Reckitt has potential but valuation too high, says Exane
16th Jun 2014 10:16
Exane BNP Paribas has upped its target price for consumer products group Reckitt Benckiser but has kept a cautious stance, saying that the stock's valuation is too high. The bank said "a new Reckitt is emerging" with Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals (RBP) likely to be shortly spun off. "The bull
Read moreLondon open: Investors take profits after FTSE 100 hits four-week high
10th Jun 2014 08:28
- Markets retreat after global stocks hit record highs - FTSE 100 pulls back from highest close since May 14th - Imperial Tobacco leads consumer staples higher techMARK 2,853.93 -0.12% FTSE 100 6,852.30 -0.33% FTSE 250 16,178.50 -0.25% UK stocks retreated from a four-week high on Tuesday as invest
Read moreLondon close: Stocks end week on strong note after US jobs report
6th Jun 2014 16:59
- Markets upbeat after US jobs data - Asset managers lead gains - Consumer staples and defensives unwanted techMARK 2,851.59 +0.95% FTSE 100 6,858.21 +0.66% FTSE 250 16,232.90 +1.48% Equities ended the session clearly higher, bolstered by a more or less in-line US non-farm payrolls report. Never
Read moreSector movers: Defensive stocks fall as US data boosts risk appetite
6th Jun 2014 14:17
Consumer-staple stocks were bearing the brunt of an increase in risk appetite on Friday as decent economic data from the States lifted sentiment. The all-important monthly US non-farm payrolls report, which has partly prompted investor caution over the past few sessions in London, came in ahead of
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks up ahead of non-farm payrolls, UK trade data worsens
6th Jun 2014 11:32
- Markets upbeat ahead of US jobs data - UK trade deficit at highest level since November - ECB still in focus - M&A speculation surrounds Smith & Nephew, Centrica techMARK 2,844.51 +0.70% FTSE 100 6,831.30 +0.26% FTSE 250 16,137.01 +0.88% A worse-than-expected increase in the UK trade deficit cou
Read moreLondon close: Supermarkets lift FTSE to end week on positive note
16th May 2014 16:59
- FTSE closes up 14.92 points at 6,855.81 - Comments from Asda, Morrison bid speculation, lift supermarkets - Eurozone trade surplus narrows - US consumer confidence falls techMARK 2,745.29 -0.45% FTSE 100 6,855.81 +0.22% FTSE 250 15,397.92 -1.40% Blue chips managed to end the week on a positive n
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Morrison leads on bid speculation
16th May 2014 15:15
Morrison was today leading the upside, driven by market chatter around a potential bid for the group by a US-led private equity consortium. According to the Daily Mail's market report, such a bid could total around 6.4bn pounds in cash. Sector peers Tesco and Sainsbury were also lifted by the news
Read moreSage Chairman makes most of lower share price after CEO retirement news
9th May 2014 16:14
Sage Chairman Donald Brydon has purchased 15,000 shares in the company following the surprise announcement of the retirement of its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by March next year. The FTSE-100 software firm saw its shares spiral following the news, despite it also reporting a 5% increase in half
Read moreThursday newspaper round-up: Housing, Barclays, Reckitt Benckiser
8th May 2014 07:05
HSBC said it was on alert for the Bank of England to intervene in the housing sector amid growing concern that a collapse in the booming London market could threaten Britain's economic recovery. The bank's finance director, Iain Mackay, said: "What we are all are all waiting for or perhaps wondering
Read moreBayer buys Merck's consumer care arm for 14.2bn dollars
6th May 2014 16:46
German drug group Bayer has won the race to buy rival Merck's consumer care business for 14.2bn dollars, edging out the UK's Reckitt Benckiser. The deal announced on Tuesday is thought likely to make Bayer, which invented aspirin and makes Canesten anti-fungal creams, the second biggest over-the-co
Read moreReckitt Benckiser ends Merck acquisition talks
30th Apr 2014 20:26
Consumer products giant Reckitt Benckiser (RB) announced after hours on Wednesday that it was no longer in talks with Merck to buy the US pharmaceutical company's consumer health business. The FTSE 100 company said: "Further to the announcement of April 28th, that RB was in discussions with Merck,
Read moreReckitt Benckiser confirms Merck consumer unit talks
29th Apr 2014 09:46
Consumer products group Reckitt Benckiser confirmed late on Monday that it was in talks to acquire the consumer health arm of European healthcare giant Merck. The FTSE 100 group, which owns such 'superbrands' as Scholl, Nurofen, Cilit Bang, French's mustard and Dettol, said it understood it was "pa
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: AstraZeneca soars on Pfizer bid interest
28th Apr 2014 14:40
AstraZeneca was the day's stand-out performer, up by more than 15 per cent this afternoon after US pharma giant Pfizer confirmed that it had made a 'preliminary, non-binding indication of interest' regarding a possible merger in January. The 60bn pound proposal was rejected by AstraZeneca's board bu
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Russian sanctions, Reckitt, Kiev
28th Apr 2014 07:08
BP and Shell are facing an extremely delicate situation as the G7 prepares to launch another wave of sanctions against Russia. They may be forced to reduce their operations or freeze certain commercial ties with the country. Those new measures may come as soon as Monday unless the Kremlin takes imme
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Reckitt Benckiser, Tesco
17th Apr 2014 07:30
Consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser's first quarter results may have satisfied market expectations and its consumer health business - its main engine for growth - is doing well enough, with revenues growing by 11 per cent during the most recent reporting period. As well, the firm is aiming to flo
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