Sunday share tips: Ashtead, Unilever, GB Group
24th Jun 2012 10:51
Ashtead hires construction equipment and has tapped into a trend of companies renting rather than buying plant in order to preserve their cash. It also continued to invest through the downturn, despite a slump in construction. As well, the company has one of the largest market shares of the fragment
Read moreLondon midday: Stimulus hopes drive gains
19th Jun 2012 11:28
- G20 to take 'all necessary policy measures' - UK, US stimulus hopes boost markets - Whitbread, Home Retail rise strongly UK stocks were trading near their highest levels of the day by lunchtime on hopes that the world's leaders can pull together to battle the global financial crisis. According t
Read moreLondon open: Whitbread, Home Retail provide a boost early on
19th Jun 2012 08:30
- Leaders to take 'all necessary policy measures' - Whitbread provides a lift on the Footsie after strong Q1 - Greece, Spain and FOMC in focus The FTSE 100 index advanced in early trading on Tuesday morning after euro members pledged to 'safeguard' the region. According to a leaked draft communiqu
Read moreMonday broker round-up - UPDATE
18th Jun 2012 08:20
Anglo American: UBS cuts target from 3,260p to 3,100p, buy recommendation maintained. Barclays: AlphaValue downgrades from buy to add, target kept at 230.2p; Nomura keeps neutral rating and 268p target. British American Tobacco: Citigroup retains buy rating. Essar Energy: Citigroup initiates cove
Read moreReckitt grabs final tranche of Russian joint venture
6th Jun 2012 11:06
Consumer goods firmReckitt Benckiser has exercised its option to acquire the final 25 per cent interest in Beleggingsmaatschappij Lemore BV, the Dutch holding company of its Russian joint venture, Medcom MP, from Abraca BV. The gross assets of the business on December 31st were £80.6m. The company
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Break-up, France, Bailouts
21st May 2012 07:16
When it comes to contingency planning for a Eurozone break-up, it is typically a German company that has been ahead of the game. Industrial conglomerate Siemens acquired a banking licence in December 2010. That allowed it to access directly European Central Bank funds, so cutting its exposure to swi
Read moreLondon close: US jobless data sparks late rally
10th May 2012 16:59
- US jobless claims boost buying late on - BoE keeps interest rates, QE unchanged - Miners shrug off China data as Greek concerns ease London's blue chips rallied in afternoon trade on Thursday after some better-than-expected US economic data and easing concerns about Greece helped to snap a three-
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Reckitt Benckiser down as major shareholder dumps shares
10th May 2012 15:40
Anglo-Dutch consumer goods firm Reckitt Benckiser was firmly lower after its biggest shareholder (JAB) sold around a third of its holding (4.9 per cent of the issued share capital of Reckitt). The share went at 3,350p a pop, raising a total of £1.2bn for JAB. Experian, the credit check and finan
Read moreLondon midday: Euro concerns weigh on stock, BoE maintains rates
10th May 2012 11:27
- BoE leaves interest rates, QE unchanged - Greece fails to form a coalition...again - Reckitt drops after shareholder sale Stocks were firmly lower by Thursday lunchtime as markets awaited a policy rate decision from the Bank of England. Concerns over the political uncertainty in Greece eased slig
Read moreReckitt's major shareholder offloads at 3,350p
10th May 2012 08:44
JAB, the biggest shareholder in Anglo-Dutch consumer goods firm Reckitt Benckiser, has sold around a third of its holding in the firm, seemingly to fund a takeover in the US. Vienna based outfit JAB's broker has placed 36m shares - equivalent to around 4.9% of the issued share capital of Reckitt -
Read moreReckitt reiterates target after forecast-beating quarter
1st May 2012 18:00
Like-for-like (LFL) sales growth, excluding the pharmaceuticals division, was slightly ahead of expectations at household goods giant Reckitt Benckiser in the first quarter of 2012. Net revenue rose 3%, or 4% at constant exchange rates, to £2,357m, some way ahead of market expectations of £2,180m.
Read moreTuesday preview: BP, Lloyds, IMPs ...
30th Apr 2012 16:01
There are plenty of big names reporting on Tuesday but the two most likely to catch they eye are BP and Lloyds Banking. Starting with integrated oil giant BP, recently returned to the dividend standard, Charles Stanley's Tony Shepard thinks first quarter net income will be flat at $5.4bn compared t
Read moreLondon close: Subdued finish for Footsie, but Vedanta jumps
24th Feb 2012 17:07
- Vedanta jumps on further speculation of restructuring in India. - Lloyds falls on tough outlook for 2012. - BoE's Fisher thinks outlook is 'incredibly uncertain'. The Footsie finished flat on Friday after the blue chip index swung between gains and losses in a tight range of just 20 points or so
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Hammerson rises on strategy rethink
24th Feb 2012 13:18
Property firm Hammerson caught the market on the hop with its decision to sell off all its office developments to focus on its retail assets, but with the employment situation looking bleak investors were quick to applaud the decision. The news sent the stock into the top spot despite a slump in pr
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie nudges higher ahead of US open
24th Feb 2012 11:49
- Lloyds falls on tough outlook for 2012. - Consumer product groups Unilever, Reckitt sold off. - BoE's Fisher thinks outlook is 'incredibly uncertain'. The Footsie was trading just a few points higher by midday on Friday, as a decline in consumer products stocks, miners and Lloyds was offset by a
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