PZ Cussons to create Nigeria food business
20th Dec 2010 08:12
PZ Cussons is expanding its food and nutrition business in Nigeria despite difficult trading conditions in the west African country. The company best known in Britain as a soap-maker is establishing a food ingredients business as a joint venture with the large Asian agribusiness Wilmar Internationa
Read morePZ Cussons trading in line as Asia shines
9th Dec 2010 07:34
Soap group PZ Cussons says trading in the first half of its financial year has been in line with expectations with strong momentum in Asia helping to offset weakness in Europe. Conditions in the UK are 'very competitive with high levels of promotional activity continuing', the owner of the Imperia
Read moreLondon close: Late slip sends Footsie lower
27th Sep 2010 16:43
After a sluggish day that saw shares mostly hovering around the zero mark, Footsie finished lower, in line with weakness in other markets. Worries over the Eurozone debt situation were at the fore again, sending shares in mainland Europe and the US lower, after the rating agency Moody's downgraded
Read moreLondon afternoon: Back to square one
27th Sep 2010 14:20
The market really can't make up its mind today, with the Footsie now back at Friday's closing level after opening firmer and then turning lower this morning. Unilever is the best performer. The household products group is paying $3.7bn (£2.3bn) in cash for America's Alberto Culver, adding the TRESe
Read moreLondon midday: Blue-chips turn south
27th Sep 2010 12:06
Investors with portfolios weighted towards second-liners are happier than those more exposed to blue-chip stocks, as the FTSE 100 turns south while the FTSE 250 pushes ahead. Wolseley, supplier of goods to the plumbing and heating trade, is to shift its tax base to Switzerland and resume paying div
Read moreLondon open: Gains continue
27th Sep 2010 08:55
Equities have extended Friday's near-1% rally following huge gains on Wall Street and triple-digit advances in the Far East. In company news, Wolseley, the supplier of goods to the plumbing and heating trade, is to shift its tax base to Switzerland and resume paying dividends. Although revenue for
Read morePZ Cussons buys fake tan firm
27th Sep 2010 07:34
Consumer products group PZ Cussons is to buy fake tan products specialist St. Tropez Holdings. The Imperial Leather soap owner is paying £62.5m to private equity group LDC to get its hands on St. Tropez which has a product range that includes lotions, mousses, sprays and other products serving cons
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: BAE Systems, AB Foods, CSR...
14th Sep 2010 06:50
BAE shares have been poor performers since the start of 2009 and various analysts believe the fall has been overdone. Further clarification in the spending review might set nerves at rest, but for now BAE shares sell on a relatively inexpensive seven times this year's earnings with the buttress of
Read moreLondon close: Strong run continues
13th Sep 2010 16:42
Shares continued rising Monday as they reacted positively to new banking regulations and Chinese economic data. London is up for the fourth session in a row and trading higher for the eleventh day out of twelve, up at a new four-month high. Stocks haven't been this high since 30 April. Banks were
Read moreLondon afternoon: Buyers buzzing
13th Sep 2010 15:27
The leading index is near its best levels of the day following a strong start on Wall Street, fuelled by new Basel III bank rules and impressive Chinese factory output. London is up for the fourth session in a row and trading higher for the eleventh day out of twelve, up at a new four-month high. S
Read moreLondon midday:Miners and banks lift index
13th Sep 2010 12:20
London's strong start to the day has continued with banks, miners and the odd sprinkling of bid talk giving buyers lots to bite on. Banks are among the top risers after a less stringent than feared Basle III decision by the European banking body. Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds are both in demand
Read moreLondon open: Banks spur strong start
13th Sep 2010 08:38
Blue chips have moved higher first thing, extending last week's three-day winning streak to a fourth session following Basle III and bullish data out of China. Markets in the Far East surged following news that Chinese industrial production jumped a better than expected 13.9% year on year in August
Read morePZ Cussons cautiously optimistic for FY
13th Sep 2010 07:23
Soap maker PZ Cussons said it remains cautiously optimistic for the full year despite uncertainty about the global economic outlook and difficult trading conditions in some markets. The maker of Imperial Leather said the group's overall performance for the first quarter to 12 September 2010 was is
Read moreLondon close: Lead slashed as miners fail
27th Jul 2010 16:37
A big chunk of the morning's hard-fought gains went up in smoke late in the session as an early rally on Wall Street quickly turned into nothing. Miners were the main culprits. All the big guns gave back big leads mid-afternoon following stronger-than-expected US home-price data that helped the dol
Read moreLondon afternoon: Basel boost for banks
27th Jul 2010 14:32
Banking stocks have wrenched attention away from BP this morning, with the major UK banks lifted by strong figures from European peers Deutsche Bank and UBS and also by rumours that banking regulator the Basel Committee is set to lower its minimum capital and liquidity requirements. Barclays, Lloy
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