London pre-open: Greece talks give rise to caution amongst investors
24th Jan 2012 07:21
City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open down 19 points from yesterday's close of 5,783, as investors take their lead from the US, which finished slightly lower on Monday evening ahead of developments in Europe, with talks entering a crucial stage in regards to Greece. Savings and investments
Read moreSalway to hand back the keys at Land Securities
24th Jan 2012 07:07
The Francis Salway era at property firm Land Securities is set to come to a close at the end of March as the Chief Executive Officer hands over to Robert Noel, currently Managing Director of the London Portfolio. The news was revealed in a statement accompanying the group's third quarter interim ma
Read moreBroker tips: CRH, Shire, British Land
5th Jan 2012 17:57
Analysts at Credit Suisse have this morning downgraded their view on European building material companies to 'market-weight' from 'overweight.' Their opinion is that fundamentals and valuations are unattractive as we enter 2012. For that reason they have taken the following actions: downgraded Hei
Read moreBroker snap: Morgan Stanley upgrades Land Securities and British Land
5th Jan 2012 17:30
In a research note on publicly traded European real estate companies dated January 4th analysts at Morgan Stanley wrote that they expect the net asset values of UK real estate investment trusts to decline 5% this year and by another 6% in 2013. Furthermore, the bank believes that UK commercial rea
Read moreLloyds boss wakes up and buys 0.6m shares
15th Dec 2011 15:45
Announcing his return to work just six short weeks since taking leave on medical advice, Lloyds boss Antonio Horta-Osorio celebrated his recovery with the purchase of $226,962-worth of shares in the part-nationalised lender. The director, who was signed off sick with extreme fatigue and sleep depr
Read moreMonday broker round-up - UPDATE
14th Nov 2011 09:19
Barclays: Goldman Sachs cuts to sell from neutral. BG Group: Evolution Securities keeps buy recommendation and 1,800p target. BG Group: Nomura maintains buy and 1,750p target. ITV: Peel Hunt retains buy and 73p target. ITV: Investec maintains hold rating and 55p target. Cairn Energy: UBS cuts
Read moreLand Securities ups profits and dividend
10th Nov 2011 07:38
Property giant Land Securities saw profits rise in the first half, driven mainly by increased rental income. The company said it was benefitting from the financial strength of its main customer base, large corporates. "Many of these businesses reorganised successfully during the downturn, are pe
Read moreThursday preview: Experian, Land Securities, Euromoney, BoE
9th Nov 2011 10:13
Credit-checking specialist Experian releases six-months results on Thursday and we can expect more of what we saw in the first quarter, according to broker Charles Stanley. The broker forecasts interim pre-tax profits of $500m, up from $450m the year before. "For Experian, the largest area of rev
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Fuel cost worries weigh on IAG
4th Nov 2011 16:30
After a good showing in the morning session, Footsie turned lower after a mixed set of US jobs data for October. Among those stocks still holding on to the morning's gains are a number due to report next week, including Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and Land Securities. On the downside, airline group
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 rises 1% as euro fears ease
14th Sep 2011 16:30
The Footsie finished strongly on Wednesday, gaining over 1%, despite a slow start for US stocks after retail sales were unchanged in August. Stocks were helped on numerous reports of governments riding to the rescue of Europe - such as the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) who are said to be
Read moreFTSE 100 Movers: Next leads the risers after strong performance
14th Sep 2011 13:03
Shares were soaring after clothing retail chain Next claimed it has put in a resilient performance in 2011 against a backdrop of rising costs, and said 'retail headwinds are likely to ease as we move into 2012'. Revenue excluding value added tax (VAT) rose to £1,630.3m in the six months to the end
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 buoyant as Next rallies retailers
14th Sep 2011 12:12
The volatility continues with the top share index in the blue now after a weak start. In what it confessed has been a difficult year so far, clothing retailer Next saw half-year sales rise 3% to £1,565m from the year before, while profit before tax jumped 8.5% to £228m. Excluding its Ventura arm, N
Read moreLondon close: Strong finish to bad month
31st Aug 2011 16:39
The top share index finished the worst month since the financial crisis broke out in late 2008 with strong gains as strong economic data in the US whetted investors' appetite for battered shares. The purchasing managers' index, which measures industrial sentiment for the Chicago area, came in ahead
Read moreBroker tips: British Land, Land Securities, Computacenter...
31st Aug 2011 12:58
Assuming negative net asset value (NAV) growth in the UK in the next 12 months, Morgan Stanley has downgraded real estate investment trust (REIT) peers British Land and Land Securities from overweight to underweight, causing shares to take a tumble on Wednesday. "We think it is unlikely capital va
Read moreBroker snap: British Land, Land Sec tumble after Morgan Stanley downgrade
31st Aug 2011 12:31
Assuming negative net asset value (NAV) growth in the UK in the next 12 months, Morgan Stanley has downgraded real estate investment trust (REIT) peers British Land and Land Securities from overweight to underweight, causing shares to take a tumble on Wednesday. "We think it is unlikely capital val
Read more