Four Persimmon directors sell shares
26th Mar 2015 16:19
Several directors at Persimmon sold some of their shares in the housebuilding group. The company said the four directors, including finance director Mike Killoran and chief executive Jeff Fairburn, sold the shares to settle tax liabilities on their recent exercise of share options. In total, the di
Read moreBudget preview: Osborne's expected pre-election pledges
17th Mar 2015 16:15
On Wednesday, George Osborne announces his pre-election Budget, with several industries expected to see major proposals to woo voters and businesses. The Chancellor will deliver his budget speech to the House of Commons at 12:30, around a week before parliament adjourns ahead of May's general electi
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rebound after sell-off as markets eye Fed meeting
16th Mar 2015 08:30
UK stocks gained on Monday as investors hunted for bargains following a sharp slide in the value of the FTSE 100 over the last week. Ahead of a busy week for financial markets worldwide, the Footsie was up 0.4% at 6,767.46 early on. The index had lost 2.5% over the past five sessions on the back of
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: BHP higher after beating forecasts, Meggitt hit by falling profits
24th Feb 2015 12:59
Mining giant BHP Billiton jumped after beating forecasts with a less-than-expected decline in earnings in the first half. Underlying operating profits fell 12.3% year-on-year to $14.49bn, compared with consensus forecasts of $13.62bn. The group also pledged to keep its dividend policy unchanged desp
Read moreBroker tips: HSBC, GKN, Persimmon
24th Feb 2015 12:40
UBS has downgraded HSBC from 'buy' to 'neutral' after Monday's disappointing 2014 results, saying that revenue momentum at the bank lost steam in the fourth quarter. It also said HSBC's capital position disappointed and foresees "at least another two years of de-leveraging ahead". The broker lowered
Read moreLondon pre-open: Flat start expected with Greece, Yellen in focus
24th Feb 2015 07:49
UK stock markets were expected to open more or less flat on Tuesday morning as investors awaited details on a bailout extension request from Greece and comments from Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open just a few points higher than Monday's close of 6,912.
Read morePersimmon accelerates cash return and sees "supportive backdrop" for housing
24th Feb 2015 07:09
After delivering an outstanding set of results, in line with expectations, housebuilder Persimmon announced it was further accelerating its return of cash to shareholders. Boosted by a solid start to 2015, with the private sales rate per site 5% stronger than the prior year for the first eight weeks
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Standard Life lifted by results, IAG down with a bump
20th Feb 2015 13:59
Insurance giant Standard Life surged after beating forecasts with a 19% increase in annual operating profit before tax from continuing operations to £604m, while the total dividend was lifted 7.8% to 17.03p per share. The recent acquisition of Ignis also helped it to increase assets under administra
Read moreLondon midday: Eurozone data and Greek optimism push UK stocks higher
20th Feb 2015 11:43
UK stocks neared an all-time high on Friday morning after upbeat data on the Eurozone economy, as investors showed optimism ahead of an emergency meeting about Greek debt. Markets mostly shrugged off weak economic data from the UK, where retail sales fell more than expected in January. London's FTS
Read moreLondon open: Standard Life, energy stocks support markets ahead of Greek meeting
20th Feb 2015 08:42
UK stocks edged higher on Friday morning on the back of well-received results from Standard Life and gains in the oil sector as investors awaited a pivotal meeting about Greek debt later on. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.06% at 6,892.72 early on. The index has remained broadly flat over the last three
Read moreSector movers: Redrow and Reckitt give household sector a lift
11th Feb 2015 14:51
Well-received results from builder Redrow and consumer products group Reckitt Benckiser meant the household goods and home construction sector was the best performer in London on Wednesday. Redrow's share price had surged over 12% to 333p by the afternoon session after the company impressed with a s
Read moreBroker tips: AstraZeneca, Laird, Housing stocks, Oil prices
9th Jan 2015 11:43
AstraZeneca's drug pipeline is still "under-appreciated", according to UBS which hiked its target price for the stock by 10% on Friday. The bank said it sees a number of "blockbuster opportunities" for the pharmaceutical group in the near term, as it lifted its target for the shares from 5,000p to 5
Read moreHousebuilders suffer as brokers downgrade on valuations grounds
9th Jan 2015 08:56
Broker Jefferies was one of several to cut ratings on almost all the homebuilders, with Barratt Developments, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Bovis Homes and others downgraded on the view that valuations were becoming too stretched. There has been a steady decline in mortgage approvals in recent months, w
Read moreBroker tips: Tesco, Persimmon, M&S, Interserve
8th Jan 2015 11:51
After an "unimaginatively bad 2014", things are starting to improve at supermarket giant Tesco after a much better-than-expected Christmas trading performance, according to analysts at Shore Capital. Shore retained its 'hold' recommendation for investors, but said that measures being taken by new ch
Read moreCredit Suisse downgrades Persimmon, cuts targets for housebuilders
8th Jan 2015 11:07
Credit Suisse has downgraded its rating for Persimmon from 'neutral' to 'underperform', saying that the shares are overvalued, at the same time that it has cut its target prices for stocks across the UK housebuilding sector. "There has been a lot to like about the Persimmon equity story in recent ye
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