London open: Retailers brighten the mood
4th Nov 2009 08:51
Good news from two major retailers has boosted sentiment with a late rally on Wall Street also helping the mood. High street giant Marks & Spencer produced interim results right at the top of expectations, with underlying profits rising slightly as food sales improved for a fourth quarter in a row
Read moreNext ups sales guidance
4th Nov 2009 07:01
Fashion chain Next has upped its guidance for second half sales up to Christmas Eve after reporting better than expected sales in the third quarter. Retail like-for-like sales dropped 1.3% in the three month ended 31 October, while directory sales were up 5.1%, with both Next Retail and Next Direct
Read moreLondon pre-open: Marks sparks rally
4th Nov 2009 06:57
The firmer trend of yesterday afternoon is expected to continue at the outset today, with good news from two major retailers also boosting sentiment. Traders expect the FTSE 100 to open some 33 points higher at 5,070. High street giant Marks & Spencer produced interim results right at the top of
Read moreWednesday preview: M&S, Next, Firstgroup
3rd Nov 2009 16:20
The Investor Day presentation by High Street giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) on 13 October backfired, with investment analysts underwhelmed by the presentations from senior executives, some of whom are jostling for position in the contest to succeed Sir Stuart Rose as chief executive officer next year.
Read moreLondon close: Late swoon by Footsie
30th Oct 2009 16:52
Mining stocks proved a major millstone around Footsie's neck today while end of the month position closing also contributed to a fall of almost 2% on the blue-chip index, a decline that was mirrored on Wall Street. The US market gave back most of yesterday's gains in the morning session after US co
Read moreLondon afternoon: Shire provides some cheer
30th Oct 2009 14:19
Footsie dipped into the red over the lunch-time session, as Wall Street opened lower. Metal prices are in retreat, prompting investors to bail out of mining stocks, including precious metals miners such as Fresnillo and Randgold. Among base metal miners, Kazakhmys and Lonmin are the worst perform
Read moreLondon midday: Retailers lifted by consumer confidence
30th Oct 2009 12:12
Insurers and miners are hampering the Footsie's progress today, but outside of these two sectors most blue-chips are on an upward trajectory, helped by some decent news on the economy. Economic data released Friday shows that UK consumers are more confident now than at any time in the last 21 mont
Read moreBroker tips: Income stocks, miners
23rd Oct 2009 13:13
US bank Citigroup has been casting its eye on income shares and reckons the sectors to focus on are telecoms and insurance, which look cheap when compared to banks and utilities. The US bank says UK equities still look good value on a dividend basis, and highlighted telecoms giant Vodafone and mini
Read moreBroker snap: Look to equities for income, Citi says
23rd Oct 2009 13:11
US bank Citigroup has been casting its eye on income shares and reckons the sectors to focus on are telecoms and insurance, which look cheap when compared to banks and utilities. The US bank says UK equities still look good value on a dividend basis, and highlighted telecoms giant Vodafone and mini
Read moreLondon afternoon: Retailers sag after sales data
13th Oct 2009 14:26
Leading shares remain mixed, with the Footsie easing back into the red over the lunchtime session. Retailers are out of sorts despite some moderately optimistic news from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) concerning retail sales. The BRC said annual retail sales growth in September accelerated to
Read moreLondon close: Flat finish for sluggish Footsie
9th Oct 2009 16:31
Footsie ended the week without any real sense of direction, holding onto gains posted earlier in the week. Vedanta Resources was the weakest stock in a soft mining sector after Goldman Sachs said Vedanta's aluminium, zinc and iron ore facilities were lower than Goldman had expected. Lower industri
Read moreLondon afternoon: Vedanta leads miners lower
9th Oct 2009 14:29
Mining stocks remain a proverbial albatross round the market's neck, dragging the Footsie below last night's closing level despite some interest in consumer stocks. Vedanta Resources is the weakest stock in a soft mining sector after Goldman Sachs said Vedanta's aluminium, zinc and iron ore facilit
Read moreLondon midday: Flat morning for Footsie
9th Oct 2009 12:05
London ended the morning session flat with good demand for consumer stocks offsetting some profit taking among mining shares Losses on mining stocks such as Antofagasta, Vedanta and Kazakhmys have lengthened during the session as metal prices remain on a downward trajectory. Gold has fallen back f
Read moreLondon open: Consumers help Footsie progress
9th Oct 2009 08:45
Footsie has shrugged off some profit taking among the miners and more bank weakness to open higher, with consumer stocks leading the way. Gains for Whitbread, Kingfisher and Next are helping Footsie push on despite Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland. Both state-controlled banks have been unsettled b
Read moreComment: The Post-Lehman Landscape
19th Sep 2009 11:53
This week marked the anniversary of the demise of US investment banking giant Lehman Brothers and the collapse of insurance behemoth AIG, two events that threatened to bring about the implosion of the world's financial system. Yet, here we are, a year later and the UK's major stock indices have stru
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