Margin pressures at Mondi
5th May 2011 07:02
Paper and packaging firm Mondi said price increases have been pushed through across all of its major product lines, contributing to the group's best quarterly performance for some time. Underlying profit in the first quarter of 2011 of €187m was well ahead of the figure for the corresponding period
Read moreThursday preview: BoE rate decision, Lloyds, Morrisons ...
4th May 2011 18:36
It is a big day for central banks on Thursday with the Bank of England and the European Central Bank both set to announce their interest rate decisions, though neither is expected to alter course ... yet. For the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), the pressure to lift interest rates
Read moreSector movers: Mondi boosts forestry and paper
21st Apr 2011 13:50
Paper and packaging firm Mondi is boosting the forestry and paper sector higher today after a kind word from RBS. The broker said - ahead of the group's first quarter statement due in two weeks - that it is expected to show "continued positive volume growth with price increases offsetting rising in
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Micro Focus drops after CEO exit
15th Apr 2011 12:53
The boss of software group Micro Focus International, Nigel Clifford, is leaving the company after just 11 months, sending shares plummeting. Oil firm Salamander Energy saw shares dropped by almost a tenth after its first stab at drilling the Dao Ruang-2 well in Thailand did not work out. The well
Read moreLondon open: Resource stocks wanted
15th Apr 2011 08:37
The Footsie is sidling back up towards the 6,000 level, with resource stocks leading the way after China's economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter. ENRC, Antofagasta and Lonmin are the picks of the mining sector while among oils Cairn and Tullow are the stocks to have. Betting shops
Read moreMondi completes refinancing
15th Apr 2011 06:59
Paper and packaging firm Mondi has signed a new €750m five-year revolving multi-currency credit facility to refinance its existing €1.55bn credit facility that was due to mature in June 2012. It's the second and final step in the group's refinancing; previously, the group had raised €500m through a
Read moreLondon pre-open: Modest recovery expected
15th Apr 2011 06:52
Stocks are set to open modestly higher with City traders predicting the FTSE 100 index will start around 17 points higher at 5,980. Betting shops and casinos operator Ladbrokes says the potential marriage with online gaming firm 888 is off. The two parties had been engaged in preliminary merger dis
Read moreLondon close: Shares in late dive
7th Apr 2011 16:43
Shares were little changed for much of the day as central banks in London and Frankfurt acted as expected, but another earthquake in Japan sent jitters through markets ahead of the close. The Bank of England kept its key lending rate unchanged. The European Central Bank, however, stuck to its scrip
Read moreLondon afternoon: FTSE 250 stocks take a bashing
7th Apr 2011 15:12
The blue-chip index moved into positive territory over the lunch time trading session as the Bank of England removed all doubt about its current focus on the health of the economy, rather than the inflation risk, and kept its key lending rate unchanged. The European Central Bank, however, stuck to
Read moreLondon midday: Shares unchanged after Bank holds rates
7th Apr 2011 12:21
Shares are little changed after the Bank of England kept interest rates unchanged at 0.5%. The decision was expected, while the ECB is expected to raise interest rates for the first time since they were slashed in the wake of the financial crisis. Turning to stocks, the retail sector has come back
Read moreLondon open: Nervous start ahead of rate decisions
7th Apr 2011 08:27
Shares are in nervous mode this morning ahead of rate decisions from the Bank of England (BoE) and the European Central Bank(ECB) later today. The BoE is expected to keep rates unchanged at a record low of 0.5%, but the ECB is expected to press ahead with its first rate rise since they were slashed
Read moreMondi to demerge S. African packaging arm
7th Apr 2011 07:51
Paper and packaging firm Mondi is to hive off its South African packaging business. Mondi will demerge Mondi Packaging South Africa (MPSA) as it believes MPSA's future growth plans, especially with regard to its rigid plastics business, are constrained by the Mondi Group's differing strategic focus
Read moreBramson vehicle buys more shares in F&C
15th Mar 2011 17:05
F&C Asset Management chairman Edward Bramson's investment vehicle SIGA LP has acquired more shares in the asset management company. Bramson was appointed chairman of F&C last month after a shareholder coup removed the previous incumbent, along with another non-executive, and appointed three new di
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: Mondi, Helphire, Lancashire
22nd Feb 2011 06:57
Mondi is one of those perennial biggest companies that rarely makes the headlines, but that may be about to change. The papermaker, which is listed in Britain and in Johannesburg, sits just outside the FTSE 100, but a whacking 111% increase in its full-year dividend to 20 cents yesterday and a renew
Read moreSector movers: Mondi growth boosts forestry stocks
21st Feb 2011 18:00
The forestry and paper sector flourished today as sector heavyweight Mondi posted a big rise in profits. The South African paper and packaging firm increased full year pre-tax four fold and upped its dividend as demand continues to pickup from financial crisis levels. Pre-tax profit rose to €372m
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