3i struggles against tough headwinds
10th Nov 2011 15:05
3i, the private equity and debt management firm made a loss of £523m during the six months to September but in an effort to head off shareholder rage the board has more than doubled the dividend to 8.1p, up from 3.6p. 3i makes no effort to disguise the difficulties it has faced in the past half yea
Read moreMorning broker round-up - UPDATE
10th Nov 2011 09:48
Experian: Citi reiterates buy with a target of 940p. Experian: Nomura reiterates buy and 867p target. Experian: Prime Markets confirms buy recommendation and 841p target. Anglo American: Citi keeps buy rating and 3,500p target. Admiral: Credit Suisse downgrades from neutral to underperform, targ
Read moreLondon close: Buoyant RBS, Barclays and Lloyds boost FTSE 100
23rd Sep 2011 16:38
Stocks rediscovered their earlier strength, but only after tumbling below the 5,000 point mark on another volatile day for the leading share index. Banks were prominent among the risers, with Barclays, Lloyds and RBS posting decent gains, after talk of a 50 basis point cut in European Central Bank
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 below 5,000 points
23rd Sep 2011 12:04
This morning's rally is a distant memory now with stocks tumbling below the 5,000 point mark as nerves set in again. Miners are prominent in the firing line as metals prices slide, with Xstrata and Kazakhmys sharply lower. Gold miner Centamin Egypt is also suffering big losses. Copper fell by 7%.
Read moreLondon open: Lloyds, RBS and Barclays lead rally
23rd Sep 2011 08:14
Shares have staged an impressive rally after yesterday's slide, with banking trip Lloyds, RBS and Barclays setting the pace in the FTSE 100. They are joined higher by private equity investor 3i, which warned that falling stock markets will lead to an inevitable fall in the value of its portfolio at
Read moreFalling stock markets hit 3i's value
23rd Sep 2011 07:31
Private equity and infrastructure investor 3i said the value of its portfolio will be lower at the half year due to falling stock markets. "We have continued to invest selectively and taken the opportunity to realise assets at attractive prices," said chief executive Michael Queen. "The economic o
Read moreLondon pre-open: London to stop bleeding
23rd Sep 2011 07:20
London's top share index is set to open modestly firmer this morning, posing a dilemma for traders, who have to determine whether this is just a pause for breath before the market hurtles off on the next leg of its downhill journey, or the signal to pick up some bargains. City sources predict the F
Read moreLondon pre-open: Lethargy lingers
6th Jul 2011 07:39
Leading stocks are once again looking for direction, with City traders predicting the top-share index will open up just 5 points or so higher than last night's closing value of 6,024. Cash and carry group Booker says it is on course to meet expectations for the year ending 30 March after seeing a s
Read more3i ramps up investment activity
6th Jul 2011 07:03
Debt levels at private equity investment firm 3i came down in the second quarter of 2011 as realisation proceeds comfortably outweighed investments. Investments in the April to June quarter totalled £233m, a sharp increase on the £105m invested in the corresponding quarter of 2010, while realisatio
Read more3i boss spends £275,000
10th Jun 2011 16:09
The chief executive of 3i, Michael Queen, has spent £275,000 on shares in the private equity group. He took 100,000 shares at just over 275p a time. Finance director Julia Wilson, meanwhile, took 10,000 shares at 272.6p a time. 3i last month upped its dividend by 20% after reporting a sharp rise
Read more3i chairman takes a stake
18th May 2011 16:29
3i's chairman Sir Adrian Montague has splashed out on shares in the private equity company, taking 20,000 shares at 291.71p a time, nearly £60,000-worth. Sir Adrian was appointed chairman of the company in May last year. 3i last week announced it took a £198m hit on its investment in Enterprise,
Read moreFriday tips round-up: RSA, Clinton, African Barrick
13th May 2011 06:34
Britain's biggest commercial insurer RSA has tended to show a fleetness of foot when managing risk, stepping back from business lines and markets when the premium rates, and thus profits, look unattractive. The shares, which yield 6.6 per cent, trade on a relatively low P/E multiple of 9.9 times, co
Read more3i director buys ahead of share price jump
12th May 2011 17:16
Willem Mesdag, a director at the private equity group 3i, invested more than £280,000 in the company following well-received full-year results and benefited from a strong rise in the share price. He took 100,000 shares at 281p a time. The shares closed just shy of 290p, meaning that Mesdag has made
Read moreLondon close: Late rally falls short
12th May 2011 16:58
Shares clawed back some of their losses ahead of the close but still finished firmly in the red as miners sank in line with commodity prices. Metals prices were on the decline amid monetary tightening in China, hurting mining stocks such as Fresnillo, Vedanta Resrouces and Kazakhmys. Lower oil pric
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners in full retreat
12th May 2011 14:39
The mining sector is out of favour Thursday as worries over global economic growth have caused continuing declines in commodity prices. Fresnillo, Antofagasta, Vedanta Resources, Eurasian Natural Resources Corp and Lonmin are among the worst performers. Meanwhile, the insurers are also on the dec
Read more