London midday: Markets retreat from four-week high on US concerns
17th Oct 2013 11:33
UK markets pulled back from a four-week high on Thursday as investors gave a mixed reaction to an 11th-hour deal on Capitol Hill to increase the debt ceiling and reopen the US government. Nevertheless, losses were trimmed by midday after UK retail sales rose by a better-than-expected 0.6% in Septem
Read moreSector movers: RBS leads banks lower after BofA downgrade
14th Oct 2013 16:00
UK-listed banks were out of favour on Monday as macro concerns weighed on investor appetite for risk; Royal Bank of Scotland was a heavy faller after being hit with a downgrade by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The US broker lowered its rating for RBS from 'neutral' to 'underperform', cutting its p
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks surge on US hopes as risk appetite returns
11th Oct 2013 11:20
The FTSE 100 was trading at a two-week high on Friday morning on hopes that ongoing negotiations in the US will result in a short-term deal to raise the borrowing limit in order to avoid a dreaded default. After a 1.5% jump on Thursday, the FTSE 100 was extending gains this morning, rising 0.8% to
Read moreLondon open: Stocks under pressure as debt ceiling looms
9th Oct 2013 08:22
Markets dropped sharply once again on Wednesday as investors' appetite for risk continues to be eroded by the ongoing government shutdown in the US. Not even the news that well-known dove Janet Yellen will be nominated as the next chair of the Federal Reserve lifted stocks this morning, with the FT
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 at three-month low as IMF cuts global outlook
8th Oct 2013 16:39
Disappointing economic data and the ongoing US government shutdown sparked a sell-off on London's FTSE 100 on Tuesday, with the index falling to levels not seen in over three months. Meanwhile, as the budget impasse continues in Washington, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today cut its outloo
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Retailers hit by BRC figures
8th Oct 2013 15:09
Blue-chip retailers Marks & Spencer, Next and Kingfisher were among the worst performers of the day after data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) showed that UK retail sales growth slowed for the second straight month in September. According to the BRC, like-for-like sales growth fell to an
Read moreLondon midday: Retailers, miners drag FTSE 100 into the red
8th Oct 2013 11:20
Markets were sharply lower on Tuesday with retailers and miners providing a drag as investors digested a barrage of gloomy economic data and the ongoing government shutdown in the States. The FTSE 100 dipped below the 6,400 mark in morning trade, a level seen as support for London's benchmark index
Read moreBanks launch new mortgages as governent extends Help to Buy scheme
8th Oct 2013 10:40
UK banks were on Tuesday beginning to reveal details on new mortgages as part of the government's extended Help to Buy scheme. The extension means that buyers may now be able to afford a mortgage with a significantly smaller deposit, although there have been widespread concerns that it will result
Read moreHSBC sells portfolio to Paragon Group of Companies
8th Oct 2013 09:56
HSBC subsidiary, HSBC Bank, on Tuesday sold a portfolio of non-performing personal unsecured and secured loans to the Paragon Group of Companies. The sale was made for a total consideration of £13.5m. The portfolio is made up of loans from HFC Bank, an indirectly wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC
Read moreLondon open: M&S, Burberry lead FTSE 100 lower as US shutdown persists
7th Oct 2013 08:29
An ongoing government shutdown Stateside continued to weigh on market sentiment on Monday with London's FTSE 100 registering losses in morning trade. US lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on either the budget or the debt-ceiling over the weekend, heightening fears that the US could run out of t
Read moreLondon close: Markets in 'wait-and-see' mode as shutdown continues
4th Oct 2013 16:46
After fluctuating between gains and losses for most of the day, the FTSE 100 finished broadly flat on Friday as stocks struggled for direction. In the absence of economic news and ongoing political uncertainty in the States, markets remain in "wait-and-see mode", according Senior Market Analyst Mic
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Standard Life leads financials higher
4th Oct 2013 15:24
Financials were performing relatively well today with insurers Standard Life, Prudential, Resolution and RSA moving higher, along with banking groups HSBC and RBS. Standard Life was boosted by JP Morgan, which reiterated its 'overweight' rating on the stock, and commented that growth continued to
Read moreLondon midday: UK markets lack direction as US budget impasse persists
4th Oct 2013 11:31
After a slow start, the FTSE 100 had erased losses by midday on Friday but markets remain subdued as stocks struggle for direction in the absence of economic news and ongoing political uncertainty in the States. Since the partial shutdown of the US government has extended into its fourth day, gove
Read moreLondon open: Stocks fall as US shutdown continues
4th Oct 2013 08:36
Markets look to end the week on a quiet note with stocks lacking direction in the absence of the all-important US jobs report; the FTSE 100 fell slightly in the red on Friday morning. Since the partial shutdown of the US government has extended into its fourth day, governmental agencies and departm
Read moreLondon close: Late rally not enough as FTSE 100 falls for fourth straight day
2nd Oct 2013 16:43
A slight bounce in the UK-listed mining sector saw the FTSE 100 rally on Wednesday afternoon but the index still finished firmly in the red, setting a fresh one-month low as political uncertainty in the US and Italy continued to weigh on sentiment. The FTSE 100 finished down 22.51 points at 6,437.5
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