Tuesday preview: Kingfisher releases results in aftermath of collapsed Mr Bricolage deal
30th Mar 2015 17:17
Annual results from B&Q owner Kingfisher will be in focus for investors on Tuesday, which come fresh off the news that the DIY retailer has abandoned its deal to buy French chain Mr Bricolage. The €275m planned purchase, first announced last summer, was scuppered at the last hurdle after some major
Read moreLondon close: FTSE snaps four-day losing streak on China hopes and upbeat data
30th Mar 2015 16:45
London's Footsie managed to hold on to gains by the close on Monday, snapping a four-day losing streak, as hopes for stimulus in China and strong economic data gave sentiment a boost. The FTSE 100 finished up 0.53% at 6,891.43, though it remains well below its record closing high of 7,037.67 reached
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Kingfisher surges as French acquisition falls through, miners higher
30th Mar 2015 13:29
Kingfisher surged after revealing its deal to acquire French rival Mr Bricolage will not go ahead as a result of shareholder and board opposition to the terms of the deal. Some Mr Bricolage franchisees are thought to fear the store closures that would be necessary for Kingfisher to win regulatory ap
Read moreKingfisher acquisition of MrBricolage scuppered
30th Mar 2015 09:29
Kingfisher's acquisition of its French rival MrBricolage was scuppered by resistance from the latter's franchisees. ANPF, the organisation controlled by the franchisees, refused to grant an extension to the 31 March deadline for the €275m acquisition to receive approval from the French competition a
Read moreWeek ahead: Non-farm payrolls and UK retail results to steal the show
27th Mar 2015 14:47
Next week is set to be a busy one for financial markets in London with investors having to digest a flurry of global economic data and corporate results from a number of prominent UK retailers. The focus is likely to continue to be on US economic indicators, given recent concerns about a slowdown in
Read moreKingfisher looking at options with Mr Bricolage deal now uncertain
26th Mar 2015 15:33
B&Q owner Kingfisher said it is "considering all of its options" in regards to its proposed acquisition of Mr Bricolage after the French DIY chain and a major shareholder revealed they had reservations about the deal. Kingfisher, which first announced last April that it wanted to buy the retailer, s
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 pares session gains to end lower on low inflation woes
24th Mar 2015 17:01
London's FTSE 100 index underperformed its European peers on Tuesday as investors cut exposure on the back of inflation data from the UK and US. Inflation in the UK fell to zero while in the US, it moved out of the negative zone back into zero. With inflation in both countries at the same rate, defl
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: ABF hit by euro weakness, Centrica lower on election risk
24th Mar 2015 14:14
Primark owner Associated British Foods tripped lower after Swiss bank Credit Suisse lowered its earnings forecasts for the company citing euro weakness. "AB Foods doesn't usually feature in our regular FX updates on the sector, but given the severity of the euro's demise it should. For ABF the impac
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 flutters as investors weigh up positives and negatives
24th Mar 2015 12:00
The UK's FTSE 100 held onto Tuesday's gains as it traded in a narrow range as market participants were being pushed and pulled by a number of conflicting matters that are currently permeating through the market. On the one hand, China's slowing manufacturing sector, as evident from overnight data, s
Read moreLondon open: Stocks post mild gains ahead of key inflation data
24th Mar 2015 08:59
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index kicked off Tuesday's session by posting mild gains following a late recovery in Asian markets overnight and better-than-expected Eurozone data. At 09:06 GMT, the UK index of 100 leading blue-chip stocks rose 0.3% or 20 points to trade at 7046. China's worse-than-ex
Read moreKingfisher takeover of Mr Bricolage teeters on shareholder uncertainty
24th Mar 2015 08:28
Retail group Kingfisher's long-running takeover talks with Mr Bricolage have stumbled on a major hurdle as the French company's board and major shareholders have admitted getting cold feet on the deal. Shares of Mr Bricolage have been suspended on the French stock exchange at the company's request.
Read moreLondon close: Stocks retreat as Fed rate fears outweigh ECB stimulus
6th Mar 2015 16:36
One day after loose monetary policy in Europe pushed UK stocks to a new record high, fears about a sooner-than-expected tightening in the States dragged markets lower on Friday after a forecast-smashing US jobs report. Mining stocks were providing a drag in London as commodity prices weakened in the
Read moreBroker tips: Schroders, Kingfisher, Royal Mail, Thomas Cook
6th Mar 2015 11:44
Surging flows into funds at Schroders support the asset manager's premium rating to the sector, according to Berenberg, which hiked its target price for the stock on Friday. "Schroders is a best-in-class asset/wealth manager with strongly performing funds and global reach," Berenberg said. The broke
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE pulls back from record highs ahead of US jobs data
6th Mar 2015 11:36
UK stocks were lower on Friday morning but trading within a narrow range with investors cautious ahead of the all-important US non-farm jobs report. Markets were also trading near never-before-seen heights, giving participants an extra reason to tread lightly in London. The FTSE 100 was down 0.12%
Read moreKingfisher's update on store portfolio will likely disappoint, says Citi
6th Mar 2015 09:41
Kingfisher's shares flapped lower on Friday despite analysts at Citigroup raising their price target, as the US bank said the DIY retailer's upcoming strategy update is "likely to disappoint". The broker upped its target for the stock from 310p to 370p after rolling forward its valuation methodology
Read more