Week Ahead: The Budget, Next, Kingfisher
19th Mar 2010 11:24
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, will make what could be his last Budget speech on Wednesday, while on the corporate side there are a number of big company announcements due, with retailers well represented. Fashion retailer Next is announcing full year figures on Thursday and, 'g
Read moreLondon close: Gains pared at the close
17th Mar 2010 16:48
London's gains were trimmed just before the close as traders took a few profits before heading off to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Nevertheless, it was the highest close for the Footsie since the middle of 2008. Mining stocks led the advance, despite conflicting views in the broking community on th
Read moreLondon afternoon: Brokers in miners disagreement
17th Mar 2010 14:29
A firm opening by Wall Street gave UK shares an additional fillip over the lunchtime trading session. Miners are leading the advance, despite conflicting views in the broking community on their merits. Societe Generale is in the bearish camp, cutting sector giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto from 'b
Read moreBroker tips: Kingfisher, Man Group, Hikma
17th Mar 2010 12:49
Hedge fund manager Man Group is comfortably the highest yielding stock among FTSE 100 constituents, but a rebasing - a City euphemism for a cut - of the dividend could be on the way, according to Morgan Stanley. The shares are currently yielding 11.77% based on historical dividend payments and thou
Read moreBroker snap: Kingfisher takes flight
17th Mar 2010 12:12
DIY retailer Kingfisher was one of the top performing blue-chips on Wednesday morning after bullish comment on the B&Q owner from HSBC. The bank said Kingfisher's self-help strategies will boost returns in the short term while over the longer term the company should be able to make its size pay and
Read moreLondon midday: Arriva bid lifts mood
17th Mar 2010 12:02
London is now handily higher, with the strength of transport groups and miners cancelling out the subdued performance of ex-dividend stocks such as HSBC, Standard Life and Thomas Cook. The main point of interest is confirmation from bus and rail group Arriva that it has had an unsolicited bid appr
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie holds above 5,600
11th Mar 2010 14:32
A steady decline continued through lunch, but London bounced off 5,600 despite a weak start on Wall Street as mining sector losses narrowed very slightly. Falling commodity prices have damaged miners Thursday. Investors decided to take profits in Fresnillo, Randgold, Rio Tinto, ENRC, Kazakhmys, BHP
Read moreKingfisher to buy back loan notes
15th Jan 2010 08:26
B&Q owner Kingfisher is seeking to buy back some of its euro-denominated debt. Holders of the 4-1/8% notes due 23 November 2012 have been invited to tender their notes for repurchase by the company by means of a Dutch auction, in which holders have to undercut others in order to have their tenders
Read moreLondon close: Healthy gain for Footsie
14th Jan 2010 16:26
London blue chips rose near the close to finish the day handily ahead, despite a disappointing response to the latest retail updates. Primark and British Sugar owner Associated British Foods was one of the few risers. The group had a better than anticipated end to 2009 and expects a 'significant in
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners on the up again
14th Jan 2010 15:29
Miners kept Footsie in the blue yet again, with Xstrata, Rio Tinto, Kazakhmys and Antofagasta among the best performers. Rio Tinto hailed another very strong quarter for iron ore production, driven by continuing high demand from China' as it published its fourth quarter operations review. The comp
Read moreLondon afternoon: US data hits London
14th Jan 2010 14:28
Disappointing US retail sales for December had repercussions this side of the pond, prompting the morning's gains to be pared. US retail sales fell by 0.3% month-on-month in December, against expectations of a slight rise. Miners remain wanted with Xstrata, Rio Tinto, Kazakhmys and Antofagasta am
Read moreLondon midday: Miners lift Footsie
14th Jan 2010 12:08
Footsie is in the blue as strength in the mining sector offsets weakness among retailers following a stream of updates from the sector. Xstrata, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Kazakhmys, Eurasian Natural Resources and Antofagasta are all among the best performers. Rio Tintohailed another very strong qu
Read moreLondon open: Dull start as big freeze bites
6th Jan 2010 08:49
It's all about the retailers in the pre-opening session as the post-Christmas trading update season moves into full swing with Marks & Spencer heading lower after its update. The cold weather may have seen woolly jumpers and slippers fly off the shelves at Marks & Spencer in the days before Christm
Read moreLondon close: RBS leads the charge
4th Jan 2010 17:12
A strong start to the year on Wall Street gave London a boost, prompting the blue-chip index to finish at its highest point for the day. Part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland's led the advance after Exane BNP Paribas suggested that 'fundamental (rather than purely speculative) investor in
Read moreLondon afternoon: Buoyant Wall St. lifts London
4th Jan 2010 14:38
Shares added to the morning's gains over the lunchtime session, as investors correctly predicted a firm opening on Wall Street. The sale of Royal Bank of Scotland's Pakistan unit has fallen through after the deal failed to get the necessary regulatory approvals and complete before the 31 December d
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