London afternoon: Resource stocks lead the way
1st Jul 2009 14:29
Resource stocks lead the market higher after the second half of the year got off to a good start following better than expected factory output data. The CIPS/Markit manufacturing purchasing managers' index rose to 47 in June from 45.4 the month before and a gloomy 34.9 in February. Most of the top
Read moreStanChart and ANZ said to buy RBS assets
1st Jul 2009 14:17
Standard Chartered and ANZ, Australia's fourth-largest lender, are reportedly in advanced talks to buy separate parts of Royal Bank of Scotland's Asian assets. The Financial Times is quoting people familiar with the matter as saying that Standard Chartered could snap up RBS assets in China, India a
Read moreLondon close: US economic data hits Footsie
30th Jun 2009 16:26
It looked like another flat day for the FTSE 100 heading into the second half of the year until shares took a sharp dive following some unappetizing economic date in the US. The US Conference Board's index of consumer sentiment fell to 49.3 in June, down from a revised 54.8 in May. Economists had b
Read moreLondon afternoon: Prices drift lower
30th Jun 2009 15:24
London continues to sleepwalk to the end of the month, with prices drifting lower in light trading after Wall Street opened in negative territory. With the oil futures contract edging steadily higher, heavy fuel users such as airline British Airways and cruise operator Carnival are on the slide. I
Read moreLondon midday: Marking time
30th Jun 2009 12:10
Leading equities are treading water on the last day of the month, quarter and half-year. Wolseley is one of the best performers after chief executive Chip Hornsby stepped down with immediate effect to let Ian Meakins take the helm at the building supplies group. Hornsby, who leaves after 27 years
Read moreLondon open: Blue chips head south
30th Jun 2009 08:54
London has opened lower despite a good showing on Wall Street overnight and interest in the banks this morning. Wolseley is the best performer as chief executive Chip Hornsby has stepped down with immediate effect to let Ian Meakins take the helm at the building supplies group. Hornsby, who leaves
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds, Candover
30th Jun 2009 06:13
Neelie Kroes, the European Union competition commissioner, is on Tuesday set to warn UK banks for a second time within a week that they may have to make disposals as a condition for the granting of state aid. Ms Kroes's tough message to the British Bankers' Association conference emphasises the ha
Read moreLondon close: Late gains lift Footsie
29th Jun 2009 16:50
After a rather sluggish start to the day, Footsie ended with chunky gains, helped by buoyancy on Wall Street. Lloyds Banking topped the list of risers after Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the shares from "neutral" to "buy" and added them to its "conviction buy" list. Goldman Sachs has also lif
Read moreLondon afternoon: Financials spearhead the advance
29th Jun 2009 14:21
Banks and insurers lead the way as London continues its steady advance. Lloyds Banking tops the list of risers after Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the shares from "neutral" to "buy" and added them to its "Conviction Buy" list. Goldman Sachs has also lifted its target price from 61p to 107p, af
Read moreLondon midday: Lloyds leads banks higher
29th Jun 2009 11:51
Risers outnumber fallers by around three to one among Footsie constituents, as the index pushes ahead despite weakness among miners. Lloyds Banking tops the list of risers after Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the shares from "neutral" to "buy" and added them to its "Conviction Buy" list. Goldm
Read moreLondon close: Stocks finish in the red
26th Jun 2009 16:25
London's leading shares finished in the red by close as Wall Street remained in negative territory. Insurer were down with Friends Provident, Prudential and Legal & General lower while miners Eurasian Natural Resources, Rio Tinto and Vedanta were also down. The banks are in a healthier condition
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie in red
26th Jun 2009 14:13
London has slipped into negative territory, led by insurers and some wayward miners, while Wall Street is seen starting lower. Friends Provident, Prudential and Legal & General are among the biggest fallers, joined by Eurasian Natural Resources, Rio Tinto and Vedanta. The banks are in a healthier
Read moreLondon midday: Shares crawl higher
26th Jun 2009 12:18
Risers outnumber fallers by two to one among Footsie constituents but the benchmark index is barely in positive territory, as some of the heavily weighted constituents feature among the laggards. The banks are in a healthier condition than six months ago but are still vulnerable to more economic sh
Read moreLondon open: Blue chips move higher
26th Jun 2009 09:02
London's blue chips have opened higher as Wall Street closed up 2% last night and after some reassuring comments about the banks from the Bank of England. The banks are in a healthier condition than six months ago but are still vulnerable to more economic shocks, the Bank of England said in its la
Read moreLondon close: Late rally not enough
25th Jun 2009 17:01
A late rally by UK equities was not enough to prevent the blue-chip index closing in negative territory, largely as a result of weak miners, which were weighted down by softer metals prices. Lonmin, Vedanta, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton were all stuck in the red. Elsewhere in the sector, Anglo Americ
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