Monday newspaper round-up: Queen, LSE, SABMiller
15th Sep 2014 07:00
The Queen has broken her silence about the potential break-up of the United Kingdom by warning Scots to think “very carefully about the future” before casting their votes in the independence referendum. With only four days to go to the polls and the contest on a knife edge, the monarch m
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: RBS, Scottish independence, Prudential
14th Sep 2014 13:04
Royal Bank of Scotland could have a pension funding gap of up to 5.6bn pounds if Scotland votes to leave the UK, the Sunday Times reported. Other companies such as Lloyds Banking Group and BP would also be affected by a hole of about £100bn in UK corporate retirement plans, according to Credit Suiss
Read moreIMF warns that Scottish split will shake markets
12th Sep 2014 09:05
The campaign for Scottish independence took a fresh twist last night as International Monetary Fund (IMF) chiefs warned of potential upheaval in financial markets if the 'yes' campaign wins. The IMF said a Scottish vote in favour of a split from the UK was likely to trigger uncertainty in the sho
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks bounce off three-week low but gains limited
12th Sep 2014 08:51
UK stocks edged higher on Friday but choppy trading continued with investors concerned about the potential impact from a 'yes' vote on Scottish independence next week. Supermarket stocks were among the best performers as Morrisons extended gains made the previous session, while banks advanced, thoug
Read moreLondon close: Scottish banks recover after poll signals 'no' vote
11th Sep 2014 16:20
Scottish-based banks and insurers regained poise in the London market on Thursday after a new poll showed unionists back in the lead in the Scottish independence stakes. Royal Bank of Scotland lifted 3.8p to 346p, Lloyds Banking Group ticked up 0.85p to 74.08p and Standard Life advanced 6p to 413.4p
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Next results fall short of City expectations
11th Sep 2014 14:53
FTSE 100 retailer Next confirmed total sales growth of 10.3% in the first half and slightly upgraded its full-year earnings guidance, but shares slumped after the figures fell short of City analysts' ambitious forecasts. Retail stores and its online business both delivered significant growth to lift
Read moreLondon midday: Miners pull UK stocks lower after weak Chinese data
11th Sep 2014 11:56
Weakness in the heavyweight mining sector pushed UK equity markets into the red on Thursday, outweighing a decent performance by financial stocks. Underwhelming interim results from the likes of Morrisons and Next were also weighing on sentiment in London. The FTSE 100 was trading 0.4% lower at 6,8
Read moreBroker tips: UK banks, Morrisons, Admiral
11th Sep 2014 11:55
Investec has recommended investors to "overweight banks" exposed to Scotland given its prediction of the 'no' campaign coming out on top in the Scottish referendum. "We reaffirm our call for those with a short-term (eight-day) investment horizon to overweight banks with actual or perceived exposure
Read moreInvestec recommends to "overweight" Scotland-exposed banks ahead of vote
11th Sep 2014 11:43
Investec has recommended investors to "overweight banks" exposed to Scotland given its prediction of the 'no' campaign coming out on top in the Scottish referendum. The broker highlighted yet another opinion poll - Survation survey of 1,000 Scots released on Wednesday - has come out showing that 'no
Read moreNew poll says no to Scottish independence
11th Sep 2014 08:55
A new poll released on Wednesday placed the ‘no’ campaign for Scotland independence six points ahead. Polling group Survation and Scotland's Daily Record newspaper advanced before the release of the results that the survey looked like being "sensational". It showed 47.6% of Scots plan t
Read moreLondon open: UK markets flat despite decent gains from banks
11th Sep 2014 08:28
Despite decent gains by Royal Bank of Scotland, the UK stock market opened more or less flat on Thursday morning as investors speculated about stimulus measures in China. London's FTSE 100 was trading at 6,828 in early deals, down slightly on Wednesday's close of 6,830.11. While concerns about the
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE to track gains in the US
11th Sep 2014 07:44
Blue chips are expected to begin the day on a positive note on Thursday, lifted by an upbeat performance in the US overnight and following comments from the Bank of England (BoE) Governor about the risk of Scottish independence on bank stability. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around 20
Read moreRoyal Bank of Scotland will move to England if Scotland quits UK
11th Sep 2014 07:05
Royal Bank of Scotland has confirmed plans to move to England if Scotland votes for independence next week. RBS said it believed it would be necessary to re-domicile the bank's holding company and its primary operating unit RBS Plc as part of contingency planning in the event of a 'yes' vot
Read moreBroker tips: RBS, Greene King, Thorntons, Housebuilders
10th Sep 2014 12:47
Investec has upgraded its rating for RBS from 'sell' to 'hold', playing down concerns about the upcoming Scottish referendum which has led to the stock's recent underperformance against the wider banking sector. "We believe any such event-specific weakness will unwind after 18 September as we antici
Read moreInvestec upgrades RBS, expects 'no' vote in Scottish referendum
10th Sep 2014 10:04
Investec has upgraded its rating for RBS from 'sell' to 'hold', playing down concerns about the upcoming Scottish referendum which has led to the stock's recent underperformance against the wider banking sector. The broker has lifted its target price from 340p to 355p. "We believe any such event-sp
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