FTSE 250 movers: Miners lower, WH Smith continues higher on franchise partner offers
17th Apr 2015 13:33
Mining stocks were trading lower, a result of widespread fluctuation in metal prices and Credit Suisse revealing that industrial metals performed poorly in March. Evraz, Vedanta Resources and Petra Diamonds were all in the red. Serco Group dipped as Fitch Ratings warned that the general election wou
Read moreLondon close: Greek default fears grip markets as UK stocks pull back from record
16th Apr 2015 16:51
Stocks finished lower on Thursday with UK markets retreating from a record high, as bonds yields in Athens soared on the back of concerns over a potential Greek default. London's FTSE 100 was down 36.33 points (-0.51%) by the close at 7,060.45. The index pulled back from Wednesday's all-time closin
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Debenhams surges on strong H1, Telecom Plus lower on profit warning
16th Apr 2015 13:41
Debenhams topped the risers after posting half-year results above its forecast, reversing a decline in sales over its financial first quarter. "Overall we delivered a good first half performance despite a difficult clothing season in Autumn and we are on track to achieve full year expectations," sai
Read moreLondon midday: Greek fears hit sentiment as stocks retreat ahead of US session
16th Apr 2015 11:54
Ongoing uncertainty over Greece gave investors an excuse to take profits on Thursday, with UK stocks pulling back from record levels ahead of what is expected to be a busy session in the States. "Fears over Greece continued to dominate Thursday morning, leaving the Eurozone indices in a sorry state
Read moreLondon open: Greek woes pull UK stocks back from record high
16th Apr 2015 09:13
London's stock market pulled back slightly on Thursday morning, with investors pausing for breath after a record-setting session the previous day. The FTSE 100 was down 0.19% at 7,083.32 in early deals, retreating from Wednesday's all-time closing high of 7,096.78. The index also set a record intrad
Read morePetra Diamonds plunges on profit warning
16th Apr 2015 08:30
Shares in Petra Diamonds plunged early on Thursday as the diamond mining group said its annual results are expected to fall below market expectations. The group blamed the expected shortcomings on the poorer diamond grades it found at its Cullinanin mine in South Africa, where production areas are i
Read moreThursday broker round-up
9th Apr 2015 11:58
Marks&Spencer: Cannacord Genuity reiterates hold and tweaks price target to 530p from 525p. Antofagasta: Credit Suisse reiterates neutral stance with a 710p target. BG Group: Citigroup reiterates buy and lifts target to 1,332p. Robert Walters: Credit Suisse reiterates outperform and improves targe
Read moreLondon close: Greek developments, central bank uncertainty keep UK stocks flat
19th Feb 2015 16:33
It was another subdued finish for London's stocks on Thursday as the market continued to fluctuate at a 15-year high on the back of mixed newsflow about Greece and uncertainty regarding global monetary policy. The FTSE 100 finished the session down just 0.1% at 6,888.90. The index has stayed broadly
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Petra Diamonds boosted by higher production guidance, Man Group stonger on upgrade
19th Feb 2015 16:00
Petra Diamonds topped the risers after raising its production guidance from 3.2m to 3.3m carats for the 12 months to 30 June. "Our expansion programmes are on track at all operations, and production is expected to grow to about 3.3m carats in 2015 and to about 5m carats by financial year 2019," said
Read morePetra Diamonds raises full-year guidance as market stabilises
19th Feb 2015 08:57
Diamond mining group Petra Diamond has raised production guidance from 3.2m to 3.3m carats for the 12 months to 30 June. The Jersey-based group saw first-half revenue rise 16% year-on-year to $214.8m (£138.9m), while profit before tax grew from $46m to $57.6m. "Our expansion programmes are on track
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: Petra Diamonds, Aveva
27th Jan 2015 21:25
Mining is a laborious process. It takes time to get at the precious stones and ores buried deep underneath our feet. Nevertheless, eventually it can be quite a lucrative undertaking. The same is true of stock in precious gems miner Petra Diamonds. The company is investing in new areas for mining and
Read moreLondon close: IAG gains, Tesco drops
26th Jan 2015 17:25
UK equities managed to finish the day higher despite the unexpectedly strong showing over the weekend for Greece's anti-austerity Syriza party, which almost won an outright majority. The top flight index ended the day 22.81 points higher at 6,855.64 points. Economists expect little volatility as a
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Petra Diamonds falls short of full-year profit expectations
26th Jan 2015 14:40
Diamond mine operator Petra Diamonds was trading lower after announcing that it may not meet analysts' expectations for full-year profits. Sales jumped by 16% in the first six months of the year to reach $214.8m. The increased sales in the period were in part thanks to the sale of two exceptional di
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks trip on lower copper and iron ore prices
26th Jan 2015 12:39
London stocks were underperforming their Eurozone peers slightly come midday as commodity prices took it on the chin. Over the weekend Greece's anti-austerity Syriza party came within a whisker of gaining an outright majority. Ironically, that meant that for now the worst political scenarios in the
Read moreLondon open: Stocks wavering as Economists less worried about Greek fallout
26th Jan 2015 09:18
London stocks started the morning moderately lower after Greece's anti-austerity Syriza party came within a whisker of gaining an outright majority in Sunday's elections, although various economists seemed sanguine that even under a worst case scenario the threat to the Eurozone as a whole was rathe
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