ITV completes acquisition of Talpa Media
5th May 2015 09:18
Broadcasting group ITV has completed the acquisition of entertainment show producer Talpa Media. In March, the FTSE 100 group said it reached an agreement to buy the maker of reality television and dramas including 'The Voice' and 'Utopia' for £355m. Read more: ITV to acquire The Voice creator Talp
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 moreBroker tips: Tullow Oil, ITV, Imperial Tobacco
27th Apr 2015 18:06
Analysts at Canaccord Genuity reiterated their 'hold' rating on Tullow Oil stock, after a judge ruled its TEN development could continue. The brokerage described the ruling as "very good news" for the FTSE 250 group, as it is free to continue the development of its project, which is already 55% comp
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: HSBC soars on potential high street spin-off, house builders lower
27th Apr 2015 13:27
HSBC surged as reports emerged that it may spin-off its UK high street banking business, ahead of a review of its headquarters' location. Asia-facing bank Standard Chartered, also situated in London, rose on speculation it could follow suit with a move out of the capital. Prudential was making gain
Read morePhone-in charges for TV and radio shows to be simplified by regulator Ofcom
27th Apr 2015 11:47
The cost of calling TV and radio programmes will be simplified from July, according to new rules from UK communications regulator Ofcom. The regulator said on Monday the costs of calling numbers starting 084, 09 and 087 will be made of two different parts: an 'access charge' going to the caller's ph
Read moreEuropean TV ads 'to return to growth' with ITV best positioned, says Credit Suisse
27th Apr 2015 11:16
The current year is expected to be the first year of growth in European TV advertising since 2010, according to research by Credit Suisse, with analysts expectations considerably undershooting the industry's optimism. The Swiss bank's proprietary European advertising monitor research on Monday said
Read moreLondon close: UK stocks set a new record high despite growth concerns
10th Apr 2015 16:32
London's FTSE 100 surged to a new all-time high on Friday, topping a previous peak reached two weeks ago, despite concerns about a slowdown in UK economic growth. The Footsie finished 74.41 points higher, rising 1.06% to a fresh record of 7,089.77, helped by gains from Shire, Aberdeen, ITV and a hos
Read moreITV shares race up the FTSE 100 after bullish Morgan Stanley view
10th Apr 2015 13:14
ITV's shares are among the top of the FTSE 100 gainers on Friday after Morgan Stanley boosted the stock with its bullish view in a note to clients. The US investment bank maintained its 'overweight' rating on the stock with a 300p target price. In its latest note, Morgan Stanley raised its earnings
Read moreFriday broker round-up
27th Mar 2015 16:29
Aviva: Jefferies reiterates buy and ups target to 630p from 608p. RBS: UBS keeps at neutral and trims target to 375p from 386p. ITV: Exane reiterates add and lifts target to 288p from 267p. Wolseley: Exane reiterates underperform and lowers target to 2,660p from 2,730p. Hunting: JP Morgan Cazenov
Read moreITV warns Downton Abbey sixth series will be the last
26th Mar 2015 16:00
ITV and series producer Carnival Films on Thursday revealed that hugely successful television period drama series Downton Abbey will come to an end at the conclusion of the sixth series. Downton Abbey has been an important product for ITV, as the highest rating UK drama of the past decade across any
Read moreLondon open: Mining stocks lift FTSE but Morrisons slumps after results
12th Mar 2015 09:05
A rebound in the mining sector pushed UK markets higher for a second day on Thursday as stocks continue to recover after a steep sell-off earlier in the week. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.75% at 6,771.66 in early deals with metal producers rising strongly after stronger-than-expected Chinese lending d
Read moreITV to acquire The Voice creator Talpa Media for £355m
12th Mar 2015 07:48
ITV has agreed to acquire Dutch television producer Talpa Media for around £355m in its latest strategic step to create international content and expand across Europe. ITV will pay an initial cash consideration of £355m for the production and distribution business. Further payments will be dependent
Read moreLondon pre-open: Small gains expected, Morrisons reports £0.8bn loss
12th Mar 2015 07:40
UK markets were set to open slightly higher on Thursday ahead of a busy day for economic data. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open 18 points up on Wednesday's close of 6,721.51. Investors will be looking out for a barrage of economic indicators during the session, whilst keeping their eyes
Read moreLondon midday: Greek fears hit UK stocks as ECB kicks off QE
9th Mar 2015 11:56
UK stocks were trading in the red on Monday despite gains in the heavyweight mining sector as Greek fears dampened sentiment. London's FTSE 100 was down 0.63% at 6,868.56 by midday. Greece's new government has threatened that they could call a referendum or have early elections if the Eurozone reje
Read moreBroker tips: Shell, ITV, RSA Insurance, G4S
9th Mar 2015 11:56
UBS said it sees less upside at Royal Dutch Shell as it lowered its recommendation on the oil major from 'buy' to 'neutral'. "Through [recent] outperformance and the more aggressive response to the challenging environment among some peers we see the shares as offering less relative value and hence a
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