London open: Banks lead risers, RBS down
3rd Dec 2009 08:21
Barclays and Lloyds are leading London's top stocks higher in early dealings on Thursday, though Royal Bank of Scotland is an exception. RBS has dropped on news that that the bank's board is threatening to resign en masse if Alistair Darling will veto the group's £1.5bn bonus pot. On the positive
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie in the blue
2nd Dec 2009 14:52
Though banks are still looking sickly, Footsie has struggled into positive territory on the back of a strong mining sector. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) remains the biggest faller among blue-chips, with lingering concerns about its exposure to Dubai World's debt now overshadowed by with newspaper r
Read moreLondon midday: Banks get battered
2nd Dec 2009 12:11
After yesterday's strong gains, equities come off the boil today with banks, in particular, getting hammered, on enduring fears over exposure to Dubai debt. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Lloyds Banking are the big fallers among blue-chips, while elsewhere in the banking sector Barclays is also o
Read moreSector movers: Sage lifts software sector
2nd Dec 2009 11:02
Sage, which makes accountancy computer packages, is helping lift the software and computer services sector higher after it upped its dividend and said conditions have stabilised in the second half. The total dividend has been increased by 3% to 7.43p per share (2008: 7.21p per share). The group sai
Read moreLondon close: Footsie rallies above 5,300
1st Dec 2009 16:14
Strength in the US, a record gold price and fight back by the banks had London at session highs by the close of play. Markets decided that fears about Dubai's debt have been overdone. State-owned Dubai World said it had held "constructive" talks with banks and flagged plans to restructure nearly ha
Read moreLondon afternoon: Triple digit gain for Footsie
1st Dec 2009 14:59
Leading shares kicked on again in the afternoon session after US markets opened firmer, with the number of Footsie constituents showing a loss on the day being countable on the fingers of one hand. Mining stocks are going well on hopes of a sustained recovery in Chinese manufacturing. Silver miner
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie consolidates gains
1st Dec 2009 12:00
London is participating in a global rally by stock markets, as doubts over the Dubai debt crisis ease. Buoyant manufacturing data from China is lifting miners. HSBC said the Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) for China climbed to a seasonally adjusted 55.7 in November from 55.4 in October. The index
Read moreLondon open: Footsie bounds ahead
1st Dec 2009 08:44
London's top stocks have opened strongly as concern over the situation in Dubai eases a little. Miners and banks are leading the rally following a strong performance by both groups on on Wall Street overnight. Royal Bank of Scotland is among the best performers this morning. It has been affected b
Read moreLondon close: Shares drop again in late trading
30th Nov 2009 16:32
London's blue chips recovered most of their losses in late afternoon trading and looked like they could be set for a positive finish before turning down again just before the close. Banks such as Lloyds Banking, Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Chartered remained nervous about the debt situation
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Financials head lower
30th Nov 2009 14:48
Financials and property companies led the way down today. Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland are two of the banks that could be hardest hit by Dubai's financial problems. Lloyds is also in the midst of a massive £13.5bn rights issue. Investors are being offered 1.34 new shares for eve
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks pare losses
30th Nov 2009 14:36
Leading share prices are still holding steady at lower levels as investors await further developments from Dubai. Banks such as Lloyds Banking, Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Chartered remain nervous about the debt situation in emirate, though the morning's losses have been pared. HSBC defie
Read moreLloyds sheds more jobs in Brighton
30th Nov 2009 13:48
Lloyds Banking Group has decided to shut down its contact centre at Sussex House in Brighton, with the loss of 410 telephony jobs. The site will close on 28 May next year, said the part-nationalised lender, which earlier this month axed 220 jobs at its Collections & Recoveries operation in Hove.
Read moreLondon midday: Share prices steady down
30th Nov 2009 12:09
UK share prices are stabilising at lower levels after hopes of a continued rebound from the Dubai-inspired shake-out on Thursday were quashed by disappointing UK consumer confidence figures. Figures from market research firm Gfk NOP showed consumer sentiment fell to -17 from -13 in October. Middle
Read moreSunday tips round-up: Lloyds, Standard Chartered, Petra Diamonds
29th Nov 2009 12:08
The option to buy shares at a discount to the market price is extremely tempting. If the economy turns upwards and Lloyds can pull off a successful merger of operations with those of HBOS, then 37p looks like an extremely good deal. But the economic outlook remains uncertain and banks have not prove
Read moreLloyds shareholders to sue King and Darling
27th Nov 2009 16:47
A campaign group representing 2m Lloyds Banking Group shareholders is preparing to take the Bank of England governor Mervyn King and Chancellor Alistair Darling to court over the secret £61bn bailout of HBOS and RBS. Lloyds Action Now (LAN), which has appointed the TV presenter Alice Beer as a spok
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