Buy-to-let boom drives Paragon renaissance
24th May 2011 17:47
Talk of a strong revival in the buy-to-let market gained credence when mortgage lender Paragon announced interim profits increased by more than a third. Profit before tax in the six months to the end of March rose 34.8% to £39.5m from £29.3m at the half-way stage the year before. Underlying profi
Read moreLondon close: Modest gains for FTSE 100
24th May 2011 16:47
Stocks finished in the blue although off earlier highs and the gains were modest against yesterday's losses. In company news, high street stalwart Marks & Spencer eased even after it said it was winning market share in both clothes and food sales as it posted pre-tax profits in line with expectati
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 on the ascent
24th May 2011 12:04
Shares are still in positive territory, but the gains are modest compared to yesterday's slide. Higher commodity prices are boosting the likes of South American copper miner Antofagasta and South African platinum miner Lonmin. The banking sector is under pressure though, with Moody's considering d
Read moreLondon open: Shares win back some losses
24th May 2011 08:29
The top share index has made a modest recovery following yesterday's slide, with mining stocks setting the pace. Higher commodity prices are boosting the likes of South American copper miner Antofagasta and South African platinum miner Lonmin. The banking sector is under pressure though, with Mood
Read moreBuy-to-let market grows 7%
10th Feb 2011 12:16
The buy-to-let market grew by 7% in 2010, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), as loan performance improved strong rental demand continues. There are 1.3m buy-to-let mortgages worth £152bn and that accounts for 12% of the whole mortgage market. The value of lending in 2010 rose 22%
Read moreParagon buoyed by rental market
27th Jan 2011 11:04
A strong housing rental market showed through in specialist buy-to-let mortgage lender Paragon's latest figures with underlying quarterly profits of £18.1m and a pre-tax total of £18.7m. Arrears over the three months to December were 83 basis points (76bp excluding the acquired portfolio), continui
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Mixed day for retailers
29th Nov 2010 15:49
Retailers are mixed today, with baby products group Mothercare a top riser, but department store Debenhams in the red. With company news thin on the ground today, stocks that updated the market last week are some of today's big movers. Buy-to-let mortgage lender Paragon, which reported a sharp in
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Balfour Beatty climbs after pension agreement
26th Nov 2010 15:45
Investors in infrastructure specialist Balfour Beatty applauded its agreement with the trustees of the company's pension fund to tackle the company's £375m pension fund deficit. Retail-related stocks are also in demand, with baby products group Mothercare, grocery delivery firm Ocado and fashion gr
Read moreLondon close: US jobs data lifts sentiment
24th Nov 2010 16:44
Footsie put its early uncertainty behind it to close with good gains, helped by strong jobs figures from the US which cheered global markets following the jitteriness of the last couple of days. First-time jobless claims fell by a bigger than expected 34,000 to 407,000 in the week ended 20 November
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Paragon results impress
24th Nov 2010 15:39
Paragon is a top riser today. The buy-to-let mortgage lender reported a sharp increase in full year profit on strong rental demand, a decrease in its provision for losses and as the turmoil of the credit market crisis continues to fade. Oil related stocks are higher after strong US jobs data bright
Read moreLondon afternoon: Rolls celebrates another big order
24th Nov 2010 14:36
Barely a dozen or so FTSE 100 constituents are in the red today as the blue-chip index sets about clawing back some of the losses of the last two days, despite continued concerns about the Irish debt crisis and the military tensions in Korea. Better than expected jobs data from the US put investors
Read moreBroker tips: Compass, Paragon, Afren
24th Nov 2010 13:03
Charles Stanley expects Compass Group to reinvest in growth and deliver steady margin expansion as it is well placed for significant structural growth opportunities in both food and support services around the world. The contract caterer's organic revenue growth improved from 0.4% in the first half
Read moreLondon midday: Shares holding on
24th Nov 2010 12:24
Shares remain in the blue after some well-received company updates this morning, although the euro crisis is still looming in the background. Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has cut its debt rating for Ireland as the Irish government puts the finishing touches to a four-year plan to
Read moreBroker snap: Bright future for Paragon
24th Nov 2010 11:09
With funding sources now available again for Paragon, KBC Peel Hunt sees a bright future for the buy-to-let mortgage lender. Final results came in marginally ahead of September guidance while the net asset value (NAV) per share at the end of September, at 234p, was slightly ahead of the 229p the br
Read moreLondon open: Footsie opens higher
24th Nov 2010 08:46
London has opened better than expected thanks to a rebound by the miners and a smattering of good trading updates. There has also been some easing of tension in Korea, though not in Europe where the EU is heaping pressure on Ireland to agree to its bail-out. UK banks are weak again becasue of the
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