Broker snap: RBS hit after UBS downgrade to 'sell'
22nd Jan 2014 09:15
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was a heavy faller on the FTSE 100 on Wednesday morning after UBS lowered its recommendation for this stock from 'neutral' to 'sell' and cut its target price from 350p to 300p. In a research report out late on Tuesday, the Swiss bank said that RBS's new strategy - with
Read moreLondon open: Stocks gain ahead of UK data
22nd Jan 2014 08:48
- Markets at highest level since May 2013 - UK jobless data, MPC minutes in focus - Miners provide a lift but BHP subdued techMARK 2,859.42 +0.46% FTSE 100 6,856.45 +0.32% FTSE 250 16,203.07 +0.36% UK markets opened with moderate gains on Wednesday morning as the FTSE 100 continues to trade at its
Read moreWednesday broker round-up UPDATE
22nd Jan 2014 08:33
Admiral Group: Numis raises target price from 1425p to 1710p upgrading from add to buy. African Barrick Gold: Deutsche Bank moves target price from 180p to 190p and keeps a hold recommendation. RBC Capital takes target price from 220p to 250p and maintains an outperform rating. JP Morgan ups target
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE to float higher ahead of BoE minutes
22nd Jan 2014 07:21
City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open 18 points above yesterday's close of 6,834.26, ahead of the release of the most recent Bank of England (BoE) minutes and the release of UK unemployment figures. In the US last night markets finished in a mixed fashion, with the gains on the Nasdaq and S&
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 edges higher after quiet session
20th Jan 2014 16:45
- FTSE 100 within touching distance of 14-year high - Banks fall after Deutsche Bank's Q4 loss - Chinese growth slowed down in Q4 - UK outlook improves - HSBC highlights potential risks from too-low inflation readings techMARK 2,853.67 +0.09% FTSE 100 6,836.73 +0.11% FTSE 250 16,227.11 +0.25% It
Read moreBroker snap: Goldman highlights HSBC as top pick among UK banks
20th Jan 2014 16:37
Goldman Sachs has named HSBC as its preferred pick among UK banks on a long-term perspective, after analysing the financials across the sector since 1990. Analysts from the US firm said that UK banks under their coverage have booked £44.5bn of notable and non-recurring charges since 1990, equivalen
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Banks lower after Deutsche Bank profit warning
20th Jan 2014 15:30
Fears that poor results from Deutsche Bank could mean poor updates from banks across Europe weighed on the sector continent-wide on Monday, Barclays included. The German lender revealed a fourth quarter pre-tax loss of €1.15bn, which Ishaq Siddiqi, a Market Strategist at ETX Capital, described as a
Read moreBroker snap: JPM takes cautious view on RBS, but hikes target
20th Jan 2014 14:52
JPMorgan Cazenove saw a positive earnings outlook for domestic UK banks in 2014, driven by the economic recovery at home, its analysts wrote to clients on Monday. They expected to see a multitude of positive developments as a result of the above, including: improving net interest margins (NIM) and
Read moreLondon midday: Markets tread water on quiet day, but banks fall
20th Jan 2014 11:38
- Volumes light with Wall Street closed for MLK Day - Chinese GDP growth slows down - UK business optimism improves, IMF to raise UK forecasts - Deutsche Bank surprises with Q4 loss techMARK 2,851.04 0.00% FTSE 100 6,831.82 +0.04% FTSE 250 16,212.26 +0.16% Stocks were rangebound on Monday morning
Read moreLondon open: Banking stocks limit upside as markets open flat
20th Jan 2014 08:18
- Banks fall after Deutsche Bank Q4 loss - US markets closed for MLK Jr day - Chinese data points to slowdown techMARK 2,857.04 +0.21% FTSE 100 6,828.28 -0.01% FTSE 250 16,219.04 +0.20% UK equities opened more or less flat on Monday on what is set to be a quiet day with Wall Street closed later on
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Vodafone, China GDP, Barclays
20th Jan 2014 07:20
Britain's biggest telecoms company has put its audit contract on the market for the first time in 26 years, as politicians at home and in Brussels ramp up the pressure on companies to break cosy ties with the firms that check their books. Vodafone, the second-biggest public company in Britain, has a
Read moreLondon pre-open: Quiet start for FTSE
20th Jan 2014 07:15
City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open nine points below Friday's close of 6,829.30, beginning the week on a quiet note as US markets close for Martin Luther King Day and with little due out in the way of European data and results. Over in Asia markets were broadly lower after data released f
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Lloyds, Tesco, Mothercare, Legal & General
19th Jan 2014 15:44
The government could sell its next batch of Lloyds Banking Group shares as early as mid-February, the Sunday Telegraph said. The sale would be a book-build for institutional investors followed by a large offer to retail investors. Labour leader Ed Miliband's call for the breakup of Britain's biggest
Read moreLondon close: Car insurers lead markets higher after choppy session
17th Jan 2014 16:31
- UK retail sales smash forecasts for December - US economic data and earnings come in mixed - Car insurers gain as decline in premiums eases - Shell issues massive profit warning techMARK 2,851.01 +0.26% FTSE 100 6,829.30 +0.20% FTSE 250 16,187.09 -0.14% UK markets ended a choppy session with sma
Read moreBroker snap: 'Sell' RBS ahead of next month's results, says Investec
17th Jan 2014 15:47
Investec has downgraded its rating for UK banking group Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) from 'hold' to 'sell', reminding investors of the rule: 'Never own RBS into the numbers!' "'Short RBS' may be a crowded trade but after a 19% one-month 'spike', we think it (once again) looks attractive," said Anal
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