with "mixed-use living and leisure" schemes in Ipswich and northeast England. The schemes feature scores of homes, all near a Tesco store. The plans raise the prospect of people finding a home in a "mini-vi
Read moreLondon open: Air travel woe dominates
19th Apr 2010 08:46
Travel problems continue to dominate the market with the UK flight ban extended to tomorrow at the earliest. More than 100,000 customers of TUI Travel due to return home yesterday were left stranded by the ongoing flight ban imposed after the eruption of the volcano in Iceland last week. Currently,
Read moreLondon close: Footsie at 22-month high
15th Apr 2010 17:12
The afternoon saw many leading shares consolidate or extend the morning's gains, solidifying the Footsie's position above 5800. Banks led the advance after better than expected results from US investment bank JP Morgan yesterday. Barclays received a boost from Execution Noble, which raised its targ
Read moreLondon afternoon: Brokers boost banks
15th Apr 2010 14:25
Footsie is keeping its head above 5800, climbing a bit further over the lunch time session despite expectations of a soft start on Wall Street. After better than expected results from US investment bank JP Morgan yesterday investors are keen on UK banks such as Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and
Read moreSector movers: Uniq pension plans hard to digest
15th Apr 2010 12:28
Uniq is leading the food sector producer sector lower. The company, whose customers include Marks & Spencer, posted a pre-tax loss of £18.5m for the year, compared with £100,000 the previous year, on revenues that edged up to £287.2m from £286.7m. But what has really concerned investors is a prop
Read moreLondon midday: Flat Footsie
15th Apr 2010 11:50
Leading shares remain mixed , with laggards among FTSE 100 constituents now marginally outnumbering leaders. Experian is the worst performing blue-chip. The credit checking firm saw revenues from continuing operations rise for the six months to March but revenues at its UK operations fell in the pe
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Banks keep Footsie up
15th Apr 2010 11:45
London's leading shares are just above flat as good gains from banks are being offset by weak defensives. Investors are keen on the likes of Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC Holdings but defensives are proving a drag. Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever are lower while G4S, Centrica and Thomas Coo
Read moreLondon open: Modest gains
15th Apr 2010 08:43
London's benchmark index has kicked off with modest gains with banks proving popular early on. Investors are keen on the likes of Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC Holdings But they seem unsure about Rio Tinto, which released a first quarter update. The group said its operation continued
Read moreMPs call for 'radical reform' of banking system
29th Mar 2010 09:46
MPs are calling for "radical reform" of the UK banking system to prevent taxpayers from picking up the bill next time a lender fails. The Treasury Select Committee, which said that the public would not stand for another bail-out of the banks, urged ministers not to rule out the break-up of institut
Read moreLondon close: Footsie comes off highs
19th Mar 2010 16:37
Footsie reached levels not seen since 2008 in afternoon dealings, but the gains dwindled after a poor start in the US and the leading share index finished just a few points in the blue. Banks led the way after an upbeat trading update from Lloyds Banking Group. Lloyds will be profitable on a combin
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie at 21 month high
19th Mar 2010 14:08
Footsie marked time over the lunch time session after hitting levels in the morning session not seen since June 2008. Banks continue to lead the way after an upbeat trading update from Lloyds Banking Group. Lloyds will be profitable on a combined businesses basis in 2010, chief executive Eric Danie
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