London open: Volatile start for FTSE 100, Lloyds and RBS rally
8th Aug 2011 08:29
Stocks have recovered from earlier falls on what could be a jittery day following last week's slide, with falling mining shares signalling continued nervousness over global economic prospects. Mining giants such as Rio Tinto and ENRC are out of favour today, though precious metal miners such as Ran
Read moreLondon pre-open: Nervous start anticipated
8th Aug 2011 07:51
After a week-end of mostly bad news it is little surprise that the London stock market is set to open in the red, with City traders predicting the blue-chip index could open as much as 80 points lower. Reports suggest the European Central Bank is set to wade into the financial markets today in an a
Read moreRio and Mitsubishi to mop up rest of Coal & Allied
8th Aug 2011 07:03
Mining giant Rio Tinto and Japanese trading house Mitsubishi Corporation plan to mop up the rest of the shares in Australian Stock Exchange-listed miner Coal & Allied that they do not already own. The Australian company's shareholders are being offered A$122 for each of their shares and will also b
Read moreLondon close: Footsie plummets to 5,393
4th Aug 2011 16:29
Hefty losses from large-cap equities dragged the Footsie over 3.43% lower on Thursday, a day after the blue chip index hit its lowest levels in 2011. Moderate falls turned into steep declines as the sell-off accelerated in the afternoon period, on the back of a bad start on Wall Street, which saw th
Read moreRio Tinto wary of cost inflation and economic crises
4th Aug 2011 08:53
Bearish comments about volatile economic conditions and rising prices in emerging economies took the gloss off a record set of first half earnings for mining giant Rio Tinto. Despite its struggles with market conditions, the company saw record first half underlying earnings of $7.8bn (£4.77bn), 35%
Read moreLondon close: Gains wiped out
1st Aug 2011 16:57
After a late dive the top share index finished deep firmly in the red, reversing strong gains after some weak economic data from the US. The Institute of Supply Management´s (ISM) purchasing managers´ index for the manufacturing sector fell to 50.9 points in July, from 55.3 the month before. That d
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 adds more gains as HSBC impresses
1st Aug 2011 12:12
The leading share index is approaching triple-digit gains now with company updates driving shares higher. The FTSE 100 got off to a strong start and was boosted further by results from HSBC, which updated after the open. The banking giant unveiled a rise in profits and announced plans to cut up to
Read moreLondon open: 5,900 in sight as Footsie starts strongly
1st Aug 2011 08:32
Only four stocks were in the red on Monday morning as the blue chip index recovered from a week of losses on the back of the back-and-forth debt ceiling debates in the US. However, the saga is apparently close to its end after President Barack Obama and congressional leaders agreed on a deal to put
Read moreAdverse weather conditions trims Xstrata's coal production
26th Jul 2011 09:18
Mining giant Xstrata's coal production fell slightly in the first half of the year, partly due to the severe floods in Queensland, while total copper production was unchanged from the year before. For the six months ended 30 June, total mined copper production was 434,046 metric tonnes, compared t
Read moreLondon close: European hopes boost Footsie back to 5,900
21st Jul 2011 16:34
London equities rallied to a strong finish - recouping the losses experienced over the last week - on hopes of a solution to the sovereign debt crisis in Europe. At midday, shares offset early losses as reports surfaced that Europe's leaders have agreed on a new aid package for Greece and an overh
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Financials soar on Eurozone hopes
21st Jul 2011 15:02
Financials were leading the recovery on Thursday afternoon following a fall earlier in the day, on hopes of a solution to the sovereign debt crisis in Europe. European leaders agreed a new aid package for Greece and an overhaul of the Eurozone sovereign rescue fund. Among the proposals are a reduct
Read moreLondon close: Debt hopes boost markets
20th Jul 2011 16:39
Shares moved higher on both sides of the Atlantic amid hopes that European and US leaders are making progress towards agreeing solutions to debt problems. It was US corporate news that boosted today's star sector in London though. Chip companies ARM Holdings and Imagination Technologies sizzled aft
Read moreLondon midday: Chip stocks sizzle as Apple impresses
20th Jul 2011 12:16
Shares are posting strong gains today as the spotlight moves from Europe's debt woes to the US, where traders are optimistic lawmakers will reach agreement on cutting the world's biggest economy's deficit. Chip companies ARM Holdings and Imagination Technologies in particular are taking their lead
Read moreLondon open: Miners jump higher in early trading
20th Jul 2011 08:42
After a strong finish on Wall Street last night - with the Dow Jones having its best day of the year so far - the Footsie opened up nearly 0.5% higher. Mining giant BHP Billiton was a high riser after it was able to achieve another iron ore output record in the year ended 30 June, its eleventh cons
Read moreRio Tinto recovering from weather effects
14th Jul 2011 08:03
The weather gods smiled more kindly on mining giant Rio Tinto in the second quarter though the company still suffered some port and rail constraints. In its second quarter operations update the company said global iron ore production attributable to Rio rose 12% from a year earlier and 17% from the
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