London open: Stocks flat on 'fiscal cliff' uncertainty
20th Dec 2012 08:33
The FTSE 100 was trading little changed on Thursday morning, taking a pause after coming close to its 52-week high the day before, with US 'fiscal cliff' concerns acting as a drag on sentiment. "In scenes reminiscent of the debt ceiling debacle of 2011 US markets slid back last night as the impasse
Read moreLancashire counts cost of Hurricane Sandy
20th Dec 2012 07:41
Insurance outfit Lancashire Holdings has estimated the impact Hurricane Sandy on the business will be in the region of 40m to 60m dollars. However, it added there was considerable uncertainty around this total and it could be revised. The firm said the preliminary loss estimate came from a combina
Read moreLondon close: Losses erased after 'optimistic' fiscal cliff comments
28th Nov 2012 16:43
Comments from US Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner about the 'fiscal cliff' saw the FTSE 100 rally in afternoon trading to finish broadly flat. Markets got off to a poor start this morning after Nevada Democrat Harry Reid said that "little progress" has been made so far on avoiding the f
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Kenmare falls on reduced production guidance
28th Nov 2012 15:18
Kenmare Resources, the titanium feedstock miner, was down after warning that as a result of production issues, it expects its full-year production to be lower than previous guidance of 630,000 tonnes of ilmenite and 50,000 tonnes of zircon. Insurance group Lancashire Holdings was another heavy fal
Read moreLondon midday: 'Fiscal cliff' concerns dampen markets
28th Nov 2012 11:41
- Comments from Harry Reid weigh on sentiment - Intel rumoured to be interested in ARM - Ex-div stocks provide a drag The FTSE 100 was trading firmly in the red on Wednesday, tracking US stocks lower overnight as the market's focus turns from Greece to the US 'fiscal cliff'. The main US equity ben
Read moreLondon open: Stocks fall as focus turns to 'fiscal cliff'
28th Nov 2012 08:31
UK stocks slipped in early trading on Wednesday, tracking US markets lower, as focus turned to the impending US 'fiscal cliff'. "European equities are trading lower this morning being pressured by a late sell-off in the US yesterday evening on fears that so far there has been too little progress be
Read moreWednesday broker round-up UPDATE
28th Nov 2012 07:26
ARM Holdings: Barclays Capital raises target price from 750p to 820p, overweight rating kept. Assura Group: Oriel Securities starts with an add recommendation. Espirito Santo moves target price from 37p to 37.50p, buy recommendation unchanged. Britvic: Deutsche Bank raises target price from 370p t
Read moreLancashire dishes out dosh after quiet quarter
8th Nov 2012 10:26
While sparing a thought for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Bermuda-based insurer Lancashire Holdings gave thanks for a relatively disaster-free third quarter. "With the third quarter producing little in the way of major losses, and with solid investment performance in choppy markets, we are please
Read moreLancashire launches new sidecar
6th Nov 2012 07:56
Insurance group Lancashire Holdings is to launch a fully collateralised Bermuda incorporated special purpose insurer, Saltire Re 1. The special purpose insurer, called a reinsurance sidecar in the insurance trade, will have capacity of up to $250m and the share capital will be owned by a syndicate
Read moreFriday broker round-up - UPDATE
19th Oct 2012 09:00
Aggreko: Jefferies keeps buy rating and 2,800p target; Seymour Pierce keeps buy rating and 2,500p target; Panmure Gordon cuts target from 2,228p to 2,159p, hold rating unchanged. Alliance Pharma: umps upgrades to buy, target lifted from 32p to 37p. Avacta: Panmure Gordon keeps buy rating and 1.75p
Read moreLondon open: Glencore leads fallers early on
29th Aug 2012 08:25
- Spain a concern as Catalonia needs aid - Markets await Bernanke - Ex-div Glencore a heavy faller early on Ex-div stocks and miners were weighing heavily on the FTSE 100 index in early trading on Wednesday morning with worries about Spain weighing on sentiment. It was revealed yesterday that the
Read moreAtkins CEO doubles shares after profit warning
3rd Aug 2012 16:45
Dr Uwe Krueger, the Chief Executive Officer of WS Atkins, the FTSE 250 design and engineering consultancy, doubled his stake in the company on the same day it was forced to issue a profit warning. Kruegar, who has occupied his role for one year, added another 10,000 shares to his previous holding
Read moreLancashire Holdings closes property business, COR remains strong
25th Jul 2012 11:02
Lancashire Holdings, the Bermuda-based insurance company, has closed its property and onshore energy businesses after loss ratios proved troubling. The decision to close these lines, along with the "facultative" operation will mean Lancashire can put capital into more profitable areas of the busine
Read moreWednesday broker round-up
25th Jul 2012 10:13
3i Group: Investec initiates with buy rating and 236p target. APR Energy: UBS cuts target from 690p to 590p, sell rating unchanged. British American Tobacco: Jefferies keeps buy rating and 3,730p target. British Land: Jefferies keeps buy rating and 552p target. BT Group: Jefferies maintains buy
Read moreBroker tips: Barclays, Insurers, Capco
2nd Jul 2012 12:18
Investec has reiterated its 'buy' rating and 240p target price for UK lender Barclays, saying that investors should take full advantage of the stock's recent underperformance. Analyst Ian Gordon from Investec said: "As things stand it is unclear whether Barclays 'successfully' manipulated LIBOR rat
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