London midday: Markets extend gains despite concerns over China
12th Jul 2013 12:11
Strong gains in the financial sectors were lifting markets higher on Friday despite concerns over a slowdown in China, as investors continued to focus on dovish comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Stock futures on Wall Street were pointing to a positive start on Friday, extending g
Read moreLondon open: Markets extend gains after record highs on Wall Street
12th Jul 2013 08:51
Markets looked set to end the week on a high note with financial stocks lifting the FTSE 100 higher in early trading on Friday, as sentiment was buoyed by record highs on Wall Street last night. Both the Dow Jones and S&P 500 indices closed at their highest ever levels on Thursday, while the Nasdaq
Read moreCommunisis claims colossal Lloyds contract
11th Jul 2013 16:43
Marketing group Communisis has been chosen by Lloyds Bank to provide all its UK customer transactional printing. The 10-year deal is the biggest is Communisis' history, according to Chief Executive Andy Blundell. As part of its plans to simplify its internet operations, Lloyds will outsource to
Read moreLondon midday: Miners drag markets lower after Chinese data
10th Jul 2013 11:33
The FTSE 100 had slipped into the red on Wednesday morning with markets turning cautious ahead of a statement from the Federal Reserve, hoping for indications of when the central bank will begin to taper stimulus. Disappointing trade figures from China were also weighing on sentiment today, pressur
Read moreMoody's upgrades UK banking sector
10th Jul 2013 10:24
Moody's has changed its outlook on the UK banking system to 'stable' from 'negative' to reflect Britain's improved economic prospects. The ratings agency said the more stable UK economy had improved the outlook for borrowers being able to repay debts. There were also encouraging signs for profitabi
Read moreLondon open: Stocks edge higher ahead of FOMC minutes
10th Jul 2013 08:20
The FTSE 100 opened higher on Wednesday morning, though gains were only slight as investors turned cautious ahead of a statement from the Federal Reserve, hoping for indications of when the central bank will begin to taper stimulus. Following the heavy sell-off in June, the strong rebound in market
Read moreBroker snap: Goldman Sachs and Investec go head-to-head over RBS
9th Jul 2013 15:02
Analysts at Investec and Goldman Sachs now agree that shares of Royal Bank of Scotland [RBS] are a buy, but differ markedly on whether a hypothetical break-up of the lender into a so-called good bank and a bad bank is the correct way to proceed. Thus, the former today upgraded its view on the stoc
Read moreLondon midday: Banks, miners lead markets higher
9th Jul 2013 11:30
Improved appetite for risk helped equities in the banking and mining sectors on Tuesday morning, pushing the FTSE 100 to levels not seen in over a month. London's benchmark index was trading at around 6,500 this morning, a mark not reached since the start of June when markets were beginning to pric
Read moreLondon open: Miners give markets a boost
9th Jul 2013 08:29
Strong gains from mining and banking stocks ensured a strong open for the FTSE 100 on Tuesday morning as sentiment was lifted by improving hopes for the US economy and a bailout deal in Greece. London's benchmark index opened over one per cent higher early on advancing past 6,500, a level not seen
Read moreTuesday broker round-up UPDATE
9th Jul 2013 07:53
Adept Telecom: Northland Capital revises target price from 108p to 115p and maintains a buy recommendation. AG Barr: Panmure Gordon raises target price from 500p to 600p and retains a hold recommendation. Aquarius Platinum: Westhouse Securities shifts target price from 35p to 40p upgrading from se
Read moreLondon close: Economists wax optimistic on UK
8th Jul 2013 17:08
Stocks registered a solid gain on Monday on the back of an advance in the banking sector. That came on the heels of what some economists termed a solid jobs report last Friday Stateside and upwards revisions to growth forecasts for the UK. Leading gains were shares of Royal Bank of Scotland, as Ch
Read moreLloyds stake to receive bid from group led by Mervyn Davies
8th Jul 2013 11:38
Former Standard Chartered Chairman Mervyn Davies plans to form a consortium of investors to bid for part of the UK government's 39 per cent stake in Lloyds Banking Group, according to reports on Monday. Davies has approached Standard Life and sovereign wealth funds about assembling a group to make
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Co-op , BP, EU-US free trade
8th Jul 2013 06:28
Former Audit Committee Chairman of Britannia Building Society, Bridget Rosewell, has raised questions about The Co-operative Bank, as the mystery over its sudden 1.5bn pound black hole worsens, The Times reported. BP will on Monday attempt to block what it describes as "inflated" compensation payme
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Lloyds, Bumi, Gulf Keystone
7th Jul 2013 22:40
Singapore´s giant sovereign wealth fund has made a preliminary approach to the government about buying a 4.5bn pound stake in Lloyds Banking Group. Temasek, one of the biggest investors in the financial services sector, is believed to be willing to buy about 10 per cent of the bank's shares. An init
Read moreLevene accuses Lloyds bosses of misleading MPs
4th Jul 2013 17:20
Lord Levene, the City heavyweight who tried to buy more than 600 Lloyds Banking Group branches, has attacked the bank's bosses for misleading MPs over the failed sale. In evidence to the Treasury Select Committee, Levene accuses Lloyds' chiefs of being "at best, disingenuous" in their description o
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