London midday: Mixed reception for deluge of updates
25th Aug 2011 12:10
London's leading share index is uncertain today as the continuing stream of company updates gets a mixed reception. Kazakhstan-focused copper miner Kazakhmys is in demand after it said underlying profits were 24% ahead in the first half and revealed details of a $250m buy-back programme. The group
Read moreLondon open: Company results drive FTSE 100 up 0.7%
25th Aug 2011 08:32
Some pleasing company results drove the Footsie higher in early trading while the banks were also providing a lift. Kazakhstan-focused copper miner Kazakhmys was a high riser after it said underlying profits were 24% ahead in the first half and revealed details of a $250m buy-back programme. The gr
Read moreLondon close: Results drive stocks higher, Man up after upgrade
24th Aug 2011 16:38
Stocks finished with good gains after an uncertain start, with strong economic data from the US overriding the earlier mixed reception to today's raft of company updates. US orders for goods made to last more than three years, such as planes, cars and washing machines, rose by 4% in July, having fa
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks mixed after stream of updates
24th Aug 2011 12:10
The leading share index is flitting between red and blue amid differing receptions for today's stream of updates. Investors in Admiral are feeling mutinous despite pre-tax profits growing by 27%. However, according to a Thomson Reuters poll, the result was a slight miss. Miner BHP Billiton is hig
Read moreLondon open: Admiral drags Footsie into the red
24th Aug 2011 08:29
Early gains proved short-lived as the blue chip index in London fell into the red by 08.32, dragged lower by Admiral and the miners, who were registering losses on the back of falling metals prices. Admiral was the worst performer on the FTSE 100, losing over 5% after despite pre-tax profits growi
Read moreSector movers: GSK gives pharma sector a booster
22nd Aug 2011 15:27
The pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sector was among the best performing sectors on Monday, helped by its giant constituent GlaxoSmithKline. The FTSE 100 drugs and healthcare firm announced that it is to buy up over a quarter of UK-based biotech firm Autifony Therapeutics through its wholly-owned
Read moreLondon midday: Lloyds and RBS fall again as FTSE 100 slides
19th Aug 2011 12:03
The leading share index is stuck below the 5,000 point mark amid continuing worries over the global economic situation. Banks Lloyds and RBS are suffering hefty losses again as is IAG, the owner of British Airways. But shares in Autonomy rocketed by over 75% in early trading after US computing gi
Read moreSector movers: Spectris bolsters gains in electronic sector
15th Aug 2011 15:17
Gains for FTSE 250 precision instrumentation and controls company Spectris are bolstering the electronic and electrical equipment sector on Monday. Spectris's shares rose 5% to 1,416p (3.35pm) after it announced that it is to acquire Omega, a privately held US business providing measurement and con
Read moreFTSE 100 Movers: Banks suffer while miners do well
15th Aug 2011 11:47
BP saw a rise despite announcing that its growth could be hampered because it "cannot find skilled workers". With the price of silver on the up it was no surprise to see that precious metals miner Fresnillo was performing well, topping the board at almost 5%. It was a similar story for Kazakhmy
Read moreFTSE 100 Movers: SocGen likes the look of UK peers
12th Aug 2011 10:00
Despite ongoing economic instability, Barclays topped the leader board in the morning session in London, with Lloyds and RBS hot on its heels, helped by an upbeat research note on the sector from Societe Generale. Commodities trader Glencore took a small hit despite crude oil closing at its highes
Read moreFriday tips round-up: Lloyds, Anglo Pacific, Greggs...
12th Aug 2011 06:50
Lloyds makes most its profit in the UK, and the news on the British economy has been fairly grim. Like all UK banks, it also faces regulatory uncertainty. It has to sell 632 branches under its competition agreement with the EU and the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) wants it to offload a fur
Read moreLondon close: Stocks rally after strong start in US
11th Aug 2011 16:30
The volatile trading continued on Thursday as losses were turned into gains in London on the back of a rally on Wall Street. A steep rise was seen after midday erased earlier losses and helped the Footsie to finish near its highs for the day. Equities were on the rise in morning trade in New York a
Read moreSector movers: 9% gain for Barclays boosts banks
11th Aug 2011 15:42
Every sector was notching up gains on Thursday afternoon as the markets in London surged on the back of a positive start on Wall Street. Mondi, the biggest company of the five forestry and paper stocks rose over 6.6% in late afternoon trading, sending the sector to the top of the pile. The paper an
Read moreLondon midday: Mining rally keeps FTSE 100 higher
11th Aug 2011 12:12
Stocks came firmly off their earlier highs, with worries over the French banking system continuing to cause jitters, but a strong performance from the mining sector helps to keep the FTSE 100 in the blue. Miners are rallying strongly, led higher by Kazakh copper miner Kazakhmys, but French banking
Read moreLondon open: Lloyds and RBS miss out on rally
11th Aug 2011 08:37
London has ignored last night's shake-out on Wall Street and is approaching triple-digit gains, though banks are left in the cold amid continuing Eurozone worries. US benchmark indices each tumbled more than 4% overnight, on fears over the health of the US economy and also the future of France's AA
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