Sector movers: HSBC weighs on the banking sector
27th Feb 2012 15:46
Banks were the worst performers on Monday afternoon after the full-year results from heavyweight constituent HSBC were met with a negative reaction on the markets. Shares in HSBC were down 4.6% at 548,3p despite reporting what was initially seen as a decent set of figures, with reported pre-tax pro
Read moreMonday broker round-up - UPDATE
27th Feb 2012 09:44
BP: Nomura maintains neutral rating and 500p target. HSBC: Seymour Pierce confirms buy rating and 800p target. Vedanta Resources: Credit Suisse reiterates neutral recommendation and 1,400p target. Marks & Spencer: UBS upgrades from neutral to buy, target lifted from 325p to 410p. Lloyds Banking
Read moreLondon open: Stocks sink early on, Essar leads the fall
27th Feb 2012 08:55
- Essar drops after full-year results. - Vedanta confirms merger of Indian subsidiaries. - HSBC beats expectations in 2011. London's blue chip index fell sharply in early trading on Monday after a G20 meeting failed to alleviate concerns over the economic crisis in Europe. Essar Energy and the mine
Read moreLondon close: Subdued finish for Footsie, but Vedanta jumps
24th Feb 2012 17:07
- Vedanta jumps on further speculation of restructuring in India. - Lloyds falls on tough outlook for 2012. - BoE's Fisher thinks outlook is 'incredibly uncertain'. The Footsie finished flat on Friday after the blue chip index swung between gains and losses in a tight range of just 20 points or so
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Hammerson rises on strategy rethink
24th Feb 2012 13:18
Property firm Hammerson caught the market on the hop with its decision to sell off all its office developments to focus on its retail assets, but with the employment situation looking bleak investors were quick to applaud the decision. The news sent the stock into the top spot despite a slump in pr
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie nudges higher ahead of US open
24th Feb 2012 11:49
- Lloyds falls on tough outlook for 2012. - Consumer product groups Unilever, Reckitt sold off. - BoE's Fisher thinks outlook is 'incredibly uncertain'. The Footsie was trading just a few points higher by midday on Friday, as a decline in consumer products stocks, miners and Lloyds was offset by a
Read moreBroker tips: Lloyds, GKN, RSA
24th Feb 2012 10:51
Nomura has maintained its reduce rating and 35p target price for Lloyds Banking Group following its full-year results this morning, saying that the bank is 'putting balance sheet strength before earnings'. "Given the complexities at Lloyds, our initial post-results reaction is subject to even more
Read moreBroker snap: Lloyds strengthening balance sheet 'at the expense of profitability'
24th Feb 2012 10:35
Nomura has maintained its reduce rating and 35p target price for Lloyds Banking Group following its full-year results this morning, saying that the bank is 'putting balance sheet strength before earnings'. The statutory pre-tax loss came in at £3,542m, compared with a profit of £281m last year, and
Read moreFriday broker round-up - UPDATE
24th Feb 2012 09:36
Lloyds Banking Group: Nomura keeps reduce rating and 35p target; Credit Suisse keeps neutral rating and 33p target. Royal Bank of Scotland: Nomura reiterates reduce recommendation and 26p target. RSA Insurance: Nomura downgrades from buy to neutral, target reduced from 148p to 120p; UBS keeps long
Read moreLondon open: Lloyds tumbles but Footsie stays flat
24th Feb 2012 08:26
- Lloyds drops after gloomy outlook. - Hammerson up as NAV rises 7%. - BoE's Fisher thinks outlook is 'incredibly uncertain'. The Footsie opened broadly flat on Friday as a strong rise by Capita and Hammerson managed to offset a fall in the mining and banking sectors following a negative reaction t
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE looks set to track US markets higher
24th Feb 2012 07:29
City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open up 24 points from yesterday's close of 5,938, tracking strong gains in the US which saw the S&P 500 near its 10-month high, buoyed in part by strong US data. Investor sentiment was also given a lift after a Reuters poll indicated the European Central Bank
Read moreLloyds delays earnings targets, expects a tough 2012 - UPDATE
24th Feb 2012 07:04
Lloyds Banking Group said it expects the external environment to remain challenging this year and has had to delay its return on equity and income-related targets beyond 2014. Meanwhile, the lender reported a steep loss for 2011, dragged down by substantial charges in relation to Payment Protect Ins
Read moreLondon close: US data provides a lift
23rd Feb 2012 16:28
- US data comes in better-than-expected. - EC cuts GDP estimates across the board. - RBS, Capita lead risers after full-year results. London's blue chip index finished strongly on Thursday, gaining nearly 40 points in the final two hours, after some better-than-expected economic data Stateside bo
Read moreFriday preview: Lloyds Banking to dip pen in red ink
23rd Feb 2012 15:58
Thursday's results from fallen banking titan Royal Bank of Scotland showed the difficulties of deciding which numbers to focus on when it comes to massive banking operations, and it is not likely to be much easier when another part-nationalised lender, Lloyds, publishes its figures on Friday. For
Read moreLondon midday: Gains trimmed after gloomy EU growth forecasts
23rd Feb 2012 11:56
- EC cuts GDP estimates across the board. - RBS, Capita lead risers after full-year results. - German IFO survey comes in at six-month high. After a strong start, gains for the Footsie were pared by lunchtime after the European Commission cut its forecasts for economic growth. The market reaction t
Read more