International Greetings boss buys, shares soar
29th Sep 2009 16:27
Shares in International Greetings soared after the firm announced this afternoon that chairman Keith James bought a big chunk of shares in the greetings card group He bought 40,000 shares at 55p a time, bringing his stake in the company to 50,562 shares. News of the purchase was given an unusually
Read moreFriday tips round-up: 888, Avis, IMI
28th Aug 2009 05:58
At 15 times 2009 forecast earnings, 888 is hardly cheap, given the uncertainty and problems in the consumer-facing operations. There is also a question over the dividend going forward. At some point 888 could certainly become an M&A target, which offers some potential upside, but at the moment there
Read moreLondon close: BAE dives after contract setback
27th Aug 2009 17:15
After dithering for much of the day London ended in arrears, falling for the second day in succession. A weak opening by Wall Street sent the Footsie into decline in the afternoon session and a late swoon by BAE Systems ensured there was no way back to the high ground for the blue-chip index. Shar
Read moreLondon afternoon: Back in the blue
27th Aug 2009 14:27
The London stock market continues its see-saw day, moving back into positive territory over the lunch-time session. Some encouragement was drawn from the CBI's distributive trades survey which found that the balance of retailers expecting a deterioration in their general business situation over the
Read moreSector movers: Drinks firms lack fizz
27th Aug 2009 12:35
The beverages sector is helping to pour cold water on the recent market rally after spirits giant Diageo cut its growth targets. The group, which owns the Smirnoff, Captain Morgan and Guinness brands, said pre-tax profit fell £78m to £2.015bn in the year ended 30 June on underlying sales little cha
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Bid boosts National Express
27th Aug 2009 12:34
National Express shares have motored ahead after announcing a consortium, which includes CVC Capital Partners and the Cosmen family, is prepared to pay 450p a share in cash for the bus and trains operator. Oil service firm Hunting is going strong after it saw profits rise for the half-year due to h
Read moreIMI sees demand stabilising
27th Aug 2009 12:32
Engineer IMI reported better-than-expected first-half results and said underlying levels of demand appear to have stabilised. Pre-tax profit fell to £79.7m in the six months ended 30 June compared with £103.7m last time, while revenues dropped slightly to £900m from £911m. The interim dividend has
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie sinks into the red
27th Aug 2009 12:08
Having enjoyed a brief sojourn above the 4900 level Footsie is now in negative territory, weighed down by poor performing financial stocks. Banks, insurers and properties are all being given the cold shoulder though Royal Bank of Scotland is an exception after Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted its pri
Read moreThursday preview: Diageo, Hikma, IMI
26th Aug 2009 14:48
Alcoholic drinks group Diageo's trading update is expected to report an improvement in full-year pre-tax profits on Thursday, with the market consensus hovering around £2.bn, compared to £2.09bn last year. This is despite an anticipated decline in revenue to around £9.25bn from £10.64bn in the year
Read moreIMI pays $18.2m after US probe
3rd Aug 2009 08:01
Engineer IMI has settled with the US Department of Justice over irregular payments by its US subsidiary Control Components Inc. As part of a plea agreement CCI will pay a fine of $18.2m and continue to co-operate with the DoJ in its ongoing investigations of certain former employees of CCI. CCI wil
Read moreLondon close: Bright finish for FTSE 100
13th Jul 2009 16:26
Footsie put a sluggish start behind it to finish with good gains, helped by a strong showing on Wall Street. Friends Provident was the best performer after Clive Cowdery's new vehicle, Resolution , said it has received "constructive feedback" from the board of Friends over its merger approach and i
Read moreLondon afternoon: Friends leads London higher
13th Jul 2009 14:32
Mergers and acquisition activity is keeping share prices bubbling as London makes a solid start to the week. Friends Provident is the best performer after Clive Cowdery's new vehicle, Resolution , said it has received "constructive feedback" from the board of Friends over its merger approach and i
Read moreLondon midday: M&A activity perks up shares
13th Jul 2009 11:56
The blue-chip index edged higher in the morning sessions despite the weakness of miners and banks, with increased merger and acquisition activity encouraging buyers back to the market. Friends Provident is the best performer after Clive Cowdery's new vehicle, Resolution , said it has received "con
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