Tuesday broker round-up UPDATE
28th May 2013 07:25
AG Barr: Investec increases target price from 562p to 591p, while downgrading from buy to add. Canaccord Genuity downgrades to hold with a target price of 570p. Amara Mining: Cantor Fitzgerald cuts target price from 81p to 63p and retains a buy recommendation. Compass Group: Nomura ups target pric
Read moreLondon close: Markets tumble as stimulus hopes fade
23rd May 2013 16:20
The recent bullish mood on equity markets quickly faded on Thursday as mixed messages from the Federal Reserve and a slowdown in China sparked a heavy sell-off on the FTSE 100, which lost more than two per cent of its value. Answering questions in Congress last night was Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke w
Read moreSector movers: Miners and banks fall as risk appetite wanes
23rd May 2013 15:12
Growth concerns hammered markets across the globe on Thursday, with banking and mining stocks bearing the brunt of the sell-off in London as the impressive year-to-date rally ran out of steam. As such, there were no sectors in the UK in positive territory by the afternoon, with every category eithe
Read moreLondon midday: Rally runs out of steam after Bernanke comments
23rd May 2013 11:32
Markets tumbled by around two per cent on Thursday morning as investors chose to take profits in the aftermath of comments from the head of the US Federal Reserve and a disappointing reading of manufacturing activity in China. The FTSE 100 had surged to a fresh 13-year high high of 6,840 the day be
Read moreBroker snap: Panmure upbeat about St James's Place after Lloyds sale
23rd May 2013 10:09
Shares in St James's Place (SJP) fell sharply on Thursday morning after Lloyds placed 77m shares in the wealth manager, but Panmure Gordon kept its 'buy' rating for the stock saying it still remains its top pick for 2013. Lloyds said the sale of a 15% stake follows the recent strong performance of
Read moreLondon open: Fed concerns, poor Chinese data spark sell-off
23rd May 2013 08:31
Worries about the Federal Reserve 'tapering' quantitative easing (QE) prematurely spooked markets on Thursday morning, along with a disappointing reading of manufacturing activity in China. The FTSE 100 had surged to a fresh 13-year high high of 6,840 the day before, its second-highest close in his
Read moreThursday newspaper round-up: Ocado, UK Mail, Hibu...
23rd May 2013 06:54
The Telegraph says that Waitrose head Mark Price is refusing to meet with Ocado chief Tim Steiner after the online grocery group agreed to help rival Morrison develop an online shopping website. According to The Times, British parcel delivery group UK Mail is close to signing a deal with the Depart
Read moreLloyds to sell further share in St James Place
22nd May 2013 17:16
Lloyds Banking Group said it planned to sell a further 15 per cent of its stake in wealth manager St James's Place to swell its equity capital 500m pounds. Lloyds explained that if it placed its 15% stake with buyers, with the shares closing on Wednesday at 640p, the bank would receive £493m, for a
Read moreLondon close: Bernanke's dovish tone sparks surge late on
22nd May 2013 17:12
After a relatively subdued start on the FTSE 100, stocks surged in afternoon trade as comments from the Chairman of the Federal Reserve pushed the index to fresh 13-year highs. The benchmark index extended its impressive year-to-date rise to nearly 16% today after Ben Bernanke initiated a dovish to
Read moreBroker snap: Lloyds to meet capital targets, but Investec still cautious
22nd May 2013 16:00
Lloyds moved to reassure markets on Wednesday by playing down concerns about new tough capital requirements, but Investec still rates the stock as a 'sell'. Shares in the part-nationalised lender were up 2.29% at 62.94p before the close of trade after the company said it would be able to meet new r
Read moreSector movers: Stocks gain as banks play down worries over capital targets
22nd May 2013 15:08
Banking stocks were in demand on Wednesday after playing down concerns about capital requirements and as speculation ramps up regarding the potential reprivatisations of both RBS and Lloyds. Both part-nationalised lenders released statements this morning, reassuring the markets that they would be a
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks pull back as UK retail sales drop
22nd May 2013 12:02
Disappointing retail sales in the UK saw markets pull back from a 13-year highs on Wednesday morning while traders kept a close eye on central banks around the world. UK retail sales volumes fell sharply in April, by 1.3% month-on-month as the poor weather continued to lead shoppers to forego purch
Read moreLondon open: Stocks dip as focus turns to central banks
22nd May 2013 08:38
Markets pulled back from new 13-year highs on Wednesday morning as traders turned cautious ahead of statements from central banks in the UK and US. The FTSE 100 finished at a closing price of 6,803.87 on Tuesday, extending its impressive year-to-date rise to over 15%. The index is now coming close
Read moreLloyds to fulfil capital requirements without fundraising
22nd May 2013 07:55
Lloyds Banking Group said it will be able to meet new heavier capital requirements from its existing business and selective disposals. In March, the Bank of England's new financial stability regulator, the Financial Policy Committee (FPC), had stated that Lloyds was overstating its capital by £3.0b
Read moreWednesday newspaper round-up: Japan, BP, RBS and Lloyds...
22nd May 2013 06:51
The Bank of Japan has held off on new monetary easing, according to the Financial Times, "judging that the huge stimulus unveiled in April will be enough to spur price gains in the world's third-largest economy". The central bank said that Japan has "started picked up". Financial Times says that Br
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