London midday: Cairn caps a good morning
23rd Mar 2010 11:57
Some of the steam has gone out of Footsie after a bright start, but it is still posting decent gains. Cairn Energy is the stand-out performer by some distance. The oil group raised its forecast for peak production from its Indian assets by over a third to 240,000 barrels per day, plus it also boost
Read moreLondon open: Footsie pushes on
23rd Mar 2010 08:48
Footsie has moved higher in early dealings after a good showing from US shares overnight. Cairn Energy is the star performer so far. The oil group raised its forecast for peak production from its Indian assets by over a third to 240,000 barrels per day. The group posted net losses for 2009 of $60.7
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie to edge higher
23rd Mar 2010 07:39
The leading share index is expected to move slightly higher in early dealings after a good showing from US shares overnight. Tobacco group Imperial Tobacco said trading for the financial year to 30 September 2010 has so far been in line with management's expectations. Its global strategic cigarette
Read moreL&G hikes divi by a third
23rd Mar 2010 07:03
Insurer Legal & General raised its dividend by a third after each of its businesses delivered higher profits and generated more cash in 2009 than in 2008 despite lower sales overall. The full-year dividend is 3.84p, ahead of market consensus expectations of 3.67p but below the top of the range for
Read moreTuesday preview: Cairn, Legal & General, IMPs
22nd Mar 2010 17:41
Oil explorer Cairn Energy's 'clean net income could be about $70m but a number of exceptional items will reduce the reported figure to about $10m compared to $348m in 2008 which was boosted by transaction gains and losses,' according to broker Charles Stanley. Deutsche Bank more or less agrees, say
Read moreLondon close: Footsie edges forward
12th Mar 2010 16:44
The leading share index limped higher to into the weekend only a few points ahead on the week. Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays gained. Life groups Old Mutual, Legal & General and Standard Life are also in demand. HSBC was the exception among the financials after Goldman Sachs reduced i
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie heading higher again
12th Mar 2010 14:05
Futures pointing to a strong start on Wall Street after better than expected retail sales figures and demand for the UK banks have kept Footsie moving upwards. Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays are all higher. Life groups Old Mutual, Legal & General and Standard Life are also in demand.
Read moreLondon midday: Banks keep Footsie ahead
12th Mar 2010 12:00
Banks are driving Footsie upwards following a sluggish start. Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays are all higher. Life groups Old Mutual, Legal & General and Standard Life are also in demand. HSBC is the exception among the financials after Goldman Sachs reduced its view to 'neutral' and
Read moreLondon open: Flat start for Footsie
12th Mar 2010 08:39
Early gains have all now evaporated and Footsie has slipped into the red despite a good rally on Wall Street overnight. Financial are the best performers with the nearly all showing good gains. Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays are all higher. Life groups Old Mutual, Legal & General and S
Read moreSector movers: Prudential plans boost insurance sector
8th Mar 2010 09:37
The life insurance sector is higher after investors gave a warm reception to Prudential's acceleration of its plans for a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Pru now wants the listing effective before its $20bn rights issue to help fund the purchase of AIG Asia. Peers Legal & General, Res
Read moreSector movers: Insurers move both ways
3rd Mar 2010 14:36
Insurance companies are in something of a state of flux. Life insurers are higher, largely due to a recovery in the share price of Prudential, which fell on Monday and yesterday after it confirmed it has agreed a deal to buy troubled US life group AIG's Asian business for $35.5bn. The acquisition
Read moreLondon midday: Market remains mixed
3rd Mar 2010 11:51
The market's indecision this morning was typified by the insurance sector where the blue-chip index's best and worst performers were to be found. RSA Insurance is the weakest blue-chip after the company said yesterday that it expects to make around £30m in payouts as a result of the Chilean earthqu
Read moreLondon close: Strong finish for FTSE 100
1st Mar 2010 16:30
The leading share index finished on a strong footing as strength in the mining sector and gains on the back of company updates helped offset a weak performance from financial stocks. Miners were in demand following a rise in copper prices following the earthquake in Chile, the world's number one p
Read moreFTSE movers: Pru falls on fundraising worries
1st Mar 2010 15:15
Prudential dominates the Footsie today with a sharp share price fall but the overall index is still higher on the day. Prudential may pay $35bn (£23bn) for the Asian business of troubled US insurer AIG, which would make it the biggest insurer in Asia. This has unsettled investors. Any deal would
Read moreLondon afternoon: Copper-bottomed advance
1st Mar 2010 14:15
Gains on mining stocks are more than offsetting losses in an insurance sector that has been rocked by the prospect of a huge rights call from Prudential. Confirmation that Pru may pay $35bn (£23bn) for the Asian business of troubled US insurer AIG has unsettled the insurers. Any deal would need to
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