London midday: Lloyds leads rally
16th Jun 2009 12:04
Footsie is making a valiant attempt to claw back yesterday's losses but its progress is being impeded by a weak mining sector. Tesco's first quarter trading update has been well received. Like-for-like (LFL) sales growth came in at the top end of expectations, helped by a resumption of growth in n
Read moreLondon open: Steady start for Footsie
16th Jun 2009 08:39
London's blue have made modest progress despite a tough day on Wall St yesterday with good figures from Tesco giving a boost. Property group's British Land and Hammerson are the best performers this morning, but it is Tesco's figures that catch the eye. Tesco's like-for-like sales growth came in a
Read moreLondon pre-open: Flat start in store
16th Jun 2009 07:41
The UK market is set to start little changed Tuesday as most of last night's gloom on Wall Street had already been felt by the time London closed yesterday. There's bound to be heavy focus on Britain's biggest supermarket chain Tesco following its latest sales update. UK like-for-like (LFL) sales
Read moreUpdate: Senior director quits LandSecs
16th Jun 2009 07:22
Mike Hussey, the managing director of the London portfolio of property giant Land Securities is off to pastures new after the company abandoned plans to demerge parts of the business. LandSecs said the decision for Hussey to step down from the board and leave the company was by mutual agreement, f
Read moreLondon afternoon: Shares stuck in the red
2nd Jun 2009 14:40
Shares remain in the red after failing to find inspiration on Wall Street, which opened sluggishly. Bank Barclays is nursing a double-digit percentage decline after news of the impending sale by IPIC broke overnight. Khadem Al Qubaisi, managing director of IPIC, said that the sale did not represen
Read moreLondon midday: Profit takers move in
2nd Jun 2009 11:55
Profit taking was the theme of the morning as investors reduced equity exposure after yesterday's sharp rise while Barclays tumbled on the revelation that Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) is to bank profits on its Barclays stake. Barclays is nursing a double-digit perce
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Land Securities, Brixton Estates, Lloyds
24th May 2009 09:22
The chief executive of Land Securities, Francis Salway, has been given six months to come up with a radical business plan for the FTSE 100 property giant - or face being sacked. Alison Carnwath, the new chairwoman, has laid down the gauntlet after a set of shocking results this month, which saw th
Read moreLondon close: Downgrade threat sinks Footsie
21st May 2009 16:35
Footsie closed with triple-digit fall as investors got spooked by fears that the UK may lose its triple-A credit rating. Credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's said: 'We have revised the outlook on the UK to negative due to our view that, even assuming additional fiscal tightening, the net general
Read moreLondon afternoon: Decline picks up pace
21st May 2009 14:36
The Footsie is nursing a triple-digit fall as investors bail out of equities, spooked by fears that the UK may lose its triple-A credit rating. Credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's said: 'We have revised the outlook on the UK to negative due to our view that, even assuming additional fiscal tigh
Read moreLondon midday: UK credit rating fear sparks sell-off
21st May 2009 12:00
Fears that the UK may lose its triple-A credit rating has given equities the jitters. Credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's said: 'We have revised the outlook on the UK to negative due to our view that, even assuming additional fiscal tightening, the net general government debt burden could approac
Read moreLondon close: Footsie ends on low note
15th May 2009 16:29
London closed lower after a lacklustre afternoon session with losses on properties and travel companies outweighing gains on miners. Shocking figures from property giant Land Securities on Wednesday still cast a shadow over the real estate investment trusts (REITs). LandSecs leads the sector lowe
Read moreLondon afternoon: Travel companies trip Footsie
15th May 2009 14:10
London continues its gentle downward drift, with losses on properties and travel companies outweighing gains on miners. The market seems unlikely to get any sort of lift from Wall Street which is expected to open moderately weaker. Shocking figures from property giant Land Securities on Wednesday
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Barclays lifted by iShares talk
15th May 2009 13:17
Barclays did well on hopes it may backtrack on a deal to sell its iShares unit to CVC, the private equity group, and instead offload its entire asset management division for £6.5bn. Barclays agreed last month to sell its iShares unit to CVC Capital Partners for $4.2bn, but is now reportedly consid
Read moreLondon midday: Rally stalls
15th May 2009 12:15
Weak properties and oils have pitched the Footsie into the red, despite the continued strength of banks and miners. Shocking figures from property giant Land Securities on Wednesday are still casting a shadow over the real estate investment trusts (REITs). LandSecs leads the sector lower but Hammer
Read moreThursday tips round-up: FirstGroup, Compass, Land Securities
14th May 2009 06:02
Worsening trends in employment mean that FirstGroup's UK rail business is not out of the woods - but merely in a better position than the rail operations of unprotected peers, such as National Express. However, at 365p, up 5¾p, or less than nine times earnings, and yielding 5.1 per cent, First is wo
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