London close: Markets finish lower despite mining strength
12th Aug 2013 16:44
Markets were choppy on Monday with early gains on the FTSE 100 being erased by the end of trade as traders reacted to mixed newsflow from Asia and Europe. Even a strong performance in the heavyweight mining sector wasn't enough to push the London benchmark into positive territory today, with Financ
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Prudential lifts H1 profits
12th Aug 2013 15:00
Higher income from the US and growth in Asia boosted first half operating profits at insurer Prudential by 22 per cent to 1.415bn pounds. The shares surged to the highest level since at least 1988 as the group raised its interim dividend 16 per cent to 9.73p per share. Silver miner Fresnillo and Ra
Read moreLondon midday: Markets fall on low volumes, Japan data
12th Aug 2013 11:52
In spite of a decent start, the FTSE 100 had swung into the red by Monday lunchtime, with analysts citing low volumes and weaker-than-expected economic data from Japan. Asian markets were mixed overnight with Chinese benchmarks performing well on an improved outlook in China, while Tokyo's Nikkei w
Read moreLondon open: Miners, RBS lead markets higher early on
12th Aug 2013 08:17
Markets edged higher in early trading on Monday as stocks reacted to an improving outlook in China and shrugged off disappointing economic figures from Japan. Sentiment surrounding China brightened last week as better-than-expected trade figures, strong industrial production data and subdued inflat
Read moreMarks & Spencer's clothing sales decline slows
8th Aug 2013 10:36
Marks & Spencer's (M&S) clothing sales fell 0.9 per cent year-on-year in the 24 weeks to July 7th, according to figures from Kantar Worldpanel. However the decline of sales in the hard-hit division slowed compared to a 3.0% drop in the 24 weeks to June 9th. The data also showed that M&S's market s
Read moreLondon close: Gains limited ahead of central bank decisions
30th Jul 2013 16:41
Caution ahead of a number of central-bank policy decisions kept gains on equity markets to a minimum on Tuesday, with the FTSE 100 finishing slightly higher as traders digested a barrage of corporate earnings. The outcome of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting will be in focus on Wednesday, t
Read moreLondon midday: Markets rise on earnings, Gfk data
30th Jul 2013 11:39
Markets edged higher on Tuesday morning as traders reacted to a barrage of corporate earnings and data which showed that German consumers were at their most optimistic in six years. The GfK's forward-looking consumer confidence survey for Germany rose from 6.8 to 7.0 in August, its highest levels s
Read moreBroker tips: WPP, Next, Weir
30th Jul 2013 11:18
Nomura has maintained its 'buy' rating and 1,300p target price for advertising and media group WPP, saying that the tie-up of rival firms Publicis and Omnicom could be good for the UK-listed company. While the merged company will have a dominant positive in the creative and marking services industr
Read moreBroker snap: Panmure hikes target price for Next
30th Jul 2013 11:14
Panmure Gordon has hiked its target price for Next by a tenth and kept its 'buy' rating for the stock after the High Street retailer's decent second-quarter update and increase to profit guidance. Brand Sales in the second quarter were up 2.4%, which Panmure said was broadly in line with forecasts
Read moreLondon open: Markets higher as traders digest mixed earnings
30th Jul 2013 08:50
Strong gains for GKN, ITV, Weir and Next helped push London's FTSE 100 into positive territory on Tuesday morning, offsetting weakness from the likes of Barclays and BP. Meanwhile, markets across Europe were also doing well early on as investors reacted to upbeat earnings reports from French heavyw
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks seen higher, Barclays in focus
30th Jul 2013 07:40
The FTSE 100 is expected to open higher on Tuesday as markets react to earnings reports from a number of heavyweight banks across Europe, including UBS, Deutsche Bank and Barclays. Asian markets performed well overnight, but stocks on Wall Street broadly fell as investors turned cautious ahead of a
Read moreNext lifts guidance after smaller End of Season Sale
30th Jul 2013 07:24
High Street clothing and homeware retailer Next met sales guidance in the first half but has raised its profit forecasts for the full year after a strong trading performance ahead of its End of Season Sale. Nevertheless, Next did warn about sales volatility as consumers become more "spontaneous in
Read moreBroker snap: Nomura turns bullish on UK retailers
16th Jul 2013 09:25
Nomura has lifted its view on the UK retail sector from 'neutral' to 'bullish', even though the category has outperformed the wider market so far this year. The broker said that lower taxes and high social security - "hardly a recipe for confident spending" - have propped up disposable income over
Read moreFriday broker round-up UPDATE
5th Jul 2013 08:09
African Barrick Gold: Nomura lowers target price from 200p to 155p, while upgrading from reduce to buy. Barclays: Bank of America reduces target price from 410p to 370p, while leaving its buy recommendation unchanged. BHP Billiton: Investec ups target price from 1919p to 1926p maintaining a buy re
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Financials rise, offset weakness amongst miners
26th Jun 2013 14:18
Gains in the financial sector were offsetting falls in the mining sector on Wednesday as bargain hunters stepped in following recent falls. Aberdeen Asset Management, Schroders, Resolution and Prudential, four stocks that have been hit hard by market volatility over the last month, were among the to
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