Sector movers: AMEC, Hunting drag oil services sector lower
25th Aug 2011 15:41
Underwhelming results from sector giants, AMEC and Hunting, meant that the oil equipment, services and distribution sector was the worst performing sector on Thursday afternoon. FTSE 100 firm AMEC, which provides engineering and project management services to the oil and gas markets, fell nearly 4.
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks back in the red as Lloyds gives up gains
4th Aug 2011 12:05
Stocks are back in the red now after giving up this morning's partial recovery. Investors have turned sour on Lloyds Banking's results having earlier applauded them. The headline items are a £3.2bn provision for potential claims relating to the mis-selling of payment protection insurance, and under
Read moreNichols predicts strong improvement as sales fizz
4th Aug 2011 11:28
Shares in Nichols were fizzing after the maker Vimto and other soft drinks predicted full year profits would be "significantly ahead" of the previous year after a strong first half. Pre-tax profits in the six months to 30 June rose to £7.2m from £6m on revenues that climbed to £50.5m from £44.2m.
Read moreNichols fizzing despite raw material concerns
10th Mar 2011 13:51
Fizzy drinks group Nichols is confident on 2011 prospects after an "outstanding" 2010, though rising raw materials prices did warrant a brief mention in the company's statement. The Vimto maker saw pre-tax profits jump to £14.8m from £11.9m in 2009 on revenues that rose to £41.7m from £36.2m. Nicho
Read moreLondon close: Snow deluge buries Footsie
6th Jan 2011 16:43
Footsie succumbed to the growing list of businesses hit by the snow over the Christmas holidays and closed lower for the first time this week. December's snowfalls cost British Airways about £50m in the third quarter and a little more at the start of January. BA, due to complete its £5.7bn merger w
Read moreLondon afternoon: Winter woes fail to hold back FTSE 100
6th Jan 2011 14:51
It's three out of three days of gains so far this year for the top share index, with the impact of snow on retailers and other businesses over the Christmas failing to hurt overall sentiment. Miners such as gold group Randgold and industrial metals specilists Vedanta Resources and Xstrata are wante
Read moreLondon midday: New highs for FTSE 100
6th Jan 2011 12:12
The top share index is posting gains for the third day in a row and is trading at levels not seen since May 2008. Gold miner Randgold leads the mining sector higher as the price of gold stabilises. Vedanta Resources and Xstrata are the other stand-out stocks in the sector. It is chip designer ARM
Read moreNichols to beat expectations as sales fizz
6th Jan 2011 07:44
Nichols, the soft drinks group behind the fruity beverage Vimto, expects profitability for the full year to be ahead of current market expectations after the strong performance of the first half continued into the second. Full year 2010 revenues are once again well ahead of internal plans, with op
Read moreLondon close: Rally falls short
4th Aug 2010 16:50
The FTSE 100 briefly made it into positive territory in the afternoon session but that only lured out more sellers and the blue-chip index closed slightly down on the day. Shares in Next remained in the doghouse all day, not so much because of the performance in the first half of its financial yea
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks start to recover
4th Aug 2010 12:08
Leading share prices have come off the bottom but the FTSE 100 remains in arrears, following mixed news on the corporate front. Shares in Next are sharply lower. The fashion retailer has noticed a 'cooling' in consumers' demand in recent months, but still expects profits this year to rise by betwee
Read moreNichols profits fizz as sales soar
4th Aug 2010 11:52
Soft drinks group Nichols saw profits climb by 39% in the half year to June 30 as sales stayed strong despite uncertain economic conditions. The Vimto maker posted a pre-tax profit of £6m, up from £4.3m in the same period the previous year, as revenues jumped to £44.2m from £37.5m. 'Our very stron
Read moreMARKET TALK: Britvic Reports A Robust Update - Shore
23rd Jul 2010 08:06
0706 GMT [Dow Jones] Britvic's (BVIC.LN) trading statement shows a resilient performance and is a robust update, says Shore Capital. Says underlying British, international and Irish businesses see revenue growth for the quarter of 6.9% against the prior year. Notes that management remains cautious a
Read moreSector movers: Miners buck the downward trend
21st May 2010 14:07
Unusually for a day that has seen the FTSE 100 sliding more than 100 points, miners are in demand. The sector has been helped by a slight improvement in metals prices, which comes after a week of sharp declines. FTSE 100 mining stalwarts such as Xstrata, Fresnillo and Rio Tinto are wanted. But sh
Read moreNichols boss to raise a glass to strong trading
20th May 2010 12:39
Soft drinks group Nichols' chief executive John Nichols is bullish on the company's prospects for 2010 following a strong start to the year. Following a strong year in 2009, momentum at the Vimto maker has continued into the current year. 'Sales in the new financial year, despite strong comparativ
Read moreLondon close: Market unmoved by Budget
24th Mar 2010 16:49
The blue-chip index finished marginally higher after a Budget that was light on bells and whistles While there was little in the Budget to excite anyone other than first-time buyers, cider drinkers and British occupants of Dominica, Grenada and Belize, the corporate news scene was busy, with half
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