London close: Economists nudge GDP forecasts higher
23rd Aug 2013 16:26
Equities moved moderately higher on the second to last Friday of the summer despite economic figures out in the afternoon which revealed a far larger than expected fall in new US home sales. Somewhat ironically, at least for now that won equity markets a small reprieve from the recent incessant cl
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks rise after UK GDP revision
23rd Aug 2013 12:00
Upwards revisions to UK economic growth in the second quarter gave stocks a bit of a boost on Friday morning, though gains were limited as investors scaled back risk appetite ahead of a long three-day weekend. UK gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the second quarter is now said to have been 0.7
Read moreLondon open: Markets pause after strong rise
23rd Aug 2013 08:39
It was a subdued start for equity markets in London on Friday with the FTSE 100 opening broadly flat as investors adopted a cautious approach going into the long weekend. Stocks were pausing for breath early on after a strong rise the day before on the back of improving economic data from across th
Read moreBanks incur hefty fine after mis-selling insurance in CPP debacle
22nd Aug 2013 10:17
Some of the UK's biggest banks are to pay compensation to some seven million customers after mis-selling credit card and ID theft insurance cover. Customers will receive up to £300 each, with the total bill coming to £1.3bn. The insurance was mis-sold because in most cases it was already provide
Read moreLondon midday: Ex-div stocks drag FTSE 100 to six-week low
21st Aug 2013 11:33
Markets were sharply lower on Wednesday morning as risk appetite was scaled back ahead of this evening's release of the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve policy meeting. The FTSE 100 was trading as low as 6,400 today in London today; the last time it closed below this level was on July 5th when
Read moreLondon open: FTSE 100 slips as investors await Fed minutes
21st Aug 2013 08:29
The FTSE 100 fell into the red on Wednesday morning, hitting a fresh six-week low as investors nervously awaited the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve meeting. The index dropped 0.5% to around the 6,420 mark early on. The last time the London benchmark closed lower was on July 5th when it finis
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: RBS, Glencore, JP Morgan
20th Aug 2013 08:13
Andy Higginson, the former finance director of Tesco, said the board of RBS would have to be "very brave" not to not to accept the bid for the so-called "Project Rainbow" branches. "This is not their [RBS's] option. They have an obligation to get rid of this business. I think it would be a very brav
Read moreLondon midday: Miners lead markets lower, Fed in focus
19th Aug 2013 12:09
The FTSE 100 was trading slightly lower on Monday morning with heavyweight mining stocks providing a drag as investors scaled back their appetite for risk. Markets were rangebound today with less than 30 points separating the FTSE 100's intraday low (6,477) and high (6,506). This follows the index'
Read moreNewspaper round-up: RBS, Persimmon, Shire
18th Aug 2013 14:06
Top City fund managers have backed a bid for 315 Royal Bank of Scotland branches, the Sunday Times reported. W&G Investments, which is expected to float in the week starting August 19th released a document showing 13 fund managers and hedge funds will own more than 3% of the shares. They include Sch
Read moreCLS Chairman sells shares, while Vice Chairman tops up stake
16th Aug 2013 16:06
The Chairman of CLS Holdings cut his sizeable stake in the company this week while the Vice Chairman chose to increase his holding, just two days after the property group impressed the market with its first-half report. CLS said on Friday that Sten Mortstedt, the Chairman who established the firm i
Read moreLondon midday: Markets searching for direction after sell-off
16th Aug 2013 12:01
The FTSE 100 was broadly flat on Friday morning, swinging between gains and losses as equity markets searched for direction following a steep sell-off the day before in the UK and US. The London benchmark lost 1.6% on Thursday after better-than-expected jobless claims data in the States ignited con
Read moreBroker tips: RBS, Prudential, Aviva
16th Aug 2013 12:00
Investec has downgraded its rating for part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland from 'hold' to 'sell', saying that the stock's valuation appears full. The broker said it still believes RBS is firmly on track to eventually achieve a sustainable recovery. "However, we still believe that even t
Read moreBroker snap: Investec downgrades RBS to 'sell'
16th Aug 2013 09:30
Investec has downgraded its rating for part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland from 'hold' to 'sell', saying that the stock's valuation appears full. "RBS shares have (understandably) responded well to the appointment of new CEO Ross McEwan, and a wave of speculation that the worst excesses
Read moreFriday broker round-up UPDATE
16th Aug 2013 08:52
African Minerals: Barclays initiates with a target price of 220p and an underweight rating. Aviva: Exane downgrades to neutral with a target price of 403p. Avon Rubber: Investec ups target price from 470p to 500p, but downgrades from add to hold. AZ Electronic Materials: Deutsche Bank reduces tar
Read moreLondon open: Markets rangebound after steep sell-off
16th Aug 2013 08:42
The FTSE 100 opened broadly flat on Friday morning with markets rangebound as sentiment still remained fragile following the steep sell-off the day before. The London benchmark lost 1.6% on Thursday after better-than-expected jobless claims data in the States ignited concerns that the Federal Reser
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