London open: Better than expected
9th Dec 2009 08:52
London has opened stronger than expected despite three-figure losses in the US overnight and a trickle of bad news on Greece and Dubai. UK investors also have Chancellor Alistair Darling's pre-Budget speech to look forward to at lunchtime. Speculation is he'll announce the biggest squeeze in publi
Read moreIG revenues and bad debts improve
9th Dec 2009 07:47
Spread bet firm IG Group expects report revenue of around £143m (2009: £126.5m) and adjusted profit before tax of around £77m (2009: £58.2m) for the first half of the year, but costs will be higher in the second half. "The group's operating costs will be higher in the second half of the financial
Read moreWednesday preview: Pre-Budget speech, Standard Chartered
8th Dec 2009 16:09
All eyes will be on Alistair Darling at 12.30pm Wednesday as the Chancellor starts his Pre-Budget Report. He's thought to have ruled out the giveaway route and will instead focus on recovery prospects and a measured plan to reduce Britain's debts. Previous forecasts that the UK economy will grow b
Read moreWeek Ahead: Tesco, IG Group, BoE QE update
4th Dec 2009 11:52
Supermarket giant Tesco has recovered some of its bounce recently, as the effects of its double-points Clubcard promotional offer feed through to the top line. The company will issue a third quarter trading update on Tuesday. The performance in the third quarter last year was below par which means
Read moreIG warns of new CFD trading rules in Japan
22nd Oct 2009 09:41
Spread betting firm IG Group has alerted the market to possible regulatory changes in Japan relating to contracts for difference (CFDs). The Financial Services Agency in Japan (FSAJ) has announced a public consultation period running to 16 November 2009 on its proposals to restrict gearing on CFDs
Read moreThorntons chairman stocks up
11th Sep 2009 17:13
Thorntons chairman John von Spreckelsen has tucked into another helping of shares in the chocolate retailer, spending £55,000. He paid 110p a time for 50,000 shares, taking his holding to 1.05m, which is 1.54% of the firm. The shares have surged since von Spreckelsen last went on a spending spree
Read moreLondon afternoon: Market in holiday mood
9th Sep 2009 14:22
Footsie made an assault on the 5,000 level over the lunchtime session but fell short, as investors took note of expectations of a flat start on Wall Street. With mergers and acquisition activity back on the agenda British Airways is in demand on hopes of a swift conclusion to its team-up with Spani
Read moreLondon midday: Consumer confidence boost for equities
9th Sep 2009 12:03
After a hesitant start leading shares have turned higher, helped by the August Nationwide Consumer Confidence index which indicated British consumers are more confident than at any time since May last year. Oil and gas explorer BG Group hailed 'excellent' test drilling results from its 30% owned Gu
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Yell jumps 25%
9th Sep 2009 09:16
More positive broker coverage has given directories group Yell something to shout about and the shares are up by nearly 25%, continuing their strong run. Cazenove said it believes the shares could rise further as the firm balances its books and sees trading improve. Sports Direct shares are wanted
Read moreLondon open: Dull start for Footsie
9th Sep 2009 08:43
London has opened lower despite another good day on Wall Street as Nasdaq hit an eleven-month high. Oil and gas explorer BG Group revealed more good news from Brazil an excellent test drill on its 30% owned Guara discovery in the Santos Basin off the coast of Brazil. The discovery is estimated to c
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie to surrender Tuesday's gains
9th Sep 2009 07:40
A softer start is foreseen for London with traders expecting the FTSE 100 to open down by around 13 points at 4,934 despite some generally favourable news flow on the corporate front this morning. Sportswear retailer Sports Direct said trading levels since July have been ahead of last year and expe
Read moreOverseas operations boost IG
9th Sep 2009 07:23
Strong overseas growth helped spread better IG Group lift revenue by 28% in its first quarter to £68m from £53m. Excluding the impact of FXOnline Japan KK, organic revenue growth was 17%, IG added, while the charge for doubtful debts in the period was less than 1% of revenue. London office reven
Read moreWednesday preview: Sports Direct, IG Group
8th Sep 2009 18:00
Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley's sports retail business, Sports Direct updates the market on trading over the 13-week period from May to early September, and, like Newcastle United, things might be looking up for the company. A sunnier summer is likely to have helped sales. Singer Capital Marke
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Stobart pulls away
22nd Jul 2009 10:14
Shares in Stobart speed ahead after the transport and logistics group bagged a distribution contract for Tesco's new 1.2m sq ft import centre in Middlesbrough worth about £25m a year. Shares in IG Group are higher again after the spread-betting firm said yesterday that profits for the year climbed
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Next, Brammer, Rolls-Royce
22nd Jul 2009 06:46
Increasing unemployment could be a real problem for the high street and Next. Chief executive Simon Wolfson disagrees, arguing that the rate of joblessness is not increasing and neither unemployment, nor concerns about swine flu, has had any affect on the group's sales season. Even so, hold for now
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