FTSE 100 movers: Imperial Tobacco beats expectations
2nd Nov 2010 12:54
Cigarettes maker Imperial Tobacco topped market forecasts with its full year profits, and sharply reduced its debt. Adjusted profit before tax in the year to 30 September rose 10% to £2,467m from £2,233m the year before. The market had pencilled in a figure of £2.320m. Net debt was reduced by £1.5
Read moreLondon open: Footsie charges higher
1st Nov 2010 08:32
High demand for banks and miners got the week off to a good start, offsetting weakness in the outsourcing sector. Banks are going well as trading updates loom. Lloyds Banking Group is getting ready for tomorrow's statement with a 2% jump, while Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC are also making up gr
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 moreLondon open: Light selling hits Footsie
26th Oct 2010 08:43
Footsie has run into light selling as the earnings season hits a brief lull before the heavyweights start to appear at the end of the week. The boom in mobile devices using ARM Holdings' intellectual property was largely responsible for a sharp rise in the chip designer's third quarter profits. Rev
Read moreLondon close: Miners keep Footsie in the blue
25th Oct 2010 17:04
Were it not for the strength of miners today Footsie would undoubtedly have ended in the red, as many share prices experienced a late swoon. Miners were wanted on expectations that the US dollar will suffer a relapse after the G20 agreement over the week-end that should, if adhered to, bring an end
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 moreFriday newspaper close: BAE, Gilts, BHP Billiton...
22nd Oct 2010 06:44
Taxpayers will have to pick up the £2.6bn bill for the controversial aircraft carrier that will never carry jets because Gordon Brown agreed an "unbreakable" contract designed to protect shipbuilding jobs in Scotland. Under a 15-year agreement signed with BAE Systems, the Labour Government guarant
Read moreLondon close: Footsie closes lower after China rate hike
19th Oct 2010 16:39
Shares fell in the afternoon after a surprise hike in rates in China took investors by surprise and the leading share index finished firmly in the red. The People's Bank of China upped its one-year deposit rate to 2.5% from 2.25%, while the lending rate has been hiked to 5.56% from 5.31%, with effe
Read moreLondon afternoon: Chinese rate rises prompt sell-off
19th Oct 2010 14:24
Having drifted aimlessly during the morning session shares turned briskly south over lunch after China made surprise changes to some of its interest rates. The People's Bank of China upped its one-year deposit rate to 2.5% from 2.25%, while the lending rate has been hiked to 5.56% from 5.31%, with e
Read moreLondon midday: Tech titans' fortunes differ
19th Oct 2010 12:03
London had a subdued morning with investors reluctant to jump too far in one direction ahead of tomorrow's release of the meeting notes from the most recent Monetary Policy Committee chin-wag. There has been some excitement in the tech sector, however, after yesterday's blockbusting results from Ap
Read moreLondon open: Flat start ahead of review
19th Oct 2010 08:50
London has recovered from an early blip as investors get ready for tomorrow's comprehensive spending review. Banks are largely responsible for the revival with Barclays, Standard Chartered and RBS all ahead. Autonomy is flat even though chief Mike Lynch said growth prospects for the data search so
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Old Mutual slides on abortive disposal
15th Oct 2010 14:30
Old Mutual has been hit by the news that HSBC is not going ahead with the purchase of a controlling stake in South African bank Nedbank from the insurer. Old Mutual, RSA Insurance and Standard Life have all been hit by downgrades from Citigroup. In contrast, banks are recovering after yesterday's
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 close: Weak end to dull day
14th Oct 2010 16:35
Leading shares closed lower on a poor day for the banks and a tumble for African Barrick. Fears that Standard Chartered's rights issue yesterday could be the start of a flood of cash calls unsettled Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays. Metal prices are back on the rise as the dollar heads
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie bottoms out
14th Oct 2010 14:17
Leading shares trod water over the lunchtime session, leaving Footsie still stranded in the red. Banks remain in the doldrums. Fears that Standard Chartered's rights issue yesterday could be the start of a flood of cash calls has unsettled Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays. Metal prices
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