London midday: Stocks advance as Cyprus re-opens banks
28th Mar 2013 11:42
After a shaky start, the FTSE 100 was making decent gains by Thursday lunchtime ahead of a raft of economic data from the States later on, as sentiment was lifted by the reopening of banks in Cyprus. Nevertheless, gains are expected to moderate as traders refrain from building big positions ahead o
Read moreLondon open: Markets open cautiously ahead of Easter weekend
28th Mar 2013 08:21
UK stocks opened tentatively on Thursday morning with the focus once again turns to Cyprus as banks re-open with capital controls in place to prevent worried depositors from clearing out their accounts. While markets have opened in a positive manner, gains are expected to moderate as traders refrai
Read moreNational Grid earnings ahead of forecasts as new divi policy is revealed
28th Mar 2013 07:24
FTSE 100-listed electricity and gas group National Grid has unveiled a new dividend policy which is to apply from April 1st 2013. The group said that the new policy would aim to grow the ordinary dividend at least in line with the rate of RPI (Retail Price Index) inflation each year for the forese
Read moreLondon close: Gains erased as Cyprus puts bank levy back on the table
22nd Mar 2013 16:47
Stocks trimmed gains on Friday afternoon on the back of ongoing developments in Cyprus as politicians desperately scramble to come up with a 'Plan B' to raise the funds needed to secure financial assistance from the Troika. Nevertheless, markets maintained their positive bias on hopes that a deal c
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: BT group lifted by Nomura upgrade
22nd Mar 2013 15:23
BT Group rose after Nomura upgraded the stock to 'buy', raising its target price from 290p to 360p, citing positive news flow from the company's upcoming restructuring plan, and a "solid" launch of BT Sport, which it believes will "override noise on union wage negotiations and the widening of the pe
Read moreLondon midday: Markets cautious on critical day for Cyprus
22nd Mar 2013 11:47
European stocks were making moderate gains on Friday morning but the mood on financial markets was cautious with the focus firmly on Cyprus ahead of pivotal day for the country's future in the Eurozone. According to government spokesman Christos Sylianides this morning, the "next few hours" are key
Read moreLondon midday: Banks, miners drop after controversial bailout deal in Cyprus
18th Mar 2013 11:44
Markets were in risk-off mode on Monday morning as fears over the Eurozone debt crisis resurfaced after a deal to bail out Cyprus sparked a run on banks across the country. Banks and miners were bearing the brunt of the sell-off in London after Cyprus' €10bn bailout deal with the Troika - a move in
Read moreBroker tips: UK banks, Prudential, National Grid
18th Mar 2013 11:07
Nomura has reviewed its ratings in the UK banking sector, reiterating its preference for emerging markets-focused lenders HSBC and Standard Chartered, both rated 'buy'. The broker said it continues to have a "defensive/growth bias" within the sector and believes that both HSBC and StanChart are "we
Read moreBroker snap: JPMorgan upgrades National Grid as divi risk alleviates
18th Mar 2013 09:13
JPMorgan Cazenove has upgraded its recommendation for energy company National Grid from 'underweight' to 'neutral', saying it is now the lowest risk stock in the UK utilities sector. The broker said that National Grid's £2.0bn hybrid securities issuance "alleviates some of the tightness in credit m
Read moreLondon close: Stocks gain as US economic data impresses
28th Feb 2013 16:23
An upwards revision to US economic growth estimates prompted an afternoon rally in London, with markets extending gains after some dovish comments from central bankers in the US and Europe. Concerns about a recession in the States proved premature, as the initial estimate of a 0.1% contraction in U
Read moreLondon midday: RBS, miners limit gains on the Footsie
28th Feb 2013 11:45
Markets were lifted higher on Thursday morning by upbeat comments about central bank stimulus, though heavy losses from RBS and a number of miners were limiting gains for the FTSE 100. Speaking to Senate's Banking Committee on Capitol Hill over the last two days, US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Ber
Read moreLondon open: Stocks gain as central bankers back stimulus
28th Feb 2013 08:28
Stocks were making solid gains on Thursday morning after the heads of central banks in the US and Europe defended their current easing policies. Speaking to Senate's Banking Committee on Capitol Hill over the last two days, US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke defended the Fed's asset purchase
Read moreNational Grid upbeat after agreeing to Ofgem's price controls
28th Feb 2013 08:01
Utilities group National Grid said on Thursday that it has agreed all of the UK RIIO price-control arrangements proposed by gas and electricity regulator Ofgem, which it hopes will deliver further shareholder value. The RIIO model, which stands for Revenue = Incentives+Innovation+Outputs, was desig
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: ITV climbs on takeover speculation
18th Feb 2013 15:42
ITV rose on continuing speculation that the group is close to a takeover. The stock has been the subject of market chatter to that effect on a number of occasions in recent times. With rather more substance, ITV's family net advertising revenues (NAR) could rise by between 8% and 14% in March accord
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: National Grid, Petra Diamonds
30th Jan 2013 07:00
At 5.8 per cent National Grid pays the highest dividend of any company on the FTSE 100. However, can the company fund the upgrades the country needs and continue to pay a decent dividend to shareholders. Further complicating matters, the firm is in negotiations with Ofgem over a new pricing regime,
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