London close: Footsie finishes firmer
21st Oct 2009 16:57
After an up and down day, London's blue-chip index finished the day as it started it, in positive territory. Stocks needed the help of a firm start on Wall Street, however, to state a late rally. US shares opened higher after investment bank reported its first quarterly profit in a year after three
Read moreLondon afternoon: Miners a drag
21st Oct 2009 14:38
Mining stocks and a couple of blue-chips going ex-dividend today pushed the Footsie below 5200 in the morning session though the index showed some signs of recovery over the lunch-time session. Smiths Group and BSkyB are the highest profile stocks in the red as a result of trading in ex-dividend st
Read moreLondon midday: Blue chips turn lower
21st Oct 2009 12:03
Footsie's early drift has given way to more substantial falls as US futures point to a lower opening on Wall Street. Smiths Group and BSkyB are the highest profile stocks in the red as a result of trading in ex-dividend status today. Also on the downturn is London Stock Exchange, after Goldman Sach
Read moreLondon close: Directionless day for FTSE 100
29th Sep 2009 16:52
Footsie finished slightly in the red after another day of flitting between the red and the blue while not showing any real sense of direction. Swiss bank Credit Suisse has issued a bearish note on the property sector prompting the likes of Land Securities, SEGRO and Hammerson to shift into reverse
Read moreLondon afternoon: Back to square one
29th Sep 2009 14:34
It's back to square one for the Footsie which is barely changed on the day, with gains on banks and insurers counterbalanced by miners and property stocks. Swiss bank Credit Suisse has issued a bearish note on the property sector prompting the likes of Land Securities, SEGRO and Hammerson to shift
Read moreLondon midday: Blue chips still struggling
29th Sep 2009 12:06
Miners and property stocks are keeping Footsie in the red despite the banking and insurance sectors going well. Swiss bank Credit Suisse has issued a bearish note on the property sector prompting the likes of British Land, Land Securities, SEGRO and Hammerson to shift into reverse. Credit Suisse's
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Compass points higher
29th Sep 2009 11:51
Contract caterer Compass is pointing higher after it reported trading has gone well in the fourth quarter with underlying earnings to be up by around 14% on a constant currency basis. Operating profit will get a boost of £120m from the movement of our key currencies compared with last year. Rumours
Read moreLondon open: Dull start for Footsie
29th Sep 2009 08:51
Three-figure gains in the US overnight haven't helped London much with blue chips going lower in early dealings. Property groups are weak with all of the sector heavyweights - British Land, Land Securities and Hammerson - under pressure. Banks are offsetting some of this weakness after the Times
Read moreLondon close: US data sinks Footsie
24th Sep 2009 16:46
Footsie turned down sharply in the last couple of hours of trading as US shares retreated on weak home sales and lower commodity prices, especially oil. Property companies led the UK lower after Canary Wharf property owner Songbird announced it would issue 62bn shares at a penny each as part of a
Read moreLondon afternoon: Property stocks a drag
24th Sep 2009 15:03
After spending the lunchtime session in positive territory the Footsie has fallen back into the red, with property companies leading the way down. Land Securities, British Land, SEGRO and Hammerson are all under the cosh as investors cool on the sector following huge cash calls this week by Liberty
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Microsoft talk lifts Autonomy
24th Sep 2009 10:11
Software group Autonomy, which announced a license agreement with the European Commission, is one the best performers today. Traders said it is less to do with that bit of business, though, and more with rumours of a Microsoft takeover bid, though they added it is a story that has done the rounds b
Read moreLondon close: Footsie dips into the red
23rd Sep 2009 17:05
A late swoon saw London's blue-chip index give up the gains of the morning to close marginally lower on the day, as investors banked profits ahead of the Federal Reserve's decision this evening on US interest rates and its quantitative easing (QE) programme. The morning's gains had been achieved on
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie nears intra-day high
23rd Sep 2009 14:01
The market's climb regained momentum over the lunchtime session. Investors have been put in the mood to buy by the prospect of the Bank of England increasing its quantitative easing programme some time in the future. The minutes to the most recent meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy co
Read moreLand Securities repays £1.5bn debt
22nd Sep 2009 15:40
Property giant Land Securities is repaying £1.5bn of its debt and will repay further facilities during the calendar year but said it still has "financial firepower" to take advantage of market opportunities. The group said the decision allows Land Securities to return to a normal operating environm
Read moreLondon close: End of road for winning run
21st Sep 2009 16:21
London's six-day rally ended Monday after banks were sold on fundraising talks and as miners retreated on weaker metal prices. Part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was the biggest faller on reports it is mulling a share issue of between £3-4bn to reduce its dependence on the UK gov
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