London midday: Investors eye ECB decision as stocks edge higher
3rd May 2012 12:08
- Investors await ECB decision - Successful bond auctions in France, Spain - Mixed reception to barrage of corporate updates The Footsie had traded within a narrow range in morning trade after a strong start ahead of a closely watch interest rate decision from the European Central Bank (ECB) due th
Read moreLondon close: Footsie drops one per cent after gloomy data
2nd May 2012 16:38
- US ADP data well below expectations - Eurozone manufacturing, employment figures weigh on sentiment - Banks, miners among worst performers in London The Footsie finished close to its lowest levels of the day on Wednesday, nearly erasing its impressive rise the day before, as some worse-than-expec
Read moreSector movers: Banking stocks dive, StanChart disappoints with trading update
2nd May 2012 16:18
UK banks were firmly out of favour on Wednesday afternoon, following a strong rise the day before, as the London market suffered a sell-off on the back of some gloomy economic data from the Eurozone and the US. Eurozone manufacturing took a hammering in April with Markit's purchasing managers' inde
Read moreLloyds to reduce share of mortgage market
2nd May 2012 14:57
Shares in UK financial giant Lloyds Banking Group, which is 41 per cent-owned by the UK tax payer, took a hit following reports that the company is about to slash its share of the UK mortgage market by three percentage points. The plans, which would see the bank's share reduced to 25%, are said to
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Next in pole position on sales rise
2nd May 2012 14:19
Fashion chain Next rose into the top spot after sticking with full-year guidance given in March after first quarter sales showed a small year-on-year improvement, helped by contributions from new stores. Broadcaster and broadband group BSkyB was also making gains after reporting record nine-month
Read moreLondon midday: Eurozone data dampens sentiment
2nd May 2012 11:42
- Eurozone jobless rate matches 1997-high - Eurozone manufacturing takes a hammering - Banks among the fallers, StanChart falls after first-quarter update London's blue chips slumped on Wednesday morning while most other major European markets traded moderately higher as they reacted to yesterday's
Read moreLondon open: Banks, ex-div stocks weigh on FTSE 100
2nd May 2012 08:43
- HSBC Chinese PMI improves but still below 50 - Standard Chartered falls after first-quarter update - BSkB leads risers after 'fit and proper' defence Following a strong rise for UK stocks yesterday when European markets were closed for May Day, the FTSE 100 opened lower on Wednesday morning. Lon
Read moreWednesday newspaper round-up: BSkyB, Drax, Bolivia
2nd May 2012 07:08
Shares in Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and BSkyB rose on Tuesday as experts warned he may have to sever all ties with the satellite broadcasting business he founded. News Corp could be forced to sell off its entire 39pc stake in BSkyB, or watch the £12bn pay-to-view company lose its valuable li
Read moreLondon close: US manufacturing data fuels late surge
1st May 2012 16:38
- US data offsets disappointing figures from China, UK - Lloyds leads banks higher, Man Group tumbles - Chemring gains 20pc after contract win With markets cautious early on after some disappointing manufacturing data from China and the UK, an upwards surprise in manufacturing figures Stateside gav
Read moreSector movers: Lloyds leads banks higher
1st May 2012 16:00
Massive gains for Lloyds following the lender's first-quarter results meant that the banking sector was the best performing sector on Tuesday afternoon. Profits at Lloyds Banking Group were back in the black in the first three months of 2012, prompting a near-7% jump in the share price before the
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Lloyds leaps after first-quarter results
1st May 2012 14:32
Lloyds was the best performer of the day after reporting that its pre-tax profits in the first quarter came in at 288m pounds compared to a massive loss of 3.47bn pounds in the first three months of last year. Nevertheless, Lloyds said it had seen an increase in the volume of complaints being receiv
Read moreBroker tips: Lloyds, Man Group, Imperial
1st May 2012 11:36
Investec has reiterated its buy recommendation and 40p target price for Lloyds Banking Group following the bank's well-received first-quarter results on Tuesday morning. "In the recent past, financial updates from Lloyds often sounded like a desperate plea for help - but no more," Investec said in
Read moreLondon midday: Lloyds makes gains as stocks shrug off PMI data
1st May 2012 11:35
- UK, China PMIs disappoint - Lloyds provides a lift, Man Group and BP drop after updates - European, Asian markets closed; US open With most European and Asian markets closed today for May Day, the Footsie was trading only slightly higher by Tuesday lunchtime as some worse-than-expected manufactur
Read moreBroker snap: Investec says to buy Lloyds after first-quarter beat
1st May 2012 09:22
Investec has reiterated its buy recommendation and 40p target price for Lloyds Banking Group following the bank's well-received first-quarter results on Tuesday morning. "In the recent past, financial updates from Lloyds often sounded like a desperate plea for help - but no more," Investec said in
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks rise on quiet day for global markets
1st May 2012 08:28
- Several bourses closed for May Day - Chinese manufacturing PMI below expectations - Lloyds impresses, BP doesn't With most markets in Asia and Europe closed for May Day on Tuesday, London's FTSE 100 opened with moderate gains as some well-received results from Lloyds and Imperial Tobacco provided
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