Keller warns as US struggles
13th May 2010 12:04
Shares in construction site ground preparation specialist Keller slumped by a fifth as it warned problems in the US would hit its results hard this year. "A continued deterioration in the US construction market has led to a further reduction in volumes in our US businesses. More importantly, the re
Read moreShire chairman raises £1.5m from disposal
9th Mar 2010 16:22
Matthew Emmens, the chairman of pharma company Shire, has raised nearly £1.5m from a share sale. Emmens sold 33,302 American Depositary Shares (ADSs) at an average price of $66.44. Each ADS is equivalent to three ordinary shares. The selling price was equivalent to £14.70 a share. Last week, Emm
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Meggit, JLT, RBS
3rd Mar 2010 06:41
With every one cent decline in the pound against the US dollar adding £400,000 to defence group Meggitt's prospective pre-tax profits, currency moves alone have been enough to send current-year forecasts higher. Even so, profit progress in 2010 driven more by Meggitt's target of £50m of annualised
Read moreLondon close: Insurers left behind
2nd Mar 2010 17:07
A firm start on Wall Street gave fresh heart to UK equities, with financial stocks to the fore, with the notable exception of insurers. Ahead of results tomorrow Standard Chartered was wanted in a buoyant banking sector while elsewhere in the financial sector property groups such as SEGRO and Hamme
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie consolidates gains
2nd Mar 2010 14:13
Leading shares consolidated gains over the lunchtime session though it remains a bad day to be invested in the insurance sector. Insurer Prudential is under the cosh again as investors bale out ahead of an expected monster cash call to finance the group's acquisition of AIG's Asian assets. RSA In
Read moreLondon midday: Banks bounce back
2nd Mar 2010 12:08
Although base metal miners have reversed course and are now heading south the FTSE 100 index has added to early gains, helped by a surge in interest in banking shares. Ahead of results tomorrow Standard Chartered is leading the banking sector higher. Part-nationalised lenders Royal Bank of Scotland
Read moreSector movers: Gloomy updates hit construction sector
2nd Mar 2010 11:09
Keller is among the stocks dragging the construction and materials sector lower. The ground engineering specialist Keller suffered a 34% slump in profits in 2009 and is yet to see any sustained upturn in orders, it said today. Commercial construction in the developed world is likely to contract fu
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Engineers under pressure
2nd Mar 2010 11:08
Ground engineering specialist Keller is among the heaviest fallers after it suffered a 34% slump in profits in 2009 and is yet to see any sustained upturn in orders. Fellow engineer Rotork posted a rise in profits despite tough conditions in 2009 and said it was seeing an improvement in general mar
Read moreLondon open: Steady start for Footsie
2nd Mar 2010 08:40
Footsie has edge higher in early dealings following a strong showing from Wall Street yesterday. After recent slew of results from the Footsie heavyweights it is the mid-caps day Persimmon completed 8,976 house sales last year and the housebuilder has seen a 7% increase in sales and steady prices s
Read moreKeller profit down a third
2nd Mar 2010 08:21
Ground engineering specialist Keller suffered a 34% slump in profits in 2009 and is yet to see any sustained upturn in orders. It warned that 2010 will be another challenging year, especially after the severe weather in the northern hemisphere in the first two months, which greatly restricted group
Read moreLondon close: Late decline wipes out gains
18th Dec 2009 16:43
Footsie ended lower having spent most of the day in positive territory. Financials led the market down and cruise operator Carnival's lower quarterly profit did not help. Most of the miners ended the day higher but they lost some of their earlier gains. Having been hit hard yesterday following the
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks in consolidation mode
18th Dec 2009 14:21
Blue-chips moved sideways over the lunch-time session, consolidating the morning's gains. Goldman Sachs has given a lift to the oil sector, tipping BP as the 'clear winner' among oil companies next year, though it also rates UK operators BG and Royal Dutch Shell over their continental European coun
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks amble higher
18th Dec 2009 12:10
Leading shares are mixed with a slightly firmer bias, helped by the strength of resource stocks. Gold miner Randgold Resources leads the mining sector higher as the gold price stabilises after falling heavily overnight. Elsewhere in the sector BHP Billiton, Kazakhmys and Antofagasta catch the eye.
Read moreLondon open: Footsie shrugs off bank weakness
18th Dec 2009 08:45
London's blue chips have opened higher despite another weak showing from the banks after harsher than expected recommendations from the Basel Committee yesterday. Shares in all four fell heavily yesterday on the news and Barclays, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Chartered are all lower
Read moreLondon pre-open: Early gains expected
18th Dec 2009 07:34
The top share index is expected to post modest gains in early dealings. Port operator Forth Ports said it expects full year results to be at the lower end of expectations due to weak trading in its Nordic recycling division and in its container services operations at Tilbury port near London. But
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