London open: UK stocks rise, but Lloyds and StanChart fall
28th Oct 2014 08:54
Despite some heavy falls from banking heavyweights Lloyds and Standard Chartered, UK stocks advanced on Tuesday morning as the FTSE 100 rebounded from a one-week low. London's benchmark index was up 0.6% at 6,404 in early deals, helped by decent gains from oil major BP. The Footsie closed at 6,363.
Read moreSector movers: Lloyds leads banks lower as stress-test success underwhelms
27th Oct 2014 14:10
Investors of the UK's biggest high street banks were left underwhelmed on Monday by the news that Britain's lenders had all passed the latest stress tests in Europe. Lloyds, HSBC, RBS and Barclays were all trading firmly in the red in afternoon trade. Results from the European Banking Authority's (
Read moreMonday broker round-up UPDATE
27th Oct 2014 10:05
Aquarius Platinum: Deutsche Bank shifts target price from 28p to 30p and maintains a buy recommendation. Dechra Pharmaceuticals: FinnCap ups target price from 800p to 840p and reiterates a buy recommendation. easyJet: Morgan Stanley moves target price from 1650p to 1665p leaving its overweight rati
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise on stress-test results, but gains limited ahead of FOMC
27th Oct 2014 08:31
UK markets opened slightly higher on Monday morning, with sentiment boosted by the weekend's news that most European banks had passed recent 'stress tests'. The FTSE 100 was trading 0.1% higher at 6,396 within the opening hour, but had trimmed earlier gains which sent it to a high of 6,443.76. The
Read moreIreland's permanent TSB to raise capital after EU stress-tests
26th Oct 2014 18:23
Ireland's permanent TSB Group did not meet pass Sunday's European Central Bank stress-tests, prompting the firm to clarity that most of the capital short-fall has already been largely covered. The ECB's stress tests were based on its assessment of European banks' balance sheets as of 31 December 201
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Tesco, RBS, Morrisons
26th Oct 2014 16:31
Tesco's new Chief Executive Dave Lewis is in talks with the group's board over a new bonus deal because its problems have undermined his original package, the Mail on Sunday reported. "If you are doing a turnaround, then maybe you'd want some shorter-term targets for the leadership team," he said. S
Read moreRoyal Bank of Scotland will continue Ulster support, responds to stress test success
26th Oct 2014 15:55
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is rumoured to firmly back Irish counterpart Ulster Bank after a recent upswing in value, despite reports that RBS was looking to "seek a sale or outside investment", according to the Sunday Telegraph. The bank's chief executive Ross McEwan has hinted that he would l
Read moreWednesday's newspaper round-up: RBS, Tesco, Lloyds
21st Oct 2014 20:56
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has avoided €115m of fines for alerting the European commission's competition regulator to two attempts to fix the prices of key interest rates, the Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday. The bank, which is 81%-owned by the taxpayer, was hit by £390m last year for manipu
Read moreLondon midday: ECB stimulus hopes lift stocks, but earnings reports mixed
21st Oct 2014 11:38
Decent gains in the financial, energy and retail sectors helped the FTSE 100 rise strongly on Tuesday, despite some mixed blue-chip earnings and economic data from China. Also helping sentiment were reports that the European Central Bank is considering buying corporate bonds on the secondary market.
Read moreUK government blocked RBS bonuses to prevent outcry
21st Oct 2014 11:36
The British government blocked Royal Bank of Scotland from paying some staff bonuses worth twice their salaries to head off a public outcry, it emerged on Tuesday. Treasury officials intervened after the UK Financial Investments body, which oversees state holdings in banks such as RBS and Lloyds Ban
Read moreBanks are starting to look like utilities, Brewin Dolphin says
20th Oct 2014 15:59
Britain's banks are becoming more like utilities as they focus on traditional retail banking rather than "casino" investment banking after the financial crisis, according to broker Brewin Dolphin. The banks are increasingly adopting characteristics common among defensive stocks like utilities, such
Read moreMonday broker round-up UPDATE
20th Oct 2014 09:48
African Barrick Gold: Westhouse Securities cuts target price from 285p to 230p maintaining an add rating. Antofagasta: Westhouse Securities reduces target price from 805p to 720p retaining its neutral rating. Centamin: Westhouse Securities shifts target price from 65p to 70p upgrading to buy. DCC:
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Shire leads downside after Abbvie calls on shareholders to abandon takeover bid
16th Oct 2014 16:35
Shire, which dropped 22% on Wednesday after Abbvie said it was reconsidering its bid for the firm, was down by a further 8% after the US group advised shareholders vote against the takeover due to changes in the US tax law. Abbvie said that these changes had introduced "an unacceptable level of unce
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 drops another 1.8% as sell-off resumes
16th Oct 2014 11:39
In spite of an initial 'dead cat bounce' in early deals, London's FTSE 100 tanked again on Thursday morning with the index sinking to levels not seen since June 2013 The UK benchmark index was down 1.8% at 6,099 by lunchtime, having earlier touched a high of 6,282.95, with banking shares sinking sha
Read moreTuesday broker round-up UPDATE
14th Oct 2014 09:17
Anglo Pacific: FinnCap upgrades to buy with a target price of 158p. Peel Hunt shifts target price from 196p to 198p retaining its buy recommendation. Ashmore: Canaccord Genuity upgrades from sell to hold with a target price of 300p. Numis cuts target price from 369p to 355p retaining an add rating.
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