London afternoon: Banks throw a Moody
6th May 2010 14:16
Footsie's morning gains evaporated over the lunch time session as fears over the debt crisis spreading from Greece reared up again. Banks were hit hard as ratings agency Moody's warned that the UK lenders are "at risk of Greek contagion". Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and even Asia-focus
Read moreRBS admits bankers pay is 'astonishingly high'
30th Apr 2010 11:06
Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) chairman thinks the salaries earned by top bankers are "astonishingly high", but says they're needed to stop good staff jumping ship. Sir Philip Hampton admitted to the BBC Today programme it was hard to defend multimillion pound pay cheques doled out to senior execut
Read moreThursday paper round-up: Eurozone crisis, BAE Systems, Goldman Sachs
29th Apr 2010 06:31
The crisis affecting the eurozone worsened yesterday when Spain's credit rating was downgraded less than 24 hours after Greece was sent into financial meltdown. Fear of contagion gripped Europe's financial markets when the debt rating agency Standard & Poor's cut the rating on Spain's sovereign bon
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Positive oils can't stop fall
28th Apr 2010 15:25
Strong figures from Royal Dutch Shell have also boosted the share price of fellow oil company BP but this has not been enough for FTSE 100 to hang on to positive territory. The banks, which were the worst performers earlier in the day, have recovered the majority of their earlier losses but remain
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie in positive territory
28th Apr 2010 14:40
The FTSE 100 is now in positive territory as heavily weighted index constituents such as Shell, BP, HSBC and Glaxo make headway, but the FTSE 250 index remains in the red. Higher oil prices helped Royal Dutch Shell post a sharp rise in earnings in the first quarter of 2010. Profit jumped to $4.9bn
Read moreRBS prepares for AGM pay vote
28th Apr 2010 12:26
Royal Bank of Scotland has begun its transition "from problem to opportunity", says chairman Philip Hampton, but all eyes will be on proposed revisions to the bank's controversial bonus scheme at this afternoon's AGM. In a statement published ahead of the meeting in Edinburgh, Hampton proposed to r
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks off the bottom
28th Apr 2010 12:13
Blue-chips are beginning to recover their poise, helped by demand for heavyweight oil stocks in the wake of better than expected results from Shell, and a positive reaction to results from Glaxo, released at noon. Higher oil prices helped Royal Dutch Shell post a sharp rise in earnings in the first
Read moreWednesday preview: Glaxo, Shell, Home Retail, RBS, Croda
27th Apr 2010 16:55
In what is sure to be a very busy day for corporate announcements pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline and Anglo-Dutch oil titan Royal Dutch Shell are likely to be two of the biggest, though press coverage of the AGM for part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland may consume an equal amount of
Read moreRBS to overhaul executive pay scheme
26th Apr 2010 14:50
Government-owned lender Royal Bank of Scotland has confirmed it will impose stricter criteria on its long-term bonus scheme for bosses. Shareholders will be asked to vote in favour of the new scheme, which will raise the target price that triggers payments from 50p, at Wednesday's annual meeting, t
Read moreLondon afternoon: RBS shakes off 'sell' note
26th Apr 2010 14:11
The Footsie moved sideways over the lunch time session, with the blue chip index remaining buoyed by the strength of miners and banks. Kazakhmys is wanted after it sold a 49% stake in its copper project Aktogay to Chinese company Jinchuan Group for $120m. Kazakhmys said the estimated development c
Read moreMonday's newspaper round-up: Tesco, Goldman Sachs, Gartmore
26th Apr 2010 06:32
Tesco, the supermarket chain, plans to develop four "mini-villages" in the South East along with "mixed-use living and leisure" schemes in Ipswich and northeast England. The schemes feature scores of homes, all near a Tesco store. The plans raise the prospect of people finding a home in a "mini-vi
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Goldman Sachs, ITV, RBS
25th Apr 2010 10:43
Goldman Sachs made big profits betting against the mortgage market even though it stated in its 2009 annual report to investors that it "did not generate enormous net revenues by betting against residential related products", according to initial findings of a Senate investigation into the bank, say
Read moreLondon close: Higher finish for FTSE 100
23rd Apr 2010 16:38
It was a typically quiet Friday on the company news front, but stocks posted good gains as investors took heart from the apparent stabilisation of the Greek debt situation. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has asked the European Union and the International Monetary Fund to activate their €45b
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Good day for most
23rd Apr 2010 15:11
It's good day for blue chips despite the problems in Greece.The number of FTSE 100 constituents in the red is in single figures. Prudential is one of them. It announced today that it would price its $20bn rights issue on 5 May while also seeking a listing in Singapore and Hong Kong to encourage som
Read moreLondon midday: Greece woes can't halt bulls
23rd Apr 2010 12:29
London's leading shares have barely blinked on the news that Greece has asked for the $45bn EU/IMF aid package to be activated. The news hit the Euro, but has had little impact on a strong morning for UK equities. Oil company BP said it is initiating a rapid response to clear up an oil spill follo
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