London open: Ugly start in London
27th Jan 2010 08:52
It's an ugly start In London with only Johnson Matthey and Amec in the blue, while financials, miners and oils are under heavy selling pressure. Far East markets continued to fall Wednesday on continuing fears that China is planning fiscal measures to cool growth, adding to the unease this morning.
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to beat retreat
27th Jan 2010 07:38
Leading shares are set to open sharply lower after Wall Street gave up a 90-point gain in the last few hours of trade to end flat on the day. Far East markets also continued to fall Wednesday on continuing fears that China is planning fiscal measures to cool growth. Futures prices are currently i
Read moreJohnson Matthey ahead of consensus
27th Jan 2010 07:10
Platinum specialist Johnson Matthey expects results this year to come in slightly better than market estimates as recovery comes through in a number of markets. Group sales excluding precious metals for the third quarter were 9% ahead of the same period last year. Operating profit before amortisati
Read moreBritvic directors cash in
2nd Dec 2009 16:32
Fizzy drinks maker Britvic's chief executive and finance director have taken up shares and sold the share options for a second day running. The latest sales are of shares acquired under the Britvic Performance Share Plan at no cost. Chief executive Paul Moody was awarded 84,694 shares and sold 34,
Read moreLondon close: Footsie at one-week high
25th Nov 2009 16:06
Welcome results from Compass and investors' insatiable appetite for mining stocks helped London's blue chip index finish the session near the top of the day's range. A small improvement to the third quarter gross domestic product figure brought some relief. The Office of National Statistics said th
Read moreLondon afternoon: Compass leads London north
25th Nov 2009 14:01
A marginal improvement to the third quarter gross domestic product figures has lifted spirits in London, overshadowing some mixed corporate updates. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) said the UK economy shrank less than previously estimated in the third quarter, contracting by 0.3% between J
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie maintains lead
25th Nov 2009 12:09
Stocks are steady at lunchtime Wednesday as miners remain firmly on the front foot, while bid speculation is behind big gains at International Power. The hot money is on International Power at the moment, with investors betting that French utility GDF Suez will bid £6bn, or 400p-a-share, for the el
Read moreLondon open: Good gains as miners rally
25th Nov 2009 08:43
Footsie has posted good gains in early dealings, despite a lower finish on Wall Street last night. Miners are again behind the rise, with an end to the brief rally by the dollar sending buyers in search of alternatives. Second liners Randgold and Kazakhmys are leading the way, but the gains are pre
Read moreLondon pre-open: Strong start expected
25th Nov 2009 07:36
Footsie is expected to post good gains in early dealings, despite a lower finish on Wall Street last night. Contract caterer Compass Group saw little growth in revenue when it declared full year results this morning, but pre-tax profit still showed a healthy rise on the back of a strong improvement
Read moreCar production slump knocks Johnson Matthey
25th Nov 2009 07:09
Weak car production and lower metals prices earlier this year took their toll on platinum refiner Johnson Matthey's first half, though it expects an improvement over the rest of the year. Pre-tax profits dropped 22% to £109.5m in the half year to September. Sales fell 18% at £3.6bn as a result of r
Read moreWednesday preview: Compass, UU, Johnson Matthey, GDP
24th Nov 2009 17:35
Contract caterer Compass Group is expected to show little or no like for like growth in revenue when it declares full year results on Wednesday, but pre-tax profit is still expected to show a healthy rise on the back of a strong improvement in margins and currency gains. Market consensus is for pr
Read moreSector movers: Miners lead the charge
23rd Nov 2009 11:18
Mining stocks are at the forefront of today's equity advance as metal prices continue rallying. Once again, gold has hit a new record as investors seek shelter from the falling dollar. Copper has reached a 14-month high. Precious metals stocks are also shining, with platinum group Lonmin, silver
Read moreLondon close: Footsie ends weakly
19th Nov 2009 16:46
Footsie turned sharply lower at the close after a very poor start on Wall Street with the Dow down by more than 150 points in the first few hours. Miners bore the brunt of the selling with Antofagasta, Anglo American, Xstrata, Randgold Resources, Rio Tinto and Vedanta all lower. Platinum refiner J
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie stuck in the red
19th Nov 2009 14:06
Footsie is bumbling along close to its low for the day ahead of what is expected to be a weak start on Wall Street. Futures point to falls of anything between 50-70 points for the Dow when US trading starts, with weak metal prices likely to be a key theme. Here, lower metals have already hit the
Read moreLondon noon: Miners drag Footsie down
19th Nov 2009 12:00
Barely a fifth of the FTSE 100 constituents are in positive territory, but the fall on the blue-chip index is still modest, given the weakness of miners. With metals prices softening, the likes of Antofagasta, Anglo American, Xstrata, Randgold Resources, Rio Tinto and Vedanta are on the slide, as i
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