London afternoon: Stocks lack direction
16th Dec 2009 14:30
Leading shares are mixed, with the Footsie dipping a toe into negative territory despite better than expected UK unemployment figures announced this morning. The number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell for the first time since February 2008 in November amid further signs the UK economy
Read moreLondon close: Financials lift Footsie
14th Dec 2009 16:58
Footsie began the week with good gains as the day got off to a strong start following news that Abu Dhabi is to bail out its troubled fellow Emirate Dubai. Investors piled into LSE, Standard Chartered and HSBC as the threat of possible huge bad debts recedes. An upgrade by Credit Suisse, which hi
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie up over 1%
14th Dec 2009 14:52
The UK's leading shares are finding plenty of support after a strong start on Wall Street and the Dubai bail-out. Investors have piled into LSE, Standard Chartered and HSBC as the threat of possible huge bad debts recedes. An upgrade by Credit Suisse, which highlighted the low exposure to Dubai a
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Dubai gives LSE a boost
14th Dec 2009 13:11
London Stock Exchange is the best performer today after Abu Dhabi guaranteed the debt position of Dubai World, one of the flagship companies of its neighbour Dubai. Borse Dubai, which is state run, owns a 20.56% stake in the LSE, and there had been fears it would have to sell its stake to raise mon
Read moreLondon midday: Dubai gives general boost
14th Dec 2009 12:11
London's bue chips are still posting healthy gains, helped by the decision of Abu Dhabi to bail-out Dubai, its financially embarrassed neighbour. LSE, Standard Chartered and Royal Bank of Scotland are up on the Dubai news, which should lift the cloud of possible huge bad debts hitting the sector.
Read moreLondon open: Bright start as Dubai fears ease
14th Dec 2009 08:49
London's top stocks have opened more than 50 points higher with sentiment buoyed by the decision of Abu Dhabi to bail-out Dubai, its financially embarrassed neighbour. LSE, Standard Chartered and Royal Bank of Scotland are up on the Dubai news, which should lift the cloud of possible huge bad debts
Read moreLondon pre-open: Shares set to gain
14th Dec 2009 07:35
London's top stocks are expected to open around 50 points higher on a relatively busy Monday morning on the company news front. Dairy Milk and Crème Egg maker Cadbury today recommended shareholders reject the bid from processed foods maker Kraft Food, which it says substantially undervalues the com
Read moreLloyds Banking gets 95% rights take-up
14th Dec 2009 07:09
Lloyds Banking has received overwhelming backing from investors for its £13.5bn cash call with a take-up of over 95% of the shares on offer. Analysts had expected a strong positive response as the shares were offered on a 1.34 for 1 basis at 37p each, compared to the ex-rights closing price on Frid
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Cadbury, Barclays, Bonuses
13th Dec 2009 11:20
Crunchie to Crème Egg chocolate maker, Cadbury, will tomorrow unveil its formal defence document, spelling out why the future is so creamy that it doesn't need Kraft Food's £10bn hostile takeover bid which has caused a furious response. Chairman Roger Carr and chief executive Todd Stitzer are expect
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: Bank tax, Goldman Sachs, Tesco
11th Dec 2009 06:37
Some of London's best paid investment bankers may be exempt from Alistair Darling's bonus tax because the advisory businesses they work for may not count as banks. Investment banking boutiques, such as Lazard, NM Rothschild, Greenhill and Perella Weinberg, are expected to claim that they are not t
Read moreLondon close: Financials lead advance
10th Dec 2009 16:31
UK shares closed not far off their best levels of the day as a strong start on Wall Street built on substantial support for UK-listed financial plays. Investors welcomed Alistair Darling's decision yesterday not to slap a windfall tax on banks and speculation that British lenders had agreed to resc
Read moreDecision deadline for Lloyds shareholders
10th Dec 2009 16:01
Lloyds Banking Group shareholders need to be quick if they want to take up their rights as part of the bank's £13.5bn cash call. It's D-Day on Friday and the new shares will begin trading at the start of next week. Hopes of a good take-up from the 2.8 million private investors are high in some quar
Read moreFriday preview: Carillion, Lloyds...
10th Dec 2009 15:57
Lloyds' shareholders have to make up their minds over the bank's £13.5bn rights issue tomorrow. Hopes of a good take-up from the 2.8m private investors are high in some quarters, encouraged by this week's heavily oversubscribed $986m US bond exchange. Holders wanted to swap $2.7bn of existing secur
Read moreLondon midday: Banks lead rally
10th Dec 2009 12:34
Financial stocks are driving the market higher, with banks and insurers featuring prominently among the best performers. In the banking sector RBS, Lloyds and Barclays rack up the best gains while among insurers Standard Life, Legal & General and RSA are to the fore. Property stocks, however, are
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Lloyds leads bank revival
10th Dec 2009 11:05
London's blue chips have reacted calmly to yesterday's pre-Budget news, with banks the best performers despite the imposition of a bonus tax on their highest paid staff. Lloyds, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland are three of the top four performers, possibly on relief that the bonus tax was not a
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