Sunday newspaper round-up: EY Item Club, RBS, Royal Mail
13th Oct 2013 14:38
The EY Item Club says the UK's recovery is entrenched and that the economy will expand by 1.4% this year and 2.4% next year, the Mail on Sunday and other papers reported. The highly regarded report by independent economists also dismissed fears of a housing bubble as "hysteria". House prices will he
Read moreLondon close: Stocks surge on signs of progress in Washington
10th Oct 2013 16:35
Stocks rebounded strongly on Thursday after hitting a three-month low the day before, as hopes that US politicians can resolve the ongoing deadlock in Washington prompted bargain hunters back into the market. The FTSE 100 finished 92.58 points higher at 6,430.49, a rise of 1.46%. This comes after t
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Persimmon boosted by 'Help to Buy' confidence
10th Oct 2013 14:35
House builder Persimmon was a high riser this afternoon as optimism over the government's 'Help to Buy' scheme continues to help the stock bounce off recent lows. The share price has now gained over 10 per cent over the last two days. Whitbread shares leapt on market chatter about a potential spin-
Read moreRBS sends records to regulator in FX probe
10th Oct 2013 12:23
UK banking group Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has sent copies of instant messages from a former currency trader to the Financial Conduct Authority as part of a probe into a possible manipulation of the foreign exchange (FX) markets. The news comes in the wake of the LIBOR rate-setting scandal that
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks rebound strongly from three-month low
10th Oct 2013 11:16
UK markets jumped strongly on Thursday morning following three straight days of losses as hopes build over a resolution to the political deadlock in Washington and the continuation of monetary stimulus by the Federal Reserve. After hitting a three-month low yesterday, the FTSE 100 rebounded strong
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise on hopes over US deal, taper delay
10th Oct 2013 08:22
Stocks gained strongly on Thursday morning as signs of progress in Washington and hopes over a continuation of US monetary stimulus prompted bargain hunters to step in following three straight days of losses. The FTSE 100 set a fresh three-month low of 6,337.91 on Wednesday afternoon, its worst lev
Read moreRBS denies selling portfolio of residential properties
10th Oct 2013 07:38
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has dismissed claims it was planning to sell a portfolio of more than 1,300 UK residential properties. The Guardian newspaper had reported that RBS would sell the assets, owned by its property arm, and was considering floating them on the stock exchange. The repor
Read moreRBS sends records of trader chats to FCA over possible violation
9th Oct 2013 09:07
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has sent records of chats between a former currency trader and counterparts at other firms to the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to be examined. The lender passed on the instant messages related to the dealer's trading positions to the UK regulator after findin
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 at three-month low as IMF cuts global outlook
8th Oct 2013 16:39
Disappointing economic data and the ongoing US government shutdown sparked a sell-off on London's FTSE 100 on Tuesday, with the index falling to levels not seen in over three months. Meanwhile, as the budget impasse continues in Washington, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today cut its outloo
Read moreInterview - Ronnie Chopra gives his view on some fund managers´ favourite picks
8th Oct 2013 14:29
Most market participants are wary of taking any positions until the outcome of the budget negotiations Stateside is clearer. Hence, it is probably best take a more medium- to longer-term view of events when making investment decisions in the equity space, less one lose his nerve. The good news is th
Read moreBanks launch new mortgages as governent extends Help to Buy scheme
8th Oct 2013 10:40
UK banks were on Tuesday beginning to reveal details on new mortgages as part of the government's extended Help to Buy scheme. The extension means that buyers may now be able to afford a mortgage with a significantly smaller deposit, although there have been widespread concerns that it will result
Read moreUK government seeks EU approval for RBS split
7th Oct 2013 09:07
The UK government has applied for European Union (EU) approval to break up state-owned Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) into a 'good' and 'bad' bank. Chancellor George Osborne filed papers in July notifying the European Commission of the proposed measures at RBS, which is 83% owned by the taxpayer. T
Read moreLondon open: M&S, Burberry lead FTSE 100 lower as US shutdown persists
7th Oct 2013 08:29
An ongoing government shutdown Stateside continued to weigh on market sentiment on Monday with London's FTSE 100 registering losses in morning trade. US lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on either the budget or the debt-ceiling over the weekend, heightening fears that the US could run out of t
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Royal Mail, RBS, Jaywings
7th Oct 2013 06:47
Institutional investors are preparing to take the lion's share of the biggest government flotation in 20 years as Royal Mail stocks go on sale at what critics say is a substantial discount to their real value. Analysts expect many small investors to miss out as senior Labour figures claimed the Gove
Read moreLondon close: Markets in 'wait-and-see' mode as shutdown continues
4th Oct 2013 16:46
After fluctuating between gains and losses for most of the day, the FTSE 100 finished broadly flat on Friday as stocks struggled for direction. In the absence of economic news and ongoing political uncertainty in the States, markets remain in "wait-and-see mode", according Senior Market Analyst Mic
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