Broker tips: Aviva, Lloyds Banking, ITV
9th Aug 2010 12:49
Panmure Gordon is upgrading its earnings forecasts for Aviva after much better than expected interim results from the insurance giant last week. "On a market consistent embedded value (MCEV) operating profit basis we have increased 2010 forecast to £3,886m (+12%) from £3312m (-5%) driven by improve
Read moreBroker snap: Wait and see at ITV
9th Aug 2010 12:47
ITV's interim results showed a marked improvement in financial performance, but it was the strategic review of new chief executive officer Adam Crozier that the market was most focused on, and Charles Stanley believes it remains unclear whether the new strategy can move the terrestrial broadcaster f
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Taylor Wimpey bills gains
3rd Aug 2010 15:54
Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey crept back into profit in the first half of 2010, but is concerned over the possible impact of government spending cuts going forward. The market has focused on the positives though, and the shares are up by more than 8%. Engineering group Meggitt said order intake for it
Read moreLondon afternoon: Fire sale at BP continues
3rd Aug 2010 14:14
After yesterday's dramatic rise London is taking a pause for breath today and either digesting the steady stream of big company results already out this week or preparing for results from the giants of the insurance and banking sectors later this week. Insurance colossus Aviva , scheduled to releas
Read moreLondon midday: Rally stalls
3rd Aug 2010 12:09
A mid-morning rally petered out just before noon leaving the FTSE 100 index still in negative territory, though not by much. Specialist banking group Investec is the heaviest faller in the FTSE 100. It has raised £104.5m through a placing of 22m shares at 475p each. The placing increases the share
Read moreLondon close: Footsie fights back
3rd Aug 2010 09:28
Footsie fought hard to finish in the blue after easing back following yesterday's surge, and was just a whisker short of positive territory at trading's close. An improvement on Wall Street after a shaky start breathed life into London's leading share index. Insurance colossus Aviva , scheduled to
Read moreLondon open: Profit taking clips Footsie
3rd Aug 2010 08:49
London's top stocks have run into some profit taking after yesterday's big gains both here and on Wall Street. Banks are mixed after confusing figures from state-owned Northern Rock. Now split into its "good half" and "bad half", the "bad half" bounced back into profit while the supposedly "good"
Read moreLondon pre-open: Small drop seen after Monday's rally
3rd Aug 2010 07:34
London's top stock are expected to open around 10 points lower after posting triple-digit gains yesterday. Miners could be in focus after Xstrata reported half year results. Anglo-Swiss mining leviathan Xstrata saw profits soar in the first half as the company remained on track to hit its productio
Read moreITV to charge as profits recover
3rd Aug 2010 07:14
New ITV chief executive Adam Crozier has unveiled a five-year transformation plan for the embattled TV broadcaster involving a move into pay-TV to halve its dependence on advertising. Crozier also revealed a sharp upturn in ITV's financial fortunes over the past six months, as lower costs and a rev
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: HSBC, Santander, Wheat prices
3rd Aug 2010 06:52
HSBC, Britain's biggest bank, emphatically rejected suggestions yesterday that it was needlessly denying credit to small companies and claimed that most business customers were paying a lower rate of interest than before the credit crisis hit three years ago. Douglas Flint, its finance director, in
Read moreTuesday preview: Drax, ITV, PMI construction
2nd Aug 2010 17:01
Coal-fired plant operator Drax has seen its share price warm up considerably since it said in mid-May that it continued to benefit from a very strong contracted position. The company issues interim figures on Tuesday with Deutsche Bank tipping the company will announce a moderate increase in earni
Read moreEARNINGS PREVIEW: ITV 1H EBITA Before Items Seen Up Sharply
2nd Aug 2010 13:36
ITV PLC (ITV.LN): 1H Earnings Due: Aug. 3 at 0600 GMT DJ Survey of 4 Analysts Average Revenue: GBP991.6M, up 9.1% (GBP909M in 1H 2009) Average EBITA before exceptional items: GBP154.9M (GBP46M in 1H 2009) Note: The strong profit performance in the first half of 2010 is underpinned by an improvi
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Bank profits, BP, ITV
1st Aug 2010 11:59
Royal Bank Of Scotland could break back into the black this week, boosting hopes that taxpayers could make a profitable exit from the government's bank bailouts. Analysts expect RBS to post a pre-tax profit of about £200m for the first six months of the year, ending a two-year run of multi-billion
Read moreITV Plans Pay-TV Strategy, Male-oriented Channel - Report
30th Jul 2010 17:16
LONDON (Dow Jones)--U.K. broadcaster ITV PLC (ITV.LN) is to launch a pay-TV strategy, U.K. daily The Guardian reports on its website Friday. Citing industry sources, the daily says ITV will launch a male-oriented standalone channel brand that would be bundled as part of a package through pay-TV
Read morePRESS RELEASE: S&P Report: Europe's Media Industry Ratings Are Stabilizing
30th Jul 2010 12:04
The following is a press release from Standard & Poor's: LONDON (Standard & Poor's) July 30, 2010--European media companies' first and second-quarter results for 2010 indicate that the sector is experiencing a recovery, says Standard & Poor's Ratings Services today in the industry report card "For
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