London open: Flat start as markets catch breath
18th Sep 2009 08:44
Footsie has made a slow start after Wall St paused for breath overnight on concerns the recent equity market surge may have got ahead of itself. Part-nationalised bank Lloyds Banking Group is making the headlines. It has confirmed talks with the government about changes to the terms of it joining a
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie to slip back
18th Sep 2009 07:46
Footsie is expected to fall in early dealings after posting more gains yesterday. Part-nationalised bank Lloyds Banking Group has confirmed it is in talks with the government about changes to the terms of its possible participation in the government asset protection scheme (GAPS). Lloyds is also mu
Read moreLandSecs appoints London portfolio director
18th Sep 2009 07:38
Robert Noel is to leave Great Portland Estates to join the board of rival property group Land Securities as managing director of LandSecs’ London portfolio. Noel steps into the shoes of Mike Hussey, who quit Land Securities in June after the company abandoned plans to demerge parts of the business.
Read moreLondon afternoon: Back in the blue
27th Aug 2009 14:27
The London stock market continues its see-saw day, moving back into positive territory over the lunch-time session. Some encouragement was drawn from the CBI's distributive trades survey which found that the balance of retailers expecting a deterioration in their general business situation over the
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie sinks into the red
27th Aug 2009 12:08
Having enjoyed a brief sojourn above the 4900 level Footsie is now in negative territory, weighed down by poor performing financial stocks. Banks, insurers and properties are all being given the cold shoulder though Royal Bank of Scotland is an exception after Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted its pri
Read moreLondon close: Stocks in late surge
18th Aug 2009 16:36
A late rally driven by early gains in the US had London back up at session highs, with gains among financial plays easily offsetting a weaker property sector. Investors overcame disappointing US housing starts data that had the blue chip index struggling at session lows mid-afternoon. The annual ra
Read moreLondon afternoon: Gains pegged after US housing data
18th Aug 2009 14:37
Disappointing US housing starts data took the wind out of London's sales over the lunchtime session, though the blue-chip FTSE 100 index remains in the blue. Housing starts are seen as one of the vital signs of the US economy and July's figures disappointed, with the annualised number of housing sta
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners lift blue chips
18th Aug 2009 12:51
Once again mining stocks are in the driving seat but today they are driving the Footsie north, with many stocks recovering some of yesterday's heavy losses. Xstrata, ENRC, Kazakhmys and Antofagasta are the picks of the mining sector, along with cash strapped Rio Tinto, which has received a $2.025b
Read moreLondon midday: Properties left behind in market rally
18th Aug 2009 12:00
Once again mining stocks are in the driving seat but today they are driving the market north, with many stocks recovering some of yesterday's heavy losses. Xstrata, ENRC, Kazakhmys and Lonmin are the picks of the mining sector, along with cash strapped Rio Tinto, which has received a $2.025bn offe
Read moreLondon close: US confidence sours sentiment
14th Aug 2009 16:28
Weaker than expected US consumer sentiment data upset the apple cart Friday, giving investors an excuse to bank profits ahead of the weekend. Stockmarkets on both sides of the Atlantic have risen 15% in the past month, so no wonder investors were keen to trim their portfolios. Wall Street headed s
Read moreLondon afternoon: US sentiment data disappoints
14th Aug 2009 15:30
London's stockmarket overcame a technical glitch Friday afternoon only for equities to turn lower following a surprise plunge in US consumer confidence. Wall Street tumbled three figures shortly after the University of Michigan said its consumer sentiment index for August fell to 63.2 rather than t
Read moreSector movers: Bid talk boosts property stocks
14th Aug 2009 11:59
Shares in British Land are lifting the real estate sector on reports the property firm could get a bid worth £10bn. Large cap peers Hammerson, Land Securities and Liberty International are also higher. Indian steel giant Lakshmi Mittal and Abu Dhabi's ruling family have approached Credit Suisse t
Read moreLondon midday: Equities still on the REIT track
14th Aug 2009 11:59
Properties, miners and housebuilders were the sectors making the running this morning as London's blue-chip index strives to make it three days of rises in a row. Reports this morning suggested a consortium of some of the world's richest families is plotting a bid for British Land. Liberty Internat
Read moreLondon open: British Land bid talk lifts market
14th Aug 2009 08:44
London's blue chips have opened slightly higher on a relatively quiet day with bid rumours among the big property groups the main talking point. Reports this morning suggested a consortium of some of the world's richest families is plotting a bid for British Land. Hammerson and Land Securities are
Read moreLondon close: Stocks pushed lower
5th Aug 2009 17:00
London's top stocks finished in the red as a poor start in the US and ex-dividends eventually ate into the early gains. US shares made a dull start on worse than expected job losses in July according to the private firm ADP. It said 371,000 people were laid-off compared to estimates of 350,000. L
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