London midday: FTSE 100 pauses after rally
11th May 2011 12:13
Shares are seeking direction following yesterday's big gains, with stocks moving in both directions on the back of updates. Despite a strong first start to the year, terrestrial broadcaster ITV has warned that it is facing tougher comparatives in the current quarter, meaning that the firm could und
Read moreLondon open: ITV takes a tumble
11th May 2011 08:29
The Footsie has opened up lower, with ITV providing a drag, taking a tumble in early trading. Despite a strong first start to the year, terrestrial broadcaster ITV has warned that it is facing tougher comparatives in the current quarter, meaning that the firm could underperform the market in the fi
Read moreITV warns of tough second quarter
11th May 2011 08:15
Despite a strong first start to the year, terrestrial broadcaster ITV has warned that it is facing tougher comparatives in the current quarter, meaning that the firm could underperform the market in the first half. Nevertheless, revenues for the three months to 31 March grew 11% to £500m, from £45
Read moreLondon pre-open: BP gets green light from Brazil
11th May 2011 07:32
City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open 14 points up from yesterday's close of 5,6019, as London looks set to follow in Wall Street's foot steps. Banking giant HSBC has unveiled some details of its new strategic plan in which it will direct investment to fast growing markets while cutting back
Read morePolo Resources co-chairman digs deep
27th Apr 2011 16:29
Polo Resources co-chairman Stephen Dattels has been upping his holding in the mining investment company. Regent Mercantile Holdings, a company wholly owned by the trustee of a trust under which Dattels is a beneficiary bought 6,364,828 shares at 5.82p a share, spending about £370,000. Dattels now
Read moreSTV leaps after settling with ITV
27th Apr 2011 09:01
Scottish broadcasting group STV is back in ITV's good books after the pair came to an out of court settlement regarding their various legal disputes. All current and proposed legal actions have ceased with immediate effect and the terms of the settlement include an £18m payment by STV to terrestria
Read moreLondon close: S&P scares off investors
18th Apr 2011 17:02
Having started the day with hopes of rising back above 6,000, the top share index hurtled in the opposite direction to fall below 5,900 after debt ratings firm Standard & Poor's (S&P) put the cat among the pigeons by downgrading the outlook for US sovereign debt. Though S&P affirmed the USA´s 'AAA'
Read moreLondon midday: Desire subsides after well wash-out
18th Apr 2011 12:18
Bright spots are hard to find on the first trading days of the shortened week, and far from bursting through the 6,000 barrier Footsie heads at pace in the opposite direction. Insurer Resolution leads the blue-chip index lower after UBS downgraded the stock from "buy" to "neutral". Bid hopes for
Read moreLondon close: Miners push Footsie higher
23rd Mar 2011 17:19
Footsie ended the day close to its high point though that was largely due to the strength of mining stocks rather than a rapturous reception to the UK Budget. What did get a rapturous reception, at least for a while, was the news that the voting by the Monetary Policy Committee in March on interest
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: ENRC doubles profit
23rd Mar 2011 16:02
Miners are on the rise and they have pushed the index higher. Underlying profits more than doubled last year at Kazakhstan-based mining giant ENRC with this year also expected to see production at "at effectively full available capacity", though it says rising costs are a worry. Record production i
Read moreLondon afternoon: Housebuilders get Budget boost
23rd Mar 2011 15:00
It would appear that the UK Budget was far from a blockbuster as the market has reacted phlegmatically to the Chancellor's big day. The headline grabbing move was the commitment to effectively abolish National Insurance and push up income tax to compensate, but this will not take effect for some t
Read moreLondon midday: Back to square one
23rd Mar 2011 12:24
Footsie ended the morning more or less where it started it, as investors sit tight ahead of the Budget speech at 12:30pm. Resource stocks are in demand, with ENRC sitting atop a buoyant mining sector and Cairn leading oils higher. Underlying profits more than doubled last year at Kazakhstan-based
Read moreITV returns to Footsie
9th Mar 2011 19:34
ITV is returning to the FTSE 100 index in the latest quarterly changes. The television broadcaster was dropped from the FTSE 100 in September 2008 has risen by more than 75% over the past year and it promises to pay an interim dividend this year. ITV's underlying profit almost trebled to £321m i
Read moreWednesday newspaper round-up: RBS, Food prices, ITV...
9th Mar 2011 06:43
Nine senior executives of Royal Bank of Scotland are in line to receive £28m, according to the latest disclosure of largesse in the financial sector. Stephen Hester, chief executive of the bank, which is 84%-owned by taxpayers, could earn £7.7m for 2010 including salary, annual bonus and long term
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: PartyGaming surges as sales rise
3rd Mar 2011 15:28
Online gambling firm PartyGaming is the best performer on the FTSE 250 after 2010 revenues rose by 15%, after casino games, bingo and sports betting offset weakness from the company's poker operations. Cobham was also higher despite statutory pre-tax profits for 2010 falling to £189m, from £245m, h
Read more