London close: Stocks surge after US data, Spanish stress tests
1st Oct 2012 16:45
- US data beats forecasts in September - Reports imply Germany may soften stance on Greece - Banks and miners rise strongly in London - Credit Suisse says Spanish stress test a "generally credible exercise" - Credit Suisse says larger top-down questions remain in stress tests Better-than-forecast m
Read moreSector movers: Banks, miners lead markets higher
1st Oct 2012 16:30
Increased risk appetite was benefitting the banking and mining sectors on Monday afternoon as benchmarks across Europe surged higher. Friday's release by Oliver Wyman on the Spanish financial sector was lifting sentiment on markets today. The independent auditor estimated that banks would need €59.
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Xstrata rises after agreeing to merger with Glencore
1st Oct 2012 14:46
The big news of the day was that the so-called merger of equals between commodities trader Glencore and mining titan Xstrata is back on after the independent directors of the latter agreed to Glencore's terms. Jefferies reiterated its positive stance on both stocks this morning, saying that while th
Read moreLondon midday: Strong start to Q4; Footsie up one per cent
1st Oct 2012 11:24
- Investors taking advantage of underpriced stocks, says analyst - Asian and UK data disappoints - Xstrata rises after agreeing terms with Glencore London's blue-chip index gained strongly in morning trading on Monday with increased risk appetite benefitting the banking and mining sectors as stocks
Read moreMonday broker round-up
1st Oct 2012 08:58
Barclays: Liberum Capital upgrades to buy, target lifted from 210p to 245p. British American Tobacco: Investec upgrades to buy. Capital & Counties: Seymour Pierce downgrades from buy to add, 233p target kept. Charles Stanley: Peel Hunt downgrades to hold. Electrocomponents: Panmure Gordon downgr
Read moreLondon open: Stocks shrug off disappointing Asian data
1st Oct 2012 08:34
- UK stocks make strong gains early on - Japanese, Chinese figures disappoint - Xstrata rises after agreeing terms with Glencore UK equities advanced on Monday morning in spite of some disappointing economic data from Asia as stock markets kicked off the fourth quarter on a positive note. The Bank
Read moreLloyds lends to Paragon
27th Sep 2012 07:54
Paragon, the buy-to-let mortgage specialist which virtually went into hibernation during the credit crunch when the wholesale funding markets seized up, has signed a new warehouse funding facility. The £200m revolving senior secured loan facility has been provided by the wholesale division of Lloyd
Read moreLloyds worker gets five year sentence for fraud
21st Sep 2012 15:30
A former employee of Lloyds Bank who was in charge of online security has been sentenced to five years in jail after committing fraud while working at the bank. 50-year-old Jessica Harper, of South Croydon, London, admitted to filing 93 false and doctored invoices in order to claim payments totall
Read moreLondon close: Footsie jumps to six-month high on QE3
14th Sep 2012 16:26
- Footsie closes at highest level since mid-March - Markets celebrate QE3 announcement - Mining stocks surge as demand outlook improves Massive gains in the mining sector lifted the FTSE 100 to a six-month high on Friday as markets reacted to the Federal Reserve announcement of further economic sti
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners soar after Fed announcement
14th Sep 2012 15:39
Mining stocks were putting in an impressive performance as metals prices gained on a weaker dollar after the Fed announcement. Investors are hoping that an improved US economy will boost the demand for commodities. Kazakhmys, Vedanta, Evraz, Fresnillo, ENRC, Antofagasta and Anglo American all gain
Read moreLondon midday: Mining stocks celebrate QE3
14th Sep 2012 11:48
- Footsie at six-month high after Fed decision - Mining stocks rocket on stimulus plans - Markets' upside momentum to remain in the weeks ahead, says analyst London's stock market continued to extend gains on Friday morning after last night's announcement of more stimulus in the US, pushed the FTSE
Read moreLondon open: Footsie at six-month high after QE3
14th Sep 2012 08:23
- Stocks soar after last night's QE3 announcement - Fed to buy mortgage debt, maintain Operation Twist - Miners, banks surge early on Stock markets across Europe surged in early trading on Friday following last night's stimulus announcement from the Federal Reserve; increased risk appetite was ben
Read moreHBOS banker banned for life
13th Sep 2012 07:49
The former head of corporate banking at HBOS has been banned from working in the banking industry for life over his role in the collapse of the bank. Peter Cummings, the head of HBOS corporate banking from 2006 to 2008, has also been fined £500,000 by City watchdog, the Financial Services Authority
Read moreLondon close: Stocks down ahead of Fed, employment data divides
12th Sep 2012 16:32
- Ex-div stocks and miners weigh on Footsie - Germany approves ESM - All eyes turn to the Fed - Dutch elections tonight Following a stint in the blue after Germany's decision to approve the Eurozone rescue fund, the Footsie had sunk firmly into the red by the close with ex-dividend stocks and minin
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: German ruling boosts financials
12th Sep 2012 13:48
UK banking stocks advanced after Germany's high court approved the Eurozone's new rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), with Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Standard Chartered and HSBC were making gains by this afternoon. RBS was also benefiting after Liberum Capital lifte
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