London afternoon: Blue chips hang onto gains
5th Aug 2009 14:27
Footsie is holding its own in the afternoon session with Lloyds soaring despite a massive interim loss. US shares have 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. The survey is
Read moreLondon midday: Lloyds pulls Footsie higher
5th Aug 2009 11:24
Footsie is in the blue now as financials push ahead again on the back of Lloyds Banking, which is motoring forward. Lloyds Banking shares are up over 13% as investors bet that the worst of the bad debts that caused an underlying loss of £4bn in the half year to June are passed. Impairment charges
Read moreLondon close: Footsie ends at 10-month high
3rd Aug 2009 16:16
Blue chips closed at their highest since early October as investors piled into heavyweight miners and the big banks, although the index failed to hold above 4,700. Oil services specialist Petrofac was in pole position after UBS upgraded the shares to 'buy' and its target price to £10. Crude prices
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks dominate as Footsie rises
3rd Aug 2009 14:50
Footsie is still well in the blue with HSBC and Barclays leading the way and a decent start on Wall Street helping the mood. HSBC posted a profit before tax of $5bn during the period, down from $10.2bn a year ago, but just ahead of forecasts. It said it is 'pleased' with the results. Barclays deli
Read moreLondon midday: Bank results send Footsie soaring
3rd Aug 2009 11:59
Footsie is posting big gains on the back HSBC and Barclays results, with an upward move from the miners on higher metal prices also helping the mood. HSBC posted a profit before tax of $5bn during the period, down from $10.2bn a year ago, but just ahead of forecasts. It said it is 'pleased' with th
Read moreWebb pumps £100k into Autonomy
30th Jul 2009 17:05
Autonomy's non-executive chairman Robert Webb has decided its time to dip in and pick up a stake in the data search software specialist. The shares have tumbled 23% since hitting 1,538p at the end of May, a level not seen since the tech bubble began to burst in 2000. Webb, who only took up his pos
Read moreLondon close: Footsie in triple-digit advance
15th Jul 2009 16:29
Footsie climbed more than 100 points as optimism over the prospects of an economic recovery sent stocks soaring around the world. Insurer RSA to being talked of as a takeover target, with Italy's life assurance group Generali touted as the likely predator. Elsewhere in the sector Prudential and L
Read moreLondon afternoon: Equities continue winning streak
15th Jul 2009 14:52
London is on the rise for the third day in a row, a winning steak not previously seen this month. Resource stocks and insurers lead the way. Insurer RSA to being talked of as a takeover target, with Italy's life assurance group Generali touted as the likely predator. Elsewhere in the sector Prude
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie posts good gains
15th Jul 2009 12:17
London's blue chips are now pushing on strongly ahead of what is expected to be a strong start on Wall Street after the good numbers last night from chipmaker Intel. Over here, it is the turn of insurer RSA to enter the frame as a takeover target, with Italy's life assurance group Generali touted a
Read moreBroker tips: RSA, LandSecs, JD Wetherspoon
15th Jul 2009 11:53
Insurance group RSA was the subject of bid speculation on Wednesday morning which boosted the share price but Panmure Gordon still believes the shares are worth buying, particularly after RSA made a "smart move" this week in reducing the group's pension scheme exposure. "In what appears to be a rat
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: RSA lifted by bid talk
15th Jul 2009 11:21
Insurance group RSA is moving up on talk Italian group Generali may be interested, but broker Panmure Gordon still believes the shares are worth buying anywhere, particularly after RSA made a "smart move" this week in reducing the group's pension scheme exposure. "The shares have fallen back recen
Read moreBroker snap: KBC upgrades LandSecs
15th Jul 2009 11:12
Cash-strapped real estate investment trust Land Securities has made good progress selling off assets since its rights issue and with the share price having shifted into reverse since the company's May trading update, the time is right to buy the shares, broker KBC Peel Hunt asserts. Wednesday morni
Read moreLondon open: Early gains for blue chips
15th Jul 2009 08:59
London is pushing on buoyed by yesterday's recovery in the US from an early loss to 27-point gain by the close of play. Better than expected results from Intel and Goldman Sachs appear to have whetted investors' appetites for equities. Land Securities is going well after it said it is beginning t
Read moreLandSecs starts to look forward
15th Jul 2009 07:11
Land Securities is preparing to start work on two major developments in London's West End amid tentative signs that the market may be stabilising. Landsecs added it is beginning to assess acquisition opportunities and is in the process of firming up plans for a start during 2010 on two major London
Read moreLondon close: Footsie adds 2%
1st Jul 2009 16:34
Miners were rampant Wednesday on stronger commodity prices, leaving the sector heavyweights dominating the blue chip index. There was healthy demand for gold on the metal markets, while copper also improved. The red metal headed higher following strong Chinese manufacturing data, while decreasing s
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