London close: Stocks snap four-day winning streak
30th Apr 2012 16:30
- Chicago PMI, US consumer spending disappoints - Spain joins the UK in recession - Global stock markets in the red With economic data missing expectations Stateside and Spain continuing to dampen the outlook for the Eurozone economy, London's FTSE 100 index slumped on Monday, snapping a four-day w
Read moreTuesday preview: BP, Lloyds, IMPs ...
30th Apr 2012 16:01
There are plenty of big names reporting on Tuesday but the two most likely to catch they eye are BP and Lloyds Banking. Starting with integrated oil giant BP, recently returned to the dividend standard, Charles Stanley's Tony Shepard thinks first quarter net income will be flat at $5.4bn compared t
Read moreLloyds denies rumours of an offer for Scottish Widows
30th Apr 2012 14:53
UK banking group Lloyds has quashed rumours that it has received a 'multi-billion' pound offer for its life assurance, pensions and savings business, Scottish Widows. According to Monday's London Evening Standard, the bank had received an approach from Edmund Truell, the founder of private equity f
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Lloyds, House prices, Colt
29th Apr 2012 11:43
Middle Eastern wealth funds including Qatar Holdings and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala fund have held talks with Lloyds bank bidder, NBNK, to bolster its £2bn approach for the 632 branches Lloyds is struggling to sell. The backing of either or both funds - which have major investments in household business n
Read moreWeek Ahead: Lloyds, RBS, BP, US unemployment
27th Apr 2012 11:54
Banking results season gets in to full swing with Lloyds and RBS giving first quarter updates. There are plenty of other blue-chip companies clamouring for the limelight but it will be hard to ignore the first quarter update from BP on Tuesday, while on the economic front, US jobless figures for Apr
Read moreLondon open: Spanish downgrade weighs on sentiment
27th Apr 2012 08:41
- S and P downgrades Spain - UK consumer confidence misses estimates - Banks, miners lead the downside in London The FTSE 100 opened cautiously on Friday morning looking like it could snap a three-day winning streak, with banking and mining blue chips providing a drag on the back of concerns over t
Read moreMitie in partnership with Lloyds Banking
26th Apr 2012 13:37
Outsourcing and energy services company Mitie has agreed a partnership to deliver facilities management services for Lloyds Banking Group. The contract, which has been signed for a five-year term, has a possible one-year extension period, with an expected value of around £155m per annum. Mitie wi
Read moreThursday broker round-up - UPDATE
26th Apr 2012 08:36
Admiral: Oriel Securities retains sell rating and 740p target. AstraZeneca: Panmure Gordon maintains buy rating and 3,600p target. Barclays: Nomura reiterates neutral rating and 268p target; Exane BNP Paribas keeps outperform rating and 300p target; Oriel Securities keeps buy rating and 285p targe
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks pare gains after GDP data
25th Apr 2012 11:54
- Footsie gains despite GDP data - Draghi continues to see downside risks - ARM rises on Apple earnings, broker upgrades After a strong start, the FTSE 100 index pared gains in mid-morning trade following some gloomy economic data that showed that the UK fell back into a 'technical' recession in th
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise ahead of GDP data
25th Apr 2012 08:16
- Q1 GDP expected to be flat - ARM up on upgrades, Apple earnings - Ex-div stocks lead the downside Stocks rose moderately in early trade on Wednesday as the Footsie still attempts to recover from Monday's steep sell-off. The release of first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) figures for the UK
Read moreLondon close: Markets rebound after steep losses
24th Apr 2012 16:43
- Global markets rebound after yesterday's losses - Man Group jumps as UBS speculates over M&A - Shell makes 220p-a-share offer for Cove London's FTSE 100 index clawed its way back above the 5,700 level on Tuesday afternoon after a broadly stronger start on Wall Street. Europe's major benchmarks we
Read moreLondon midday: Man Group provides a lift as stocks claw back
24th Apr 2012 11:42
- Footsie corrects after sell-off - Man Group jumps as UBS speculates over M&A - Shell makes 220p-a-share offer for Cove UK stocks were making moderate gains by Tuesday lunchtime, rebounding after heavy losses the day before. US stock futures were pointing to a positive start on Wall Street ahead
Read moreLondon open: Financials lead comeback following steep losses
24th Apr 2012 08:40
- Footsie rebounds after Monday's steep losses - Shell makes 220p-a-share offer for Cove - Capita drops after proposing placing The FTSE 100 was clawing its way back slowly on Tuesday morning, following yesterday's steep sell-off which saw London's benchmark lose nearly two per cent of its value on
Read moreLondon close: Economic data and political uncertainty sink stocks
23rd Apr 2012 17:03
- PMI data disappoints - Markets dragged down by European politics - Miners, Prudential, IAG lead fallers on Footsie Global stock markets were under heavy selling pressure on Monday as some gloomy economic data and political uncertainty in Europe weighed on sentiment. London's FTSE 100 index droppe
Read moreLondon close: Footsie finishes higher on strong macro data
20th Apr 2012 16:21
- German Ifo and UK retail data lifts sentiment - Financials and miners make strong gains in London - Strong start on Wall Street, GE and Microsoft beat forecasts After some better-than-expected economic data spurred a rise for the FTSE 100 this morning, the blue chip index held on to gains in the
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