House prices remained on a downward trend in October -UPDATE
6th Nov 2012 09:21
There was some good news for hard-pressed first-time home buyers as UK house prices continued to weaken in October, although their already entrapped and indebted brethren may feel otherwise. Figures from mortgage provider Halifax, part of Lloyds Banking, indicate that the average price of a house f
Read moreLondon close: Stocks taken down by global uncertainty
5th Nov 2012 16:49
- All eyes turn to the US elections - Greece attempts to agree on austerity - UK and US services PMI disappoint After a sharp fall early on, the FTSE 100 traded broadly sideways for the remainder of Monday's session as investors refrained from building positions ahead of a busy week for the global
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners provide a drag
5th Nov 2012 15:15
Mining stocks were providing a drag as investors digested the economic figures out in China overnight. The HSBC China services PMI fell from a four-month high of 54.3 to 53.5 in October, contrasting with the official services PMI from the National Bureau of Statistics this weekend which rose from 53
Read moreLondon midday: Investors flee from risk ahead of US elections
5th Nov 2012 11:26
- Investors risk averse ahead of elections - UK services PMI disappoints - Greece to vote on austerity Nervousness ahead of the US presidential elections saw stocks head lower on Monday morning, with losses cemented by a worse-than-expected reading of service-sector activity in the UK. In regards
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Lloyds, Government spending, Google
4th Nov 2012 10:43
Lloyds is plotting to raise 1bn pounds through a sale of its 60 per cent stake in Britain's biggest chain of financial advisers. The bank's majority holding in St James's Place Wealth Management could be placed with investors in the market before the year-end. Antonio Lorenzo, the bank's strategy di
Read moreLondon close: Footsie struggles to hold on to gains after jobs data
2nd Nov 2012 16:42
- US jobs provide temporary boost, but gains trimmed - Data unlikely to change Fed's stance, says analyst - Financials Admiral and RBS disappoint While the closely-watched US jobs report provided a bit of a bounce in early afternoon trade, the Footsie had pared gains to finish flat by the close as
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: IAG leaps on Charles Stanley comments
2nd Nov 2012 16:14
Airlines group IAG was the top performer this afternoon, up three per cent over 168p. Technical analysts at Charles Stanley said: "A close above 168p would suggest that this line is giving way and would amount to a 'trading buy' signal." Oil giant Tullow was also a high riser after JPMorgan Caze
Read moreFriday broker round-up
2nd Nov 2012 08:18
Associated British Foods: Panmure Gordon keeps hold rating and 1,300p target. Balfour Beatty: Goldman Sachs downgrades to neutral, target cut from 330p to 322p. BG Group: Deutsche Bank downgrades to hold, target cut from 1,700p to 1,350p; Liberum Capital downgrades to hold. British Sky Broadcasti
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: Baltic Dry index, BoE, China
2nd Nov 2012 07:02
A slew of economic data from China and the Pacific Rim show that orders are picking up and trade is rebounding after the industrial recession of the past few months. The Baltic Dry Index, measuring shipping rates for commodities - watched as a proxy for Chinese demand - has come back from the dead,
Read moreLondon close: Market in bullish mood after upbeat data and earnings
1st Nov 2012 16:46
- Better-than-expected US data bolsters gains late on - Corporate earnings from Lloyds, BT, BSkyB and others impress - Chinese manufacturing figures beat estimates A flood of economic data from the US and China and a barrage of well-received results from some heavyweight stocks in the UK helped the
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Lloyds reports progress and pleases investors
1st Nov 2012 15:32
Banking giant Lloyds rose strongly after an 'in-line' third-quarter statement. The lender said that it is making progress despite delivering a statutory loss before tax of £583m for the first nine months of the year, including a further Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) provision of £1bn in the thi
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks rise after flurry of corporate updates
1st Nov 2012 11:50
- Results impress from BT, BSkyB, Lloyds... - Markets await barrage of economic data Stateside - Chinese manufacturing beats expectations Impressive gains from BT Group, Lloyds, BSkyB and Legal & General were lifting the FTSE 100 higher on Thursday, with better-than-expected economic figures from
Read moreBroker tips: Lloyds, Shell, Morrison
1st Nov 2012 11:10
Nomura has maintained its 'reduce' rating and 35p target price for Lloyds, saying that while the bank's third-quarter figures were in line with estimates, they are not going to drive upgrades for the core. Nomura reckons that these results are likely to reassure investors that management plans are
Read moreBroker snap: No core upgrades for Lloyds after in-line Q3, says Nomura
1st Nov 2012 10:38
Nomura has maintained its 'reduce' rating and 35p target price for Lloyds, saying that while the bank's third-quarter figures were in line with estimates, they are not going to drive upgrades for the core. The broker said: "Our first take on Q3 results for Lloyds is that most line items are in line
Read moreThursday broker round-up
1st Nov 2012 09:19
Antofagasta: UBS ups target from 1,080p to 1,100p, sell rating kept. Avocet Mining: Numis downgrades to add, target cut from 130p to 90p; Westhouse Securities downgrades to sell, 1,434p target kept. Bank of Georgia: Seymour Pierce reiterates buy rating and 1,600p target. Barratt Developments: Gol
Read more