Sector movers: Barclays and Astra drag banks and pharma stocks lower
6th May 2014 15:14
Banking and pharmaceuticals, two sectors which have performed well over recent weeks, were trading firmly lower on Tuesday with heavyweights Barclays and AstraZeneca providing a drag. Shares in Barclays were as much as 5% lower this afternoon after a much worse-than-expected drop in investment bank
Read moreLondon midday: UK stocks pull back from two-month high
6th May 2014 11:54
- Barclays, Aberdeen, AstraZeneca, Balfour Beatty fall - Ukraine tensions continue to rise - FTSE 100 pulls back from two-month high - UK services PMI beats forecasts techMARK 2,798.81 +0.15% FTSE 100 6,811.35 -0.16% FTSE 250 15,928.23 -0.02% Falls from Barclays, Aberdeen, AstraZeneca and Balfour
Read moreTuesday broker round-up UPDATE
6th May 2014 08:44
Antofagasta: RBC Capital upgrades to buy with a target price of 900p. Barclays: Numis downgrades from add to hold with a target price of 280p. BG Group: Goldman Sachs ups target price from 1500p to 1530p and retains a strong buy recommendation. Britvic: Numis raises target price to 684p and keeps
Read moreLondon 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
Read moreSunday 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
Read moreLondon 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
Read moreFTSE 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
Read moreSector 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
Read moreBroker 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
Read moreLloyds 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
Read moreLondon 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
Read moreLloyds '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
Read moreLondon 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
Read moreUnderlying 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
Read moreSector 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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