London close: Losses pared after US data, Greece still a concern

16th Feb 2012 16:35

- Losses pared after US data. - Miners track metals prices lower. - European leaders weighing up ECB role in Greek aid. London's blue chip index finished in the red on Thursday but well off its intraday lows after US economic data came in stronger than expected in the afternoon. Nonetheless, concer

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FTSE 100 movers: Reed Elsevier leads risers, while banks and miners fall

16th Feb 2012 14:51

Information solutions provider Reed Elsevier jumped into pole position after seeing underlying revenues increase 2% in 2011, with all five business areas contributing to growth except the Exhibitions division, which was held back by biennial cycling. Nomura said today that the group's valuation - wi

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OFT tells banks to play fair

16th Feb 2012 14:23

Do better by personal account customers or you'll be forced - that was the message behind a speech given by head of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). John Fingleton said competition in the banking system has not functioned well for too long, despite a string of investigations into personal banking,

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London midday: Stocks off lows but still firmly in the red

16th Feb 2012 11:40

- Greek bailout hit by more delays. - Moody's reviews ratings on 114 European financial institutions. - Real Eurozone GDP forecasts slashed in ECB survey. The FTSE 100 has come off its intraday low of 5,831 but still remains firmly in the red as delays in Greece, a warning to banks from Moody's an

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London open: Stocks weighed down by Greece, Moody's

16th Feb 2012 08:35

- Greek bailout hit by more delays. - Moody's reviews ratings on 114 European financial institutions. - BAE Systems tumbles after results. London's blue chip index sank in early trading on Thursday, with just five stocks on the rise, as the Greek bailout faces fresh delays. Meanwhile, Moody's warn

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FTSE 100 movers: Ex-dividend stocks provide a drag

15th Feb 2012 14:46

Drugs giant AstraZeneca plunged into bottom spot, followed by sector peer GlaxoSmithKline and big oil players BP and Shell, after all four went ex-dividend today. Shares of ITV took a hit following a downgrade from Peel Hunt. The broker said that with the shares of the broadcaster having gained ste

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London close: Stocks finish lower on macro concerns

14th Feb 2012 16:24

-Banks, miners weigh on Footsie. -Markets digest sovereign downgrades from Moody's. -Investors await Eurogroup meeting tomorrow. UK stocks finished in the red on Tuesday as concerns over the state of the Eurozone continued to weigh on sentiment. Trade was volatile as mid-morning gains on the back o

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FTSE 100 movers: Bunzl in top spot after rating upgrade

14th Feb 2012 13:47

Distribution and outsourcing firm Bunzl was the top of the risers list after JP Morgan upped its recommendation from neutral to overweight on valuation grounds. "We believe that the recent relative underperformance could be a good entry point ahead of FY results on 27 February," the US broker said.

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London midday: German ZEW survey provides a boost to UK stocks

14th Feb 2012 11:48

- German ZEW expectations index swings into positive territory. - Moody's downgrades six nations, cuts outlook for three others to negative. - Bunzl, Barclays higher after broker upgrades. After an initial slump on the back of a mass downgrade of European sovereigns by Moody's, a sharp rise was rec

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London close: Greek optimism buoys Footsie

13th Feb 2012 16:39

- Stocks rise as Greece approves austerity package. - CBI cuts UK GDP forecasts. - Vodafone confirms potential takeover of C&W Worldwide. Stocks managed to hold on to gains on Monday as Greece moves one step closer to securing the next crucial tranche of aid. Mining and financial stocks led the ri

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Bank lending to SMEs falls short of targets in 2011

13th Feb 2012 15:17

Lending to businesses by the five major UK banks exceeded targets in 2011, but loans to small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) came up short, according to the latest data from the Bank of England (BoE). Gross lending from Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander totalled £214

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FTSE 100 movers: Miners buoyed by Greek deal

13th Feb 2012 13:07

Antofagasta lead the risers, closely followed by its fellow miners, after the Greek deal sparked a rise in the euro against the dollar, sending greenback-denominated metals“ prices higher. Anglo American, Kazakhmys, Rio Tinto and Xstrata were all making gains of at least 2%, with Anglo American pe

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London midday: Stocks extend gains and banks, miners advance

13th Feb 2012 11:40

- Stocks rise as Greece approves austerity package. - Banks miss 'Project Merlin' lending targets. - Vodafone confirms potential takeover of C&W Worldwide. The Footsie was trading a whole percentage point higher by midday, with banks and miners extending gains from the morning session, following

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Broker tips: UK banks, Old Mutual, Entertainment One

13th Feb 2012 10:35

Nomura has today cut its ratings on UK banking peers Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) from neutral to reduce, saying that the recent strong recovery in the sector should be seen as a selling opportunity. "Both groups are banking sector restructuring stories and therefore geared to market ris

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Broker snap: Nomura downgrades UK banks on weak outlook

13th Feb 2012 09:40

Nomura has today cut its ratings on UK banking peers Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) from neutral to reduce, saying that the recent strong recovery in the sector should be seen as a selling opportunity. "Both groups are banking sector restructuring stories and therefore geared to market ris

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