London open: Stocks flat despite banking strength
12th Feb 2013 08:28
UK stocks opened broadly flat on Tuesday morning ahead of some UK inflation data, with markets pausing for breath after a strong rise in the year to date. The FTSE 100 had a subdued day yesterday on the back of a lack of economic news and low trading volumes, partly owing to the closure of Asian ma
Read moreLondon close: Corporate earnings, services data push markets higher
5th Feb 2013 16:27
The FTSE 100 staged a partial recovery today after Monday's sell-off, with decent corporate earnings and better-than-expected service-sector data doing their bit to repair damaged market sentiment. London's benchmark index slumped 100 points yesterday as political uncertainty in the Eurozone result
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: Lloyds, RBS, Virgin Media...
5th Feb 2013 06:53
The boss of one of Britain's taxpayer-owned banks is being lined up for a bonus of up to 1.5 million pounds for last year, refusing to follow the example set by his counterparts at RBS and Barclays, who have both waived their rights to a payout. António Horta-Osório, chief executive of Lloyds Bankin
Read moreLondon close: Footsie drops 100 points on political uncertainty in Europe
4th Feb 2013 16:32
Increased political risk in the Eurozone presented a good opportunity for traders to take profits on Monday, as investors made the most of the recent surge on stock markets worldwide. The FTSE 100 dropped 100 points today, a fall of around 1.6%. This follows the impressive 6.4% gain seen last month
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Randgold Resources ahead on profits
4th Feb 2013 14:45
Randgold Resources was leading the FTSE 100 race Monday after the gold exploration and development company posted a 16 per cent rise in profits for the full year. Production levels for the year also climbed 14% to 794,844 ounces of gold, while quarter-on-quarter profit was up 18% and production up
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks fall on profit-taking after recent surge
4th Feb 2013 11:30
UK stocks were registering moderate losses on Monday morning as traders began to lock in profits following a strong start to the year. The FTSE 100 jumped a whopping 6.4% last month, its best January performance since 1989. "After impressive recent gains, European equities cooled in early trade th
Read moreLondon open: Banks weigh on the Footsie early on
4th Feb 2013 08:19
The FTSE 100 slipped into the red in early trading on Monday morning as investors took a breather after the impressive rally seen so far in 2013. Since the start of the year, the index has risen a whopping 7.62% and is now trading at levels not seen since mid-2008. "We may see a break in the recen
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Banks, Afren, 3i
3rd Feb 2013 13:25
Ahead of a major speech on the issue on Monday, George Osborne is still negotiating with Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, on the exact detail of a reserve power the Government could use if banks were found to be abusing new regulations. Figures close to the Chancellor said he would not back a "b
Read moreFriday broker round-up UPDATE
1st Feb 2013 07:55
Afren: HSBC shifts target price from 190p to 200p, while reiterating an overweight rating. Antofagasta: Exane BNP reduces target price from 1500p to 1350p maintaining an outperform rating. Antrim Energy: Westhouse Securities lowers target price from 70p to 65p and reiterates a buy recommendation.
Read moreLondon close: Markets at five-year high after US earnings
29th Jan 2013 16:49
After a subdued morning session, the FTSE 100 rallied in afternoon trade to finish at its highest level since early 2008, helped by upbeat earnings from corporate heavyweights in the US. The Dow Jones Industrial Average in New York was also trading at a five-year high today after pharmaceutical gro
Read moreSector movers: RBS and Lloyds hit by downgrade
29th Jan 2013 16:45
Banks were taking a hit on Tuesday after Espirito Santo downgraded Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds, saying that the operating environment remains difficult in the face of a weak economic outlook. RBS and Lloyds are now two of the most expensive stocks under Espirito's coverage and the broker fore
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Anglo American a strong riser
29th Jan 2013 15:37
Diversified mining group Anglo American gained despite saying it will recognise a 4.0bn dollar impairment charge in its 2012 results after completing a detailed cost and schedule review of its Minas-Rio iron ore project in Brazil. The gain appeared to be part of a wider trend, with sector peers Ev
Read moreBroker snap: Espirito Santo downgrades RBS and Lloyds to 'sell'
29th Jan 2013 15:33
While shares in Royal Bank of Scotland were being hammered on Tuesday by concerns about alleged LIBOR manipulation in the US, the stock was being weighed down further by a downgrade by Espirito Santo. Lloyds was also taken down a peg by the broker in its review of the UK banking sector. Espirito
Read moreTuesday broker round-up UPDATE
29th Jan 2013 07:26
Anglo American: JP Morgan takes price target from 1630p to 1680p, while its underweight rating remains unchanged. ARM Holdings: Jefferies raises target price from 693p to 805p keeping a hold recommendation. Astra Zaneca: Barclays ups target price from 3100p to 3200p and retains an equal-weight rat
Read moreLondon midday: Markets boosted by economic data from Europe and China
24th Jan 2013 11:20
London's benchmark index was registering decent gains by Thursday lunchtime as earlier concerns about disappointing earnings from Apple were outweighed by better-than-expected economy data from Europe and China. Investors began today's session in a cautious fashion with the FTSE 100 struggling to
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