London close: Stocks higher despite remarks from German minister
1st Aug 2012 16:30
UK investors were in the mood to accentuate the positive on Wednesday, focusing on some solid trading updates and shrugging off disappointing manufacturing data. UK manufacturing production fell at its fastest pace in over two years in July, recording substantial declines in output and new orders.
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners head lower on poor data
1st Aug 2012 15:28
Mining stocks spent the day in the doghouse as China's manufacturing data provided no more encouragement for bulls of the sector than did the UK's. Russian steel giant Evraz turned lower on the data, as did miners Randgold, Vedanta, Fresnillo and ENRC, the last mentioned after a run of the mill pr
Read moreNext: sunshine on a rainy day
1st Aug 2012 13:32
It's hardly surprising that retailer Next has been amongst the strongest risers on the FTSE 100 today. It's about as hard to find a retailer trumpeting strong results as it is a solitary ray of sunshine at the moment. Yet this is precisely what Next did this morning, announcing strong growth in it
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie shrugs off PMI disappointment
1st Aug 2012 11:51
Footsie ended the morning close to its highest level of the day, despite UK manufacturing data giving investors pause for thought earlier on. UK manufacturing production fell at its fastest pace in over two years in July, recording substantial declines in output and new orders. Markit's Purchasi
Read moreLondon open: Stormy times for Cape
1st Aug 2012 08:42
London has got off to a quiet start, with investors adopting a wait-and-see attitude ahead of today's completion of the meeting of the US Federal Reserve's policy making committee. "It seems hope and sentiment for further stimulus from the US Fed Chairman and the ECB [European Central Bank] Preside
Read moreOnline and catalogue sales drive Next
1st Aug 2012 07:06
Strong growth in Next's online and catalogue business helped the retailer achieve sales that were at the top end of its expectations. Total sales for the first half were up 4.5% against last year, the firm said, topping its prediction of growth between 1% and 4%. Like-for-like sales came in at 2%,
Read moreWednesday preview: Standard Chartered, Next, house prices
31st Jul 2012 15:53
Banks have had a torrid time of it this year and, for that matter, the previous three or four years as well, but emerging markets focused operator Standard Chartered has emerged from the 'baker-bashing' era largely unscathed. Just over a month ago the bank indicated that it had made a strong start
Read moreFriday broker round-up -UPDATE
27th Jul 2012 09:54
African Minerals: Goldman Sachs upgrades to buy. AG Barr: Investec reiterates buy recommendation and 485p target; Shore Capital downgrades to hold; N+1 Brewing downgrades to hold. AstraZeneca: Nordea downgrades to sell. Barclays: Investec maintains buy rating and 240p target. BG Group: UBS cuts
Read moreBroker tips: BG Group, Next, Halfords
19th Jul 2012 11:22
Credit Suisse has downgraded its rating for natural gas giant BG Group from 'outperform' to 'neutral', saying that the market has yet to full appreciate the transitional challenges that the group faces in the upstream cycle. "We are particularly concerned about the key area of growth - Brazil - giv
Read moreBroker snap: UBS ups Next target ahead of Q2 results
19th Jul 2012 11:21
UBS has raised its target price for High Street fashion and homeware retailer Next from 3,250p to 3,500p and reiterated its 'buy' rating on the stock ahead of its second-quarter results. "We believe Next may have escaped the worst impact of the weather in Q2. Budgets and stock levels are traditiona
Read moreThursday broker round-up
19th Jul 2012 09:43
Afren: JP Morgan Cazenove reiterates overweight. Avocet: Westhouse Securities upgrades to buy. Barclays: Goldman Sachs upgrades to neutral, target cut from 250p to 220p. BG Group: Credit Suisse downgrades from outperform to neutral, target cut from 1,660p to 1,500p. British American Tobacco: Inv
Read moreLondon close: Stocks surge after US data
27th Jun 2012 16:40
- US data fuels buying late on - EU summit in focus tomorrow - Xstrata appeases shareholders, Barclays rises despite 'market manipulation' London's blue chip index surged in afternoon trade on Wednesday after some upbeat housing data from the US lifted sentiment ahead of the crucial two-day EU summ
Read moreLondon midday: Investors braced for EU summit
27th Jun 2012 11:39
- Markets still nervous ahead of summit - Chinese stimulus fuels stocks - Shire and banks lead Footsie higher UK stocks rose on Wednesday as investors hoped that the upcoming EU summit in Brussels will answer some of the uncertainties that continue to cloud the global economic outlook. The summit
Read moreLondon open: Stocks edge higher ahead of EU summit
27th Jun 2012 08:24
- Caution ahead of the EU summit - Merkel still against eurobonds - Chinese stimulus speculation does the rounds Stocks rose moderately on Wednesday morning though the mood was still cautious with the focus on the upcoming EU summit in Brussels. "With European equity markets having been confined t
Read moreWednesday broker round-up
20th Jun 2012 09:21
Burberry: Nomura maintains buy recommendation and 1,530p target. Chariot Oil & Gas: Merchant Securities keeps buy rating and 232p target. Home Retail: HSBC downgrades to neutral, target cut from 110p to 100p. Imagination Tech: UBS cuts target from 480p to 470p, neutral rating unchanged. Internat
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