London close: FTSE ends with modest rise after ECB, BoE, US data
4th Sep 2014 16:59
The FTSE ended Thursday's session up 4.39 points following a busy day for investors around the globe, with rate decisions unveiled by both the Bank of England (BoE) and European Central Bank (ECB)The BoE's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep its main policy rate and the size of its asset
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Standard Life soars as BP dives on judge ruling
4th Sep 2014 16:38
Standard Life surged after saying that it has agreed to sell its Canadian operations for C$4bn (£2.2bn) to Manulife Financial and would return £1.75bn of this to shareholders. The two companies also made a collaboration agreement in principle for Manulife to distribute Standard Life Investments' pro
Read moreElliott supermarket inquiry warns of potential horsemeat repeat
4th Sep 2014 16:00
UK supermarket competition is so intense that the country is being at risk of another potential horsemeat scandal, a new government report has warned. The report, commissioned in the wake of last year's revelations that some supermarket 'beefburgers' contained high proportions of horsemeat, caution
Read moreSector movers: Tesco, Morrison lead supermarket stocks lower
4th Sep 2014 15:16
Supermarket stocks were under pressure on Thursday, continuing their recent choppy trade amid ongoing concerns about heightened competition, declining profits, dividend sustainability and a critical government into the industry. The Elliott Report, an inquiry into the industry launched as a result
Read moreBroker tips: Standard Life, Hargreaves Lansdown, Wm Morrison, Balfour Beatty, Supergroup
4th Sep 2014 13:00
Standard Life (SL) shares should "re-rate upwards" after the £2.2bn sale of its Canadian operations Manulife Financial, according to Deutsche Bank. The bank kept a 'buy' rating for the insurance stock and lifted its target price by 6% from 428p to 455p. "In addition to the high price achieved, we s
Read moreSantander downgrades Wm Morrison on "dividend dilemma"
4th Sep 2014 12:59
Santander has downgraded Wm Morrison from 'hold' to 'underweight', saying that the supermarket chain is facing a "dividend dilemma". Santander slashed its target price for the stock from 220p to 170p. Upcoming first-half results from Morrison on 11 September are expected to be "weak" though have b
Read moreLondon close: FTSE closes slightly higher after construction, US data
2nd Sep 2014 17:11
- FTSE closes up 3.86 at 6,829.17 - Construction PMI better than expected - US data impresses techMARK 2,859.07 +0.02% FTSE 100 6,829.17 +0.06% FTSE 250 15,965.43 +0.05% The FTSE ended Tuesday's session with a modest rise, as investors weighed better-than-expected construction data and looked ahea
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Weir upgraded, mining stocks gain
2nd Sep 2014 14:21
Engineering firm Weir Group was a high riser on Tuesday after Credit Suisse upgraded the shares from 'neutral' to 'outperform' and hiked its target price from 2,540p to 3,060p. The bank said that the stock offers "a better relative risk return profile" near term than sector peer IMI which it downgra
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks rise on UK construction data, ECB hopes
2nd Sep 2014 12:00
- UK construction PMI unexpectedly rises - Stimulus hopes high ahead of Thusday's ECB meeting - Weir lifted by Credit Suisse upgrade - Mining, supermarket stocks provide a lift techMARK 2,855.10 -0.12% FTSE 100 6,835.10 +0.14% FTSE 250 15,970.91 +0.09% UK stock rose for the third straight session
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: Scotland, Boris Island, Supermarkets
2nd Sep 2014 06:53
Scotland is within touching distance of independence, according to a poll for The Times which reveals that Alex Salmond's campaign to leave the United Kingdom needs only three more points to claim victory. With 16 days to go until millions of Scots vote in the referendum, a YouGov poll put support f
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: ITV a strong riser on bid speculation
1st Sep 2014 15:03
Shares in ITV were rising strongly on Monday on renewed speculation that Liberty Global could be preparing to launch a full-scale bid for the UK broadcaster. According to The Telegraph over the weekend, Liberty, which already owns a 6.4% stake in ITV through its investment in July, is "forming allia
Read moreLondon midday: Weak global manufacturing data weighs on UK stocks
1st Sep 2014 12:06
- Chinese, Eurozone and UK manufacturing PMIs fall - Markets looking ahead to BoE, ECB, US jobs data - Perform jumps on Access Industries offer techMARK 2,855.71 +0.16% FTSE 100 6,816.49 -0.05% FTSE 250 15,922.73 +0.23% Figures showing a manufacturing slowdown in China, the Eurozone and UK were we
Read moreLondon open: Stocks slip on Chinese data, Ukraine tensions
1st Sep 2014 09:11
- Chinese manufacturing PMIs disappoint - Ukraine tensions high after Putin calls for "statehood" - Perform shares jump on Access Industries offer techMARK 2,857.65 +0.23% FTSE 100 6,811.96 -0.11% FTSE 250 15,922.03 +0.23% Weak economic data from China and ongoing geopolitical tensions in Ukraine
Read moreLondon close: FTSE ends higher after data-heavy day
29th Aug 2014 17:23
- FTSE 100 closes up 13.95 at 6,819.75 - UK consumer confidence up - House prices inch higher techMARK 2,851.08 +0.17% FTSE 100 6,819.75 +0.20% FTSE 250 15,885.72 -0.16% The biggest London-listed stocks ended the week on an upbeat note after data-heavy session around for the UK, the Eurozone and t
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Supermarkets provide drag after Tesco issues profit warning
29th Aug 2014 15:46
Shares in Tesco fell sharply on Friday after the supermarket giant announced it expects profits to fall by as much as 27% this year and its interim dividend to be cut by 75%. New boss Dave Lewis, who due to take over from Philip Clarke, will now join the group one month earlier than planned on 1 Sep
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