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
Read moreFTSE 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.
Read moreLondon 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
Read moreLondon 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
Read moreBank 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
Read moreFTSE 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
Read moreLondon 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
Read moreBroker 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
Read moreBroker 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
Read moreMonday broker round-up - UPDATE
13th Feb 2012 09:08
SAB Miller: Credit Suisse initiates at outperform and with a price target of 2,900p. Lloyds: Nomura downgrades from neutral to reduce, cuts target from 40p to 35p. Royal Bank of Scotland: Nomura downgrades from neutral to reduce, cuts target from 34p to 26p. Barclays: Nomura downgrades from buy
Read moreThursday newspaper round-up: Greece, Xstrata, Icap
9th Feb 2012 06:52
"Workers at one of Britain's largest car plants are facing new concerns about their future as General Motors considers restructuring its loss-making European arm with "everything on the table". Sources close to GM Europe say the company is suffering from "overcapacity" as carmakers endure a slowdown
Read moreLondon close: Stocks slip as Greek talks commence
8th Feb 2012 16:37
- Greek talks now underway in Athens. - Investors await policy decision by BoE tomorrow. - Reckitt leads risers after full-year results. The earlier optimistic mood in global equity markets soon faded as talks between Greek leaders commenced on Wednesday afternoon. The Footsie slipped towards the e
Read more2012 to be a tough year for UK, but Citi still overweight on banks
8th Feb 2012 16:29
In spite of what Citi believes will be another tough year for the UK economy, the US investment bank has reiterated its overweight position on UK banks. 2012 will be another difficult year, the broker says, with "continued emphasis on balance sheet repair after the surge in private and public debt
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise with Greece in focus
8th Feb 2012 08:42
- Greek leaders scheduled to discuss draft deal. - Reckitt rises strongly after beating full-year targets. - Miners, financials provide a lift. Stocks opened higher on Wednesday following two days in the red, with banks and resource stocks providing a lift. Worth noting, the FTSE All-World equity i
Read moreLondon close: Losses pared ahead of Greek meeting
7th Feb 2012 16:35
-Greek talks enter critical stage. -Shareholders raise questions over terms of Glencore/Xstrata merger. -Defensives in demand as investors flee from risk. Losses were trimmed by the end of trade on Tuesday with reports pointing to progress being made in Greece. Government leaders and international
Read more