London close: Late rally not enough as UK stocks fall on election day
7th May 2015 16:33
Stocks rallied off five-week lows on Thursday afternoon but still finished firmly in the red, as election-day jitters in the UK and volatility in the European bond markets weighed on sentiment. The FTSE 100 ended the session down 0.67% at 6,886.95 having dropped as much as 1.8% in the morning sessio
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Morrisons sinks 6% as sales decline continues
7th May 2015 15:06
Morrisons was the standout mover of the day on Thursday as investors reacted to deteriorating sales trends at the grocer in its first quarter. Like-for-like sales dropped 2.9% in its first three months of the fiscal year, compared with a lesser 2.6% fall in the fourth quarter. Results were not as ba
Read moreFriday tips round-up: IAG, Saga
1st May 2015 16:57
Unlike its former state-owned flag carrier rivals, the fact that IAG has carried out a radical overhaul of its legacy practices and staffing means its premium rating is well deserved. Several other tailwinds should help the airline to pull further ahead of its competitors. The company maintained its
Read moreThursday broker round-up
30th Apr 2015 18:01
Schroders: Credit Suisse reiterates outperform and 2,770p target price. Tesco: UBS restarts coverage at buy with 260p target. Pearson: Westhouse Securities reiterates sell and 1,185p target price. RBS: Shore Capital reiterates hold, Numis reiterates add (with 400p target), Investec reiterates hold
Read moreLondon close: Stocks edge higher despite mixed earnings, data
30th Apr 2015 16:23
UK stocks managed to erase earlier losses to settle in positive territory on Thursday as investors picked up bargains following heavy losses over the last two sessions. The FTSE 100 finished 0.21% higher at 6,960.63, bouncing back after hitting a low of 6,906.24 early on amid a mixed batch of corpor
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Shire surges on earnings growth, RBS hit by weak revenues
30th Apr 2015 13:04
Shire surged after reporting that earnings rose 20% in the first quarter as sales at the Dublin-headquartered drug company overcame a sharp drop in its Intuniv attention deficit disorder drug and dollar headwinds. Royal Dutch Shell was trading higher after revealing a better-than-expected 56% drop i
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks erase losses but weak earnings limit upside
30th Apr 2015 12:02
Uncertainty surrounding US monetary policy and a raft of poorly-received corporate earnings kept the FTSE 100 flat on Thursday morning, with the index fluctuating at its lowest in three weeks. The FTSE 100 was up just 0.09% at 6,952.66 by midday, with RBS, IAG and Schroders limiting upside after dis
Read moreLondon open: IAG, RBS and Schroders lead UK markets lower
30th Apr 2015 09:13
UK stock markets picked up where they left off on Thursday, falling for the third straight day on the back of mostly worse-than-expected corporate earnings and hawkish comments from the Federal Reserve. The FTSE 100 was trading 0.43% lower at 6,916.69 early on, with heavyweights IAG, RBS and Schrode
Read moreIAG off to a flier with maiden first quarter profit
30th Apr 2015 07:32
International Consolidated Airlines Group, the owner of British Airways and Spain's Iberia, flew back into the black in the traditionally weak first quarter. IAG beat expectations with an operating profit of €25m, its first ever in the first-quarter, compared to the €150m loss posted in the same per
Read moreThursday preview: UK corporate giants RBS, Shell, IAG report interims
29th Apr 2015 13:25
A raft of company results from the likes of Royal Bank of Scotland, Royal Dutch Shell and International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) will dominate the UK earnings session on Thursday. RBS is likely to report a significant drop in statutory pre-tax profit in the first quarter amid the lender's major o
Read moreBritish Airways and Iberia to join Europe's low-cost club
24th Apr 2015 12:02
International Consolidated Airlines Group, the holding company of British Airways and Iberia, joined the European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA) on Friday, in a move that aims to drive the sector's liberalisation within the European Union (EU). This decision comes a week after the group decid
Read moreLondon close: FTSE jumps 1.9% as markets rally after Easter break
7th Apr 2015 17:06
London's FTSE 100 posted a triple-digit point gain on Tuesday as traders returned to their desks in a bullish mood after the long Easter weekend. Buoyed by the recent jump in crude prices, improving economic data and speculation that the Federal Reserve will not rush to hike interest rates, the Foot
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: BG Group leads the charge as resource stocks jump
7th Apr 2015 16:05
Resource stocks were the best performers in London on Tuesday afternoon as risk appetite returned after the long weekend, with BG Group leading the charge after buying a 78% stake in blocks IV and V in central Mongolia from Petro Matad. Meanwhile, after a four-day break on the stock market for Easte
Read moreBroker tips: Vodafone, Antofagasta, Airline stocks
7th Apr 2015 11:35
Shares in telecoms giant Vodafone were on the rise on Tuesday after UBS highlighted the possibility of a bid from US cable operator Liberty Global. The Swiss bank maintained a 'buy' rating and 265p target price on the UK-listed stock, saying that Liberty may be revisiting its strategy. Nevertheless,
Read moreJPMorgan favours budget airlines over legacies, downgrades IAG
7th Apr 2015 09:22
JPMorgan Cazenove has downgraded its recommendation for British Airways owner IAG from 'overweight' to 'neutral' after reassessing its stance on the European airlines sector. The bank said it favours low-cost carriers (LCCs) strongly over legacy airlines, as it upgraded its rating on Ryanair from 'n
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