London open: Big guns lift Footsie
2nd Nov 2010 08:55
Results from the big guns reporting this morning have generally been favourable, helping Footsie to notch up decent gains so far. Beleaguered oil giant BP comfortably beat third quarter profit forecasts though it has had to take an additional $7.7bn charge in respect of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill
Read morePharma and new markets lift Reckitt Benckiser
2nd Nov 2010 07:34
Dettol and Lysol maker Reckitt Benckiser lifted third quarter profits by a fifth and has raised it full year targets thanks to strong strong sales growth in developing markets and a full contribution from its prescription pharmaceuticals businesses. Revenues overall rose by 11% to £2.11bn in the t
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Royal Bank of Scotland, Serco, BHP Billiton...
31st Oct 2010 10:42
Royal Bank of Scotland is poised to reignite the row over banker pay by hiring a City dealmaker who sued his last employer for refusing to pay him a bonus. A new hiring spree in the group's controversial investment bank has led to the appointment of John McIntyre, the former head of global strategi
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Arm, Pearson, Braemar Shipping...
27th Oct 2010 06:43
When your shares are trading on more than 45 times' this year's earnings, a degree of investor nervousness is inevitable. So yesterday's plunge in ARM Holdings was more a case of the market trying to find reasons to sell and take some profits. ARM investors have had to live with sky-high valuations
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Greenland disappointment for Cairn
26th Oct 2010 14:02
Cairn Energy's failure to find a commercial discovery at either of its wells offshore Greenland has knocked the share price. A strong third quarter performance by chip designer ARM still left some investors thinking that the share price is ahead of events. There has been profit-taking in miners a
Read moreReckitt Benckiser shares fall as finance boss departs
22nd Oct 2010 15:57
Shares in Reckitt Benckiser fell after the household products group announced the departure of chief financial officer Colin Day. The company, whose portfolio includes French's mustard and Nurofen painkillers, said Day was leaving to focus on his portfolio of non-executive positions and other caree
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners head lower
22nd Oct 2010 14:56
Mining companies are leading the market down. Lonmin is the biggest loser with ENRC and Vedanta following it down. Reckit Benckiser is lower after it said that its finance director Colin Day is leaving after 10 years in the job. TUI Travel is recovering after yesterday's fall on its accounting
Read moreLondon close: Lower finish for FTSE 100
15th Oct 2010 16:38
London finished in the red heading into the weekend after Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's comments saying he sees the case for 'further action' to stimulate the US economy failed to stir up much excitement. 'There would appear - all else being equal - to be a case for further action,' Berna
Read moreLondon afternoon: BT boosted by government deal
15th Oct 2010 14:23
Leading shares are mixed with traders reluctant to take on big positions ahead of this afternoon's speech from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. The market is hoping that Bernanke will provide clues to the Fed's plans for a possible resumption of quantitative easing. Insurers and miners remai
Read moreLondon midday: Old Mutual sinks on HSBC withdrawal
15th Oct 2010 12:36
Insurers are leading the market lower on a day when investors are, in any case, reluctant to commit new funds ahead of this afternoon's speech from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. Citigroup has downgraded the insurance sector, prompting sharp mark-downs in the prices of RSA, Standard Life a
Read moreLondon open: Slow start for blue chips
15th Oct 2010 08:50
Footsie has made an unconvincing start to the day but has just about reversed the weaker trend seen at the death yesterday. Banks are going well and have recouped most of yesterday's losses. Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds are all in demand this morning. HSBC is ready to step away fro
Read moreLondon pre-open: Modest gains expected
15th Oct 2010 07:31
City sources expect the FTSE 100 index to open in positive territory, some 10 points up from last night's close. It may not be a convincing start to the day but at least it reverses the weaker trend seen at the death yesterday. Resolution, the insurance sector consolidator run by entrepreneur Clive
Read moreReckitt fined £10m after Gaviscon probe
15th Oct 2010 07:13
Reckitt Benckiser has been fined £10.2m for abuse of the dominant market position of its heartburn treatment Gaviscon in 2005. Reckit admitted infringing UK and European competition law by withdrawing and de-listing Gaviscon Original Liquid from the NHS prescription channel in 2005. The Office of
Read moreBroker snap: Nationwide Accident puts pedal to the metal
22nd Sep 2010 08:01
Interim results from car repairs outfit Nationwide Accident are expected to prompt house broker Arbuthnot to upgrade its earnings forecasts for this year and next. The profit before tax (PBT) forecast for the current year has been raised from £5.3m to £5.8m, while next year's projection is increase
Read moreLondon close: Footsie rallies amid US optimism
31st Aug 2010 17:00
Footsie gave up its poor start to close in the red after positive economic figures from the US. The latest survey on US consumer confidence came in ahead of expectations, easing fears over the state of the world's biggest economy. The reading on consumer confidence for August was 53.5, ahead of exp
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