London midday: Markets rangebound with focus on central banks
6th Jun 2013 11:39
Markets were rangebound on Thursday morning as traders awaited announcements from the Bank of England (BoE) and European Central Bank (ECB) on monetary policy. There were just 16 points separating the index's intraday low (6,416) and high (6,432), as markets paused for breath following a heavy sell
Read moreLondon open: Markets pause ahead of BoE and ECB decisions
6th Jun 2013 08:34
Markets opened broadly flat on Thursday morning as traders paused for breath following the heavy sell-off the day before, with all eyes on the Bank of England (BoE) and European Central Bank (ECB) as they prepare to announce their latest monetary policy decisions this afternoon. The FTSE 100 lost 2
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Sepura, RBS, Chemring
5th Jun 2013 08:15
British outfit Sepura offers tantalising prospects, according to one analyst cited by Tempus. The company, which manufactures radios specifically designed for emergency services or for clients who require kit robust enough for extreme conditions, has just been sanctioned to sell its products in the
Read moreChancellor Osborne faces call to split RBS into good and bad bank
4th Jun 2013 11:02
The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards has recommended splitting the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) into a good and bad bank in a draft report, according to reports Tuesday. MPs and Lords on the Commission have until next Monday to read through it, with a final report due by the end of the
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: RBS, Centrica, Polymetal
31st May 2013 13:58
Royal Bank of Scotland's shares edged up after narrowing its shortlist of prospective bidders in its sale of 315 branches. UK gas and electricity supplier Centrica advanced Friday as utility stocks bounced back after a sharp fall over the past week. Polymetal International rallied after completi
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 down one per cent as volatility continues
31st May 2013 11:26
The volatile trade seen over the past week continued on Friday with investors turning nervous ahead of another raft of economic indicators from the US later on. "European markets have taken a leg lower this morning as traders look to scale back risk heading into the month's end, with the central ba
Read moreLondon open: Markets down as traders await economic data
31st May 2013 08:21
Stocks sank sharply on Friday morning, continuing the volatile pattern seen over the past week, as traders cautiously awaited more economic figures from the States. Stocks gained slightly yesterday as a worse-than-expected second reading of US gross domestic product growth and a rise in jobless cla
Read moreRBS narrows number of bidders for branch sale
30th May 2013 13:47
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has culled the number of bidders for more than 315 of its branches down to three rival factions of London investors and private equity groups. The lender is required to sell the branches as a condition of its £45bn taxpayer bailout in 2008. RBS has been courted in rece
Read moreWednesday newspaper round-up: Darty, UK banks, German banks...
29th May 2013 06:40
Electricals retailer Darty could slash jobs in an effort to cut costs in its core French region as it copes with a weaker economy, The Independent reports. The Guardian says that Britain's 'Big Four' banks - comprised of Lloyds, HSBC, RBS and Barclays - will have cut 189,000 jobs worldwide in just
Read moreLondon close: Stimulus hopes drive triple-digit gains for FTSE 100
28th May 2013 16:49
While hopes have now faded for a long-term continuation of stimulus measures in the US, speculation surrounding continued monetary easing in Europe and Japan sparked a huge surge on equity markets on Tuesday. After reaching a 13-year high on Wednesday, the FTSE 100 dropped sharply in the latter par
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks bounce back after recent sell-off
28th May 2013 11:20
UK markets were registering impressive gains on Tuesday morning with hopes of continued monetary easing in the Eurozone lifting sentiment as stocks bounced back following last week's sharp sell-off. After reaching a 13-year high on Wednesday, the FTSE 100 dropped sharply in the latter part of last
Read moreLondon open: Stocks surge as markets play catch up after long weekend
28th May 2013 08:30
UK markets surged in early trading on Tuesday with traders wasting no time in playing catch up as they returned to their desks following the three-day weekend. After reaching a 13-year high on Wednesday, the FTSE 100 dropped sharply in the latter part of last week on fears of a scaling back of stim
Read moreTuesday broker round-up UPDATE
28th May 2013 07:25
AG Barr: Investec increases target price from 562p to 591p, while downgrading from buy to add. Canaccord Genuity downgrades to hold with a target price of 570p. Amara Mining: Cantor Fitzgerald cuts target price from 81p to 63p and retains a buy recommendation. Compass Group: Nomura ups target pric
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: RBS, Fiat, The Co-op...
28th May 2013 06:30
The Telegraph says that RBS is preparing its restructuring boss Nathan Bostock for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) role as part of the company's long-term plans to replace Stephen Hester. Shares in Italian carmaker Fiat raced higher on Monday on speculation that the company was close to a deal to
Read moreLondon close: Stocks off again, Yen keeps strengthening
24th May 2013 16:15
London equities finished lower for a second straight day, with investors being put off by the recent gyrations in the market, although the early close of some US markets ahead of the Memorial Day weekend may also have played a role. Market commentary is a tad divided regarding the direction which
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