London open: Banks weigh on Footsie lower early on
30th Jan 2012 08:18
The FTSE 100 slipped towards the 5,700 level in early trade, with the banks providing a drag as investors digested the downgrade of five Eurozone nations and the ongoing talks in Greece. Fitch announced late on Friday to downgrade the ratings of five Eurozone nations - Italy, Spain, Belgium, Cyprus
Read moreLondon close: Stocks down on Greek concerns
24th Jan 2012 16:41
- Banks sold off as Greek talks continue. - S&P downgrades three French banks. - IMF cuts world GDP growth forecast. UK stocks were off their intraday lows but still finished firmly in the red on Tuesday, with global markets in negative territory as European leaders continue to argue over Greece
Read moreSector movers: GKN drops on military spending concerns
24th Jan 2012 15:44
The automobiles and parts sector was the worst performer of the day, with sector giant GKN providing a drag in afternoon trading. GKN, the industrial engineering giant, was trading down 3.5% on Tuesday, with reports connecting the fall to the plunge in Chemring's share price, the FTSE 250 military
Read moreLondon midday: Banks drag Footsie lower
24th Jan 2012 11:44
- Banks sold off as Greek talks continue. - S&P downgrades three French banks. - Defensives in demand. The banks had dragged London's blue chip index to its lowest levels of the day by lunchtime as eyes continued to be fixed on the Eurozone. While the attention seems to be mostly on Greece, the d
Read moreLondon open: Cairn, financials weigh on Footsie
24th Jan 2012 08:32
UK stocks fell in early trading on Tuesday, giving up some gains made yesterday, as talks in Greece continue to drag on. Despite banks and other private institutions represented by the Institute of International Finance (IIF) having presented yesterday what they considered to be their "maximum offe
Read moreAMEC, Babcock awarded extension to National Grid contract
11th Jan 2012 07:05
AMEC and Babcock's five-year Electricity Alliance West contract with National Grid has been extended by a further five years, the companies announced today. The contract - awarded to the joint venture between the two engineering firms and Mott MacDonald Group - involves the upgrade of overhead powe
Read moreFTSE 100: ENRC soars on dispute settlement
5th Jan 2012 13:22
Shares in Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) leapt on news it has settled a dispute with Canadian mining firm First Quantum over assets in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The two disgruntled companies have reached an agreement under which ENRC will pay First Quantum £1.25bn for the ma
Read moreNational Grid extends Balfour Beatty arrangement
5th Jan 2012 07:18
Infrastructure contractor Balfour Beatty announced its second contract win of a year that is less than a week old, with news of a five-year extension to its existing arrangement with National Grid. In a deal worth up to £750m, Balfour Beatty will continue maintenance and upgrade work on the UK elec
Read moreThursday broker round-up - UPDATE
22nd Dec 2011 08:21
Kingfisher: Credit Suisse reiterates outperform rating and 310p target. Next: Credit Suisse maintains outperform rating and 3,000p target. Marks & Spencer: Credit Suisse cuts target from 345p to 334p, neutral rating unchanged. Home Retail: Credit Suisse cuts target from 85p to 70p, keeps underper
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Aggreko extends gains, pharmas fall
20th Dec 2011 15:29
Temporary power supplier Aggreko was leading the gains on the FTSE 100 on Tuesday, as investors continue to celebrate yesterday's news that full-year profits should come in slightly ahead of previous guidance. Media stocks were also on the rise with advertising giant WPP among the best performers i
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie up 0.5% as miners rise
16th Dec 2011 11:47
The Footsie extended gains by midday, with miners leading the advance, despite some gloomy comments by leaders in the Eurozone. The blue chip index was trading just 27 points higher by lunchtime, up 0.5% at 5,427, while bourses in Europe edged lower. EUROZONE WORRIES CONTINUE France may have ente
Read moreLondon open: Miners provide a lift early on
16th Dec 2011 08:19
The Footsie opened moderately higher on Friday morning, with financials an miners providing a lift. Miners were among the best performers early on. In other news, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund has said that the world is facing similar threats seen in the Depression: "econ
Read moreNational Grid wins compensation but loses New York Contract
16th Dec 2011 07:36
Investors in National Grid, the international electricity and gas company, will be scratching their heads this morning as the firm announced $240m in deferred charges and storm compensation is coming their way. Unfortunately the firm has also revealed that it has lost the contract to operate the Lon
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks continue to fall, banks tumble
12th Dec 2011 11:49
The Footsie was trading just below the 5,500 level at midday, with banks and miners providing a drag on London's blue chip index. It seems that markets across Europe have given a lukewarm reaction to the 'fiscal compact' agreed by (some) EU leaders late last week, with indices in Paris, Frankfurt an
Read moreLondon close: Stocks up 7.5% on the week on euro hopes
2nd Dec 2011 16:39
London's Footsie pared gains in the afternoon but still finished the day nearly 1% higher as easing fears over the Eurozone crisis kept the blue chip index firmly in positive territory. Despite closing some 50 points below the best levels of the day, the Footsie has gained 7.49% over the last week,
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