London midday: Stocks amble higher
18th Dec 2009 12:10
Leading shares are mixed with a slightly firmer bias, helped by the strength of resource stocks. Gold miner Randgold Resources leads the mining sector higher as the gold price stabilises after falling heavily overnight. Elsewhere in the sector BHP Billiton, Kazakhmys and Antofagasta catch the eye.
Read moreLondon open: Footsie shrugs off bank weakness
18th Dec 2009 08:45
London's blue chips have opened higher despite another weak showing from the banks after harsher than expected recommendations from the Basel Committee yesterday. Shares in all four fell heavily yesterday on the news and Barclays, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Chartered are all lower
Read moreBanks shares suffer on more curbs threat
18th Dec 2009 08:19
Shares in banks came under pressure for a second day as investors mulled the prospect of lower future profits and dividends after the latest recommendations from the Basel Committee of central bankers. Lloyds, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland all fell again as the committee, seen as a overseeing
Read moreUK close: FTSE 100 closes higher
16th Dec 2009 16:43
Footsie ended with gains as better than expected UK unemployment figures lifted sentiment. The number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell for the first time since February 2008 in November amid further signs the UK economy is beginning to recover from the economic downturn. The claimant
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks lack direction
16th Dec 2009 14:30
Leading shares are mixed, with the Footsie dipping a toe into negative territory despite better than expected UK unemployment figures announced this morning. The number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell for the first time since February 2008 in November amid further signs the UK economy
Read moreLondon midday: Data gives blue chips a boost
16th Dec 2009 12:14
Footsie is maintaining most its early gains after some better-than-expected unemployment data. The number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell for the first time since February 2008 in November amid further signs the UK economy is beginning to recover from the economic downturn. The claim
Read moreWednesday newspaper round-up: Royal Bank of Scotland, British Airways, BSkyB
16th Dec 2009 06:34
The taxman took another swipe at City bankers on Tuesday, closing a scheme that allowed wealthy individuals to cut their tax bills by claiming tax relief on charitable donations. The move comes days after Alistair Darling caused uproar in the City by introducing a one-off 50% tax levy on bankers'
Read moreLondon close: Losses narrow
15th Dec 2009 16:33
Top shares fought back late afternoon to halve losses, but most financial issues stayed lower, while oil plays also ended friendless. Turmoil in the Greek banking sector since credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded the country's sovereign debt last week continued to hurt. Barclays and HSBC were am
Read moreRBS stresses need to pay bonuses
15th Dec 2009 12:57
Royal Bank of Scotland chairman Philip Hampton today insisted the lender needed to pay 'commercial' bonuses to reward staff, but denied reports that the board threatened to walk out over government limits to pay-outs. 'Contrary to a number of media reports, there have been no threatened mass resign
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: RBS boosted as board play down quit threat
15th Dec 2009 12:19
Royal Bank of Scotland is having a good day after the bank's plan to join the toxic asset protection scheme was rubber stamped at the EGM. Chairman Philip Hampton today insisted the lender needed to pay 'commercial' bonuses to reward staff, but denied reports that the board threatened to walk out o
Read moreSector movers: Transportation stocks buoyant
15th Dec 2009 11:57
One of the most buoyant sectors today is industrial transportation, in spite of a sharp fall in the share price of Interbulk. The container operator saw pre-tax profits in the year to 30 September fall to £3m from £4.6m over the same period the previous year on revenues that slipped to £232.5m fro
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: British Airways, Bonus tax, Google
15th Dec 2009 06:28
Almost one million air passengers face travel chaos over Christmas after British Airways cabin crew voted for a 12-day strike starting on December 22. The dispute, which will cost the loss-making BA hundreds of millions of pounds, threatens to intensify, with unions planning more mass walkouts. Un
Read moreLondon close: Financials lift Footsie
14th Dec 2009 16:58
Footsie began the week with good gains as the day got off to a strong start following news that Abu Dhabi is to bail out its troubled fellow Emirate Dubai. Investors piled into LSE, Standard Chartered and HSBC as the threat of possible huge bad debts recedes. An upgrade by Credit Suisse, which hi
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie up over 1%
14th Dec 2009 14:52
The UK's leading shares are finding plenty of support after a strong start on Wall Street and the Dubai bail-out. Investors have piled into LSE, Standard Chartered and HSBC as the threat of possible huge bad debts recedes. An upgrade by Credit Suisse, which highlighted the low exposure to Dubai a
Read moreLondon midday: Dubai gives general boost
14th Dec 2009 12:11
London's bue chips are still posting healthy gains, helped by the decision of Abu Dhabi to bail-out Dubai, its financially embarrassed neighbour. LSE, Standard Chartered and Royal Bank of Scotland are up on the Dubai news, which should lift the cloud of possible huge bad debts hitting the sector.
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