London close: Lower finish as Libya turmoil persists
4th Mar 2011 16:56
The top share index closed in the red going into the weekend as the spectre of high oil prices remerged amid continuing turmoil in Libya. Brent crude rose above $116 a barrel as the conflict in Libya continues. Government forces have been cracking down on protesters in Tripoli and there have been c
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie turns red
4th Mar 2011 15:19
A weak start on Wall Street has sent London to an intra-day low, with miners turning tail. US monthly non-farm payrolls were better than expected, but not by much. Investors don't look keen to open up any new positions ahead of the weekend. Mining heavyweights Rio Tinto, Anglo American and Kazakh
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 back above 6,000 as oil retreats
25th Feb 2011 16:47
Shares surged past 6,000 heading into the weekend as a Saudi pledge to pump more oil if needed reassured markets following the turmoil in Libya. The London Stock Exchange, which recently switched over to a new computer system, suffered an embarrassing glitch which resulted in the exchange shutting
Read moreLondon afternoon: Lloyds left behind
25th Feb 2011 14:15
Share prices moved sideways over the lunch time session, but at least they were moving; the London Stock Exchange, which recently switched over to a new computer system, suffered an embarrassing glitch which resulted in the exchange shutting down for most of the morning. Shares have been lifted by
Read moreRio Tinto selling talc unit for $340m
23rd Feb 2011 07:33
Miner Rio Tinto has agreed to sell its talc business to Imerys for an enterprise value of US$340m (£210m), a year after it put the unit back on the market. French industrial minerals company Imerys has put forward a binding agreement and a period of exclusivity has been agreed. Rio, which has sold
Read moreSector movers: BHP leads the miners
22nd Feb 2011 15:23
The miners are providing a lift to the market today, with sector giant BHP Billiton among the blue chips rising higher. The company bolstered its oil and gas operations after the $4.75bn acquisition of Chesapeake Energy's Fayetteville shale assets. Mining peers Rio Tinto, African Barrick Gold, Ang
Read moreRio Tinto hit by cyclones at Pilbara
21st Feb 2011 07:59
Rio Tinto has warned its iron ore operations at Pilbara, Western Australia continue to be hampered by Tropical Cyclones Dianne and Carlos and this will affect shipped tonnage for the first quarter of this year. Carlos is currently 100 kilometres north-west of Broome, moving in a west-southwest di
Read moreSector movers: Anglo American leads miners lower
18th Feb 2011 15:01
The mining sector is being weighed lower by blue chip Anglo American which is losing nearly 3%. The group is in the red despite reporting that underlying earnings leapt to $4.98bn last year from $2.57bn in 2009 on revenue up 34% to $32.93bn. It's also agreed a 50:50 joint venture with Lafarge to
Read moreLondon close: Late rally not enough
15th Feb 2011 16:44
Weakness in the US sent shares into the red and a slight rally in late trading failed to lift the FTSE 100 into positive territory. US retail sales were up 0.3% in January, according to the Commerce Department, though they'd risen 0.5% the month before and were expected to do the same this time. Ex
Read moreSector movers: Miners down on inflation concerns
15th Feb 2011 16:24
The mining sector has taken a hit as an increase in the Chinese inflation rate raised the prospect of further increases in Chinese interest rates in the near future. Consumer prices rose at an annual rate 4.9% in China in January. The rise compares with a 4.6% increase in December, which was still
Read moreLondon afternoon: US retail sales setback
15th Feb 2011 14:30
Footsie moved into the red over the lunch time session after the release of disappointing US retail sales figures. US retail sales were up 0.3% in January, according to the Commerce Department, though they'd risen 0.5% the month before and were expected to do the same this time. Excluding autos,
Read moreLondon close: Flat finish for FTSE 100
14th Feb 2011 16:42
The top share index finished flat after a sluggish day's trading. Takeover talk pushed the price of engineering stalwarts Weir Group and Invensys higher, with engineering colossus Siemens said to have cash burning a hole in its pocket. The German company's chief financial officer, Joe Kaeser, sai
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie in red despite miners
14th Feb 2011 14:29
Mining stocks are buoyant after China's economy grew 9.8% in the final quarter of 2010, but demand for miners has not prevented the blue-chip index from sliding into the red. Takeover talk is pushing the price of engineering stalwarts Weir Group and Invensys higher, with German engineering colossu
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 turns lower
14th Feb 2011 12:13
The top share index is slightly under pressure now though there is some excitement among oil-related stocks in the mid-cap index. Shares in John Wood have roared ahead after the oilfield services group said it is returning money to shareholders, and is to pay out $1.7bn after it agreed to sell it
Read moreLondon open: Egypt gives early boost
14th Feb 2011 08:45
The departure of Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak and gains on Asian markets have given Footsie an early lift. Miners are going well after strong trade figures from China. Xstrata and Rio Tinto lead the sector higher. Reports that China's inflation numbers tomorrow may be better than expected has a
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