London open: FTSE 100 edges higher
17th Mar 2011 08:29
Shares are making modest gains as investors pause for breath following heavy losses lately amid unsettling developments in Japan and the Arab World. There were more losses in Tokyo as worries over radiation from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi reactors. Miners are going strong, with Xstrata leading t
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie to retake 5,600
17th Mar 2011 07:40
Blue chips are expected to edge high in early trade despite a 1.4% slide in Tokyo. Futures prices indicate an 18-point gain for the FTSE 100 first thing, regaining the 5,600 level. Legal & General is confident, despite a drop in full-year operating profit, as sales rose 28% and the government's de
Read moreL&G to benefit from shrinking welfare state
17th Mar 2011 07:03
Legal & General is confident, despite a drop in full-year operating profit, as sales rose 28% and big cuts in state benefits force people to make their own provisions. The country's fourth-largest life insurer grew worldwide Annual Premium Equivalent (APE) sales to £1.8bn last year from £1.4bn in
Read moreThursday preview: Legal & General, Premier Farnell, SIG, US inflation
16th Mar 2011 15:22
On Thursday, insurance heavyweight Legal & General issues full-year figures. In a trading update released in November the company said it was on track to beat its £600m cash generation target, having generated net cash of £526m in the first nine months of 2010. It also hinted that the dividend might
Read moreLondon close: Japan gloom stifles rally
11th Mar 2011 16:41
The devastating earthquake in Japan this morning overshadowed today's trading but shares struggled to climb into the blue and finished just a few points short. The tsunami resulting from the earthquake has already killed a large number of people in Japan, with police in the port of Sendai reporting
Read moreLondon afternoon: Rally runs out of steam
11th Mar 2011 14:29
An attempt at continuing the late-morning rally fizzled out over the lunch time session, but prices are not as soft as might be expected given the array of bad news out there, such as the Japanese earthquake, the Libyan situation and the continuing concerns about European sovereign debt. The insura
Read moreLondon midday: Japan earthquake casts shadow
11th Mar 2011 12:21
The earthquake in Japan is casting a shadow over trading today and the FTSE 100 sits just a few points above 5,800 now. The insurance sector has been hit by worries over the possible effects of the Japan earthquake. Aviva, Legal & General and Prudential are suffering losses. The damage caused by th
Read moreWeek Ahead: Shell, Debenhams, L&G
11th Mar 2011 09:40
The flood of big company results is set to slow a little next week and the biggest corporate event may therefore be the strategic review by oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, on Tuesday. "2011 remains a transition year for Shell on the way to the 'sweet spot' of 2012, when its mega-projects will be on st
Read moreJapan quake kills hundreds
11th Mar 2011 08:20
Markets around the world were hit by this morning's massive earthquake in Japan, with insurers hit hard as investors attempt to assess the cost of damage wrecked by the tremor and resulting tsunami. The UK non-life insurance sector fell back with Amlin , Catlin and Chaucer finishing lower. Life ins
Read moreL&G claims 90% on variable rate mortgages
10th Mar 2011 10:59
Nine out of ten of the UK's mortgages are based on variable rates, making the borrowers extremely vulnerable to rising interest rates, leading investment group Legal & General estimates. The Bank of England held UK interest rates at 0.5% today, making it two years since they last changed, but any r
Read moreLondon afternoon: L&G leads modest advance
11th Feb 2011 14:11
Leading shares are mixed but with a slightly firmer bias after rising over the lunchtime session. Insurer Legal & General (L&G) leads the advance on the back of a positive broker note from Nomura Securities. "We highlight our preference for L&G over Prudential (Reduce), given that we expect Pru to
Read moreLondon close: More gains for FTSE 100
12th Jan 2011 16:43
Strong financial and mining stocks helped to drive the top share index higher Wednesday, while M&A activity and company updates had some FTSE 250 constituents soaring. HSBC went well, helped by a "buy" recommendation from Barclays Capital, but fellow banks Standard Chartered and Barclays were also
Read moreLondon afternoon: Miners and banks lead the advance
12th Jan 2011 14:35
Footsie is continuing to keep its head above water, not to mention 6,000, but it is largely thanks to the strength of miners and financial stocks, with the latter in demand after Portugal's bond auction proved relatively successful. HSBC is the best performing financial, helped by a "buy" recommend
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks add more gains
12th Jan 2011 12:07
Miners continue to keep the FTSE 100 in the blue, adding to yesterday's gains, while three stocks in the FTSE 250 are posting triple-digit gains. Supermarket giant J Sainsbury had its best Christmas ever, with better than expected sales, a growing market share and a record number of customers desp
Read moreLondon open: Early gains for blue chips
12th Jan 2011 08:50
London has pushed on again in early dealings with miners leading the way and a mixed morning so far for retailers. Supermarket giant J Sainsbury had its best Christmas ever, with better than expected sales, a growing market share and a record number of customers despite the snow. Like for like sa
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