QinetiQ suffers as governments dither
15th Jan 2010 07:46
Defence technology group QinetiQ has warned that the seasonally stronger second half will not happen this year due to a delay in orders from governments in both Britain and the US. Nothing's changed in the seven weeks since the company's November update when it reported 'short-term uncertainties in
Read moreLondon pre-open: More gains expected
23rd Dec 2009 07:35
Footsie is expect to notch up more gains as it continues its strong run ahead of the Christmas break. The release of the minutes from the most recent meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will have the usual suspects poring over the statement searching for clues to future
Read moreQinetiQ turns to Balfour Beatty
23rd Dec 2009 07:05
Support services contracting firm Balfour Beatty has won a facilities management contract from defence technology outfit QinetiQ. The seven year contract has a base-line value of £15m per annum, and will be supplemented with additional fees for non-core services. Balfour Beatty will be managing fa
Read moreThursday tips round-up: United Utilities, Britvic, WS Atkins
26th Nov 2009 06:37
On its financial performance, United Utilities' first half was largely in line with expectations. Recession has pushed down demand for water, particularly from industry, taking an estimated 4 per cent out of the group's revenues. It will be given two months to appeal against Ofwat's price review ru
Read moreLondon close: Footsie at one-week high
25th Nov 2009 16:06
Welcome results from Compass and investors' insatiable appetite for mining stocks helped London's blue chip index finish the session near the top of the day's range. A small improvement to the third quarter gross domestic product figure brought some relief. The Office of National Statistics said th
Read moreLondon afternoon: Compass leads London north
25th Nov 2009 14:01
A marginal improvement to the third quarter gross domestic product figures has lifted spirits in London, overshadowing some mixed corporate updates. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) said the UK economy shrank less than previously estimated in the third quarter, contracting by 0.3% between J
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie maintains lead
25th Nov 2009 12:09
Stocks are steady at lunchtime Wednesday as miners remain firmly on the front foot, while bid speculation is behind big gains at International Power. The hot money is on International Power at the moment, with investors betting that French utility GDF Suez will bid £6bn, or 400p-a-share, for the el
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Optimistic Atkins leads the way
25th Nov 2009 11:16
Design and engineering consultancy group WS Atkins is higher after it reported a 13% drop in first half profit but said it is well placed to make good progress in the second half of the year. Shares in Informa have recovered after falling yesterday when the publishing group said it was is in discus
Read moreLondon open: Good gains as miners rally
25th Nov 2009 08:43
Footsie has posted good gains in early dealings, despite a lower finish on Wall Street last night. Miners are again behind the rise, with an end to the brief rally by the dollar sending buyers in search of alternatives. Second liners Randgold and Kazakhmys are leading the way, but the gains are pre
Read moreLondon pre-open: Strong start expected
25th Nov 2009 07:36
Footsie is expected to post good gains in early dealings, despite a lower finish on Wall Street last night. Contract caterer Compass Group saw little growth in revenue when it declared full year results this morning, but pre-tax profit still showed a healthy rise on the back of a strong improvement
Read moreQinetiQ profits slip, orders delayed
25th Nov 2009 07:04
Defence technology group QinetiQ posted a slight fall in profits in the six months to September 30 and said some orders were being delayed in the UK and US amid uncertainty over government spending. Pre-tax profits fell to £45.1m from £45.9m over the same period the previous year as revenues climbe
Read moreLondon close: Shares end near session high
29th Oct 2009 16:23
London's top stocks closed near its session high on news that the US economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter. Traders loved news that the US economy grew 3.5% annually in the last quarter, more than expected and the fastest rate of increase in two years. Part-nationalised bank Lloyd
Read moreTechMark movers: e2v restructures balance sheet
29th Oct 2009 15:04
Electronic components manufacturer e2V Technologies has launched a £56m fund raising at the same time as reporting sharply lower underlying interim profits. The improved balance sheet offset worries about trading and the share price, which has been in decline in recent days, started to recover. De
Read moreLondon afternoon: Blue chips track US advance
29th Oct 2009 14:55
America's return to growth in the third quarter, stronger UK banks and a better mining sector have propelled London far into the blue Thursday. Traders loved news that the US economy grew 3.5% annually in the last quarter, more than expected and the fastest rate of increase in two years. Part-nati
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: CSR jumps as chip sales impress
29th Oct 2009 12:11
CSR, which makes chips for Bluetooth and Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, is sharply higher after third quarter results were better than expected. Pre-tax profits for the period totalled $10.7m compared with a $30.8m over the same period the previous year. Revenues climbed to $219.9m from $
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