London close: Resurgent Footsie breaches 5,500 points
3rd Mar 2010 16:52
A good start on Wall Street helped jolt Footsie out of its sluggish start, helping the leading share index close above 5,500 points for the first time since January. Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered, the only FTSE 100 company to deliver results today, led the way after it defiantly said it will
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie ambles into positive territory
3rd Mar 2010 13:56
The blue-chip index moved into positive territory over the lunchtime trading session helped by expectations of a firm start on Wall Street. Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered, the only FTSE 100 company to deliver results today, defiantly said it will pay its executives bonuses after another recor
Read moreLondon midday: Market remains mixed
3rd Mar 2010 11:51
The market's indecision this morning was typified by the insurance sector where the blue-chip index's best and worst performers were to be found. RSA Insurance is the weakest blue-chip after the company said yesterday that it expects to make around £30m in payouts as a result of the Chilean earthqu
Read moreLondon open: Cautious start for blue chips
3rd Mar 2010 08:44
A weak end to trading in the US last night has pulled London back from yesterday's six-week high. Some big names going ex-dividend have added to the early weakness. Standard Chartered defiantly said it will pay its executives bonuses after another record year in 2009, with income and profits slight
Read moreLondon pre-open: US dampens enthusiasm
3rd Mar 2010 07:40
A decent lead evaporated to almost nothing in the US last night and that's expected to pull London back from yesterday's six-week high in early deals. Standard Chartered said it has decided to pay its executives bonuses after another record year in 2009, with income and profits slightly above marke
Read moreITV cautious despite ad recovery
3rd Mar 2010 07:03
ITV remains cautious despite returning to profit last year and keeping adjusted profit steady, as a marked bounce-back in advertising spend in early 2010 is flattered by weak comparatives. Pre-tax profit for the 12 months to 31 December was £25m against a £2.7bn loss the previous year on revenue do
Read moreWednesday preview: Standard Chartered, ITV, Carillion
2nd Mar 2010 18:07
The banking results season trundles on with Standard Chartered set to release full year figures on Wednesday. Whenever results of banks are spoken of, mention of bonuses usually follows soon after, but while the top bosses of some of the High Street banks have responded to public pressure and waive
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: M&S, HSBC, Prudential
28th Feb 2010 11:23
Shareholders in Marks & Spencer are preparing for a fresh showdown with the retail giant over the £1.13m pay package of Sir Stuart Rose, the executive chairman. Institutional investors want M&S to slash Rose's annual salary when Marc Bolland, the new chief executive, joins in May. One big sharehol
Read moreBSkyB agrees to sell 10% ITV stake
8th Feb 2010 17:49
Pay-TV BSkyB said it is selling part of its 17.9% holding in struggling broadcaster ITV following a two year legal battle to hang onto the shares. BSkyB is to sell around 10% of its holding after losing its latest appeal over the forced sale of most of its stake last month. The satellite broadcas
Read moreITV bosses to consider pay-per-view model, reports
31st Jan 2010 12:36
Struggling broadcaster ITV will consider charging for some channels in order to improve profitability, according to reports in the Sunday press. The management will consider a pay-per-view package model for ITV 2, 3 and 4 as one option to boost profits, the Sunday Telegraph writes. ITV 1 would rema
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: ITV, GSK, HSBC
31st Jan 2010 11:40
In the coming months, chairman Archie Norman, who was joined by former Royal Mail head Adam Crozier as chief executive, are expected to consider the possibility of a pay-per-view package for ITV 2, 3 and 4 among a range of options as ITV benefits from a slowly improving economic climate, says the Su
Read moreLondon close: US slide drags down Footsie
28th Jan 2010 16:45
London slumped near the close mirroring heavy falls in the US where technology stocks ran into heavy selling seemingly on disappointment with Apple's new iPad. AstraZeneca led the fallers after the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceuticals firm saw fourth quarter earnings rise 10% but warned that its predicted
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks lead rally
28th Jan 2010 14:31
Blue chips put on a spurt over the lunch time session despite drugs giant Astra issuing disappointing fourth quarter figures. The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceuticals firm saw fourth quarter earnings rise 10% but warned that its predicted 2010 revenues would be hit by the loss of exclusive rights to sell
Read moreITV appoints Royal Mail chief as new CEO
28th Jan 2010 12:50
Royal Mail boss Adam Crozier is to become the new chief executive of struggling broadcaster ITV. The appointment of Crozier, who had run the Football Association prior to joining Royal Mail, ends a long, and at times farcical, search for a replacement for Michael Grade, who announced last April he
Read moreLondon close: Banks and miners drag Footsie lower
21st Jan 2010 16:30
Leading UK shares lurched lower in the afternoon as US shares weakened and investors waited nervously for President Obama's new bank reforms. The US President's proposals prohibit commercial banks from owning or investing in hedge funds or owning, investing or advising private equity funds, while a
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