London open: FTSE 100 retreats as Barclays and Aberdeen fall

6th May 2014 08:35

- Barclays, Aberdeen and Balfour Beatty provide a drag - Ukraine tensions cap risk appetite - FTSE 100 pulls back from two-month high techMARK 2,800.50 +0.22% FTSE 100 6,810.43 -0.18% FTSE 250 15,950.66 +0.12% UK markets opened slightly lower on Tuesday morning as traders adopted a cautious approa

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Sunday newspaper round-up: AstraZeneca, Barclays, Mothercare

4th May 2014 12:49

Pfizer is preparing to put AstraZeneca in a "bear hug" by stating it will not increase its 63 billion pounds offer without getting a closer look at the UK company's drug prospects, the Sunday Times reported. The US giant will lobby Astra's shareholders to force it to enter talks and will also talk a

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London close: Lloyds leads positive finish for FTSE

1st May 2014 16:59

- FTSE closes up 28.84 points at 6,808.87 - Lloyds leads after strong quarterly performance - UK manufacturing PMI rises to five-month high techMARK 2,788.41 +0.28% FTSE 100 6,808.87 +0.43% FTSE 250 15,850.34 +0.21% London-listed stocks closed today's session on a positive note, with gains being l

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FTSE 100 movers: Lloyds takes top spot after strong Q1, TSB float

1st May 2014 14:32

Domestic lender Lloyds rose into the top spot after saying that underlying profits rose by over a fifth in the first quarter and it continues to expect to apply to regulators in the second half to restart dividend payments. That came as it announced TSB bank is due to float in London before the end

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Sector movers: Banks rise as Lloyds impresses with first-quarter profits

1st May 2014 14:05

Well-received results from Lloyds gave the UK-listed banking sector a boost, as the domestic lender reported that underlying profits jumped by over a fifth in the first quarter. Underlying profits rose by 22% in the first three months of the year to £1.8bn, helped by a 10% rise in net interest inco

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Broker tips: Lloyds, Weir, BSkyB...

1st May 2014 13:00

Most of Lloyds' key financial metrics continued to 'appreciate measurably' in the first quarter, according to Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers. "Lloyds is often seen as a proxy for the UK economy, and although they are inextricably linked, both are beginning to prosper after a long period of auster

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Lloyds plots IPO of TSB in next eight weeks

1st May 2014 11:38

TSB bank is due to float in London before the end of June, with owner Lloyds Banking Group planning to sell at least a 25 per cent stake of the recovering business. An initial public offer (IPO), which would include some of the shares being made available to retail investors, has been estimated to

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London midday: Lloyds leads UK markets to two-month high

1st May 2014 11:34

- Lloyds, BSkyB, BG Group and Schroders gain - UK manufacturing activity at five-month high - Fed sticks with taper despite weak Q1 growth techMARK 2,774.45 -0.22% FTSE 100 6,797.46 +0.26% FTSE 250 15,812.19 -0.03% Well-received updates from Lloyds, BSkyB, BG Group and Schroders and upbeat UK manu

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Lloyds 'beginning to prosper' amid UK recovery, says Hargreaves Lansdown

1st May 2014 09:24

Most of Lloyds' key financial metrics have continued to 'appreciate measurably', according to Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers. "Lloyds is often seen as a proxy for the UK economy, and although they are inextricably linked, both are beginning to prosper after a long period of austerity," said Richa

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London open: FTSE 100 above 6,800 as Fed continues to taper

1st May 2014 08:39

- Markets at highest since March 4th - Fed sticks with taper - Plenty of economic data due out - BSkyB, Lloyds, BG Group and Schroders gain techMARK 2,785.17 +0.17% FTSE 100 6,805.94 +0.38% FTSE 250 15,928.81 +0.71% The FTSE 100 surpassed the 6,800 mark in early trading on Thursday, a level not se

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Underlying profits up 22 per cent at Lloyds in first quarter

1st May 2014 07:14

Domestic lender Lloyds said that underlying profits rose by over a fifth in the first quarter and it continues to expect to apply to regulators in the second half to restart dividend payments. Group underlying profit for the first three months of 2013 totalled £1.8bn, up 22% compared with last year

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Sector movers: HSBC leads banking stocks lower

25th Apr 2014 15:31

Banking stocks were under pressure on Friday with global lender HSBC leading the decline after a broker downgrade. HSBC was trading 2% lower at 600.5p in the afternoon session after Morgan Stanley analysts lowered their recommendation on the stock from 'equal weight' to 'underweight'. The US bank

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London midday: Stocks fall as Ukraine crisis offsets UK retail sales

25th Apr 2014 11:44

- Ukraine tensions prompt profit taking - S&P downgrades Russia - UK retail sales beat forecasts - Pearson and William Hill gain after updates, Tullow falls techMARK 2,754.20 -0.20% FTSE 100 6,679.08 -0.36% FTSE 250 15,950.90 -0.26% UK stocks were trading with small losses on Friday, pulling back

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RBS forced to back down from double fixed-pay plan

25th Apr 2014 08:54

Majority state-owned Royal Bank of Scotland has axed a plan to hand out bonuses worth double fixed-pay after the British government refused to back it. RBS said on Friday that it would not ask investors to back a variable remuneration rate of up to 200% of salaries, or two-for-one ratio, at its ann

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Thursday newspaper round-up: Ukraine, AstraZeneca, Scotland

24th Apr 2014 07:05

The rhetoric between Kiev and Moscow has taken a distinct turn for the worse. On Wednesday, Russia warned that any attack on its citizens in Ukraine would be considered as an attack on itself. That came as an 'anti-terrorist' operation against pro-Russian militants in the eastern part of the country

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