Sector movers: Admiral drives down non-life insurance stocks
24th Aug 2011 14:49
A huge 13% fall in Admiral's share price on Wednesday was weighing down the non-life insurance sector. The car insurer plummeted despite unveiling record interim pre-tax profits that jumped 27% to £160.6m, from £126.9m the year before. While the profit figure was more or less in line with estimat
Read moreSector movers: Personal Goods shakes off Abbeycrest drag
15th Jul 2011 16:33
The Personal Goods sector is on the up today despite international jewellery designer and manufacturer, Abbeycrest, proving a drag. The company said it would need to renegotiate its debt facilities in the coming months. The news wiped 57% of the value of its shares in morning trading, but the shar
Read moreIQE sails through currency headwinds
14th Jul 2011 12:26
IQE, the producer of silicon wafers for electrical products, expects a revenue increase of 20% in dollar terms in 2011, although the actual increase has been affected by currency exchange rates. The group forecasts first half revenues of £38m and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amor
Read moreSector movers: Rio Tinto's bid lifts miners
29th Mar 2011 16:00
Rio Tinto is among the best performing miners lifting the sector higher after its A$3.9bn bid for Australian coal miner Riversdale was declared unconditional. Eager shareholders who've already sent off their acceptance forms will get the $16 a share offered by 5 April, but will be watching closely
Read moreSmartphone growth boosts IQE
29th Mar 2011 09:36
Strong growth in the smartphone market helped drive revenues higher at IQE, which supplies wafers for semiconductors used in the gadgets. Revenues in the year to 31 December grew 38% from the previous year to £72.7m, while pre-tax profits tripled to £6.3m. "Our core business of high speed connecti
Read moreSmall caps round-up: Headlam, Henry Boot, IQE...
20th Jan 2011 14:07
Floor coverings distributor Headlam expects 2010 earnings to be marginally ahead of market expectations, after group revenue improved by 0.4% on the previous year. In the UK, like for like (LFL) revenues rose by 0.4% from a year earlier but the continental European businesses saw a 0.7% decline in
Read moreIQE acquires Galaxy, raises funds
30th Sep 2010 13:07
IQE, a provider of wafers to the semi-conductor industry, has raised £20.8m through a placing to fund its acquisition of the US provider of materials used in infrared technology Galaxy Compound Semiconductors. IQE chief executive Drew Nelson said the acquisition 'positions IQE as the global leader
Read moreLondon close: US cheer gives Footsie another lift
1st Sep 2010 16:39
An already buoyant Footsie enjoyed a second wind in late trading as manufacturing data from the US added to hopes that the global economy remains on course for recovery. The Institute for Supply Management's factory index rose to 56.3 from 55.5 in July, against expectations of a decline. That gav
Read moreLondon afternoon: Morning's gains consolidated
1st Sep 2010 14:21
Leading shares moved sideways over the lunch time session, consolidating the morning's gains. In the battle of the "bid speculation" stocks, package tour operator TUI Travel leapfrogged over Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CWW) to claim the prize as best performing blue-chip. TUI Travel is higher on h
Read moreLondon midday: Bid talk boosts Footsie pair
1st Sep 2010 11:58
It is a quiet day on the corporate news front and, as is often the case on such days, bid gossip is occupying the thoughts of traders. Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CWW), the demerged part of Cable & Wireless that is predominantly comprised of the telecoms giant's UK business, is being touted as a po
Read moreLondon open: Blue chips up again
1st Sep 2010 08:44
Leading shares have continued yesterday's rally after decent economic data out of China this morning. China's official purchasing managers' index rose to 51.7 in August from a 17-month low of 51.2 in July, causing an improvement in commodity prices and overall sentiment. Australian stock markets w
Read moreIQE's sales ahead of expectations
1st Sep 2010 07:25
Sales in the second half of 2010 are expected to be ahead of previous expectations at IQE, the supplier of advanced wafer products and wafer services to the semiconductor industry. The lift in full year revenue guidance enlivened a set of otherwise unsurprising interim results that were generally
Read moreWednesday preview: IQE, PMI Manufacturing Survey
31st Aug 2010 17:06
It is looking like a relatively quiet day for company results on Wednesday, with only IQE, Johnson Service Group and Hargreaves Lansdowne officially scheduled to announce figures though, as ever, there are bound to be some unscheduled announcements. IQE, the world's largest merchant supplier of com
Read moreMARKET TALK: Texas Instruments Result Not A Worry For UK Semis
20th Jul 2010 08:12
0712 GMT [Dow Jones] Despite the disappointing results from Texas Instruments (TXN) late Monday, there is no material impact to the UK semis, says Execution Noble. Says it was largely a well-documented "customer specific issue" with Nokia (NOK) that impacted Texas' results. Notes CSR (CSR.LN) is reg
Read moreUK MARKET TALK ROUNDUP: BROKERS COMMENTS
20th Jul 2010 08:12
Broker comments in the UK today. Compiled by Dow Jones Newswires Markets Desk, [email protected] Contact us in London. +44-20-7842-9464 [email protected] 0712 GMT [Dow Jones] Despite the disappointing results from Texas Instruments (TXN) late Monday, there is no material impact
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