London afternoon: Footsie dives on US jobs data
3rd Dec 2010 14:30
Jobs growth slowed sharply in the US in November and unemployment unexpectedly rose, which was not the result the market had been hoping for. The data sent shares on this side of the pond into a dive, and pushed Footsie into the red. Non-farm payrolls increased by 39,000 during the month, down fro
Read moreLondon midday: Shares still sluggish ahead of US jobs figure
3rd Dec 2010 12:10
The strong gains of the past couple of days have given way to sluggishness as traders pause for breath and await US jobs data later in the afternoon. Non-farm payrolls in the world's biggest economy are due at lunchtime. In company news here, mining giant Rio Tinto is to be the junior partner in
Read moreLondon open: Lacklustre start ahead of US jobs
3rd Dec 2010 08:52
Footsie has drifted lower with the freezing temperatures and transport chaos keeping many City folk away from work. All eyes will be on the US non-farm payrolls report at lunchtime, but ahead of that data there has been some profit taking after the big gains of the previous two days. Mining giant
Read moreLondon pre-open: Cautious start ahead of US jobs data
3rd Dec 2010 07:33
London is set to creep higher at the outset but with the eagerly awaited US jobs data due out this afternoon investors look to be reluctant to over commit themselves. City traders expect the FTSE 100 will open up with a single digit rise. Mining giant Rio Tinto is to be the junior partner in a joi
Read moreRio Tinto in JV with Chinalco
3rd Dec 2010 07:05
Mining giant Rio Tinto is to be the junior partner in a joint venture with the Aluminium Corporation of China, better known as Chinalco. Chinalco, which is a major customer and shareholder of Rio Tinto, will own 51% of the joint venture (JV) which has been formed to explore mainland China for world
Read moreRio Tinto confirms Pilbara expansion
1st Dec 2010 07:14
Rio Tinto has approved a further $1.2bn investment to lift annual iron ore production capacity in Western Australia's Pilbara region to 283m tonnes per annum. The capital will be used for significant expansions at the Brockman 4 and Western Turner Syncline mines and is part of Rio Tinto's broader p
Read moreLondon close: Late blow for Footsie
30th Nov 2010 16:28
Blue chips climbed out of the red late afternoon as losses across the Atlantic narrowed, but a late sell-off took the leading index back into negative territory and a new two-month low. A better than expected read on US consumer confidence helped trim the deficit on Wall Street, although fears abou
Read moreLondon afternoon: Vedanta falls after yanking flotation
30th Nov 2010 15:02
Though the majority of its constituents are lower, the FTSE 100 index is little changed on the day. Financials remain unnerved by worries over the future of the eurozone but otherwise the picture remains mixed, as it has been for most of the day. In a mixed mining sector Vedanta heads lower after i
Read moreLondon midday: Shares hesitant as nervousness continues
30th Nov 2010 12:05
Shares are still seeking direction having given up their early lead amid nervousness over the European debt situation. The US could provide a lead. Investors are gearing up for a report on US consumer sentiment at 3pm UK time and the S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values, due out an hour earlie
Read moreLondon open: Modest early gains
30th Nov 2010 08:52
Footsie has recovered some of yesterday's losses in early dealings after Wall Street perked up near the end of the US trading day. Trading is subdued even so, with travelling disrupted by the weather and little company news about. Miners African Barrick and Rio Tinto are still in demand after yest
Read moreLondon close: Rally falters as eurozone worries continue
26th Nov 2010 16:53
A sharp rally following earlier heavy losses nearly lifted Footsie into positive territory in the afternoon but the rally fizzled out and the leading share index closed lower, with European debt concerns still looming large. Portugal is currently going down the path trodden by Ireland and denying i
Read moreLondon afternoon: Losses pared
26th Nov 2010 14:39
After briefly dipping below 5600 this morning Footsie more or less halved its losses over the lunchtime session, though heavy falls are still being sustained by miners and banks. Portugal is currently going down the path trodden by Ireland and denying it is in need of a bail-out and, as with Irelan
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Banks take a beating
26th Nov 2010 13:28
Banks continue to decline because of worries about the euro-debt crisis with Lloyds and RBS leading the way. Rio Tinto says that capital spending will probably be around US$13bn in the 18 months to December 2011. That didn't prevent the share price declining along with other miners. Centrica, whi
Read moreLondon midday: Shares slide amid euro concerns
26th Nov 2010 12:01
The leading share index's losses are almost in the triple-digits now as worries over the euro-debt crisis persist. Portugal's insistence that it is not under pressure to follow Ireland in accepting a bail-out failed to reassure investors. Bond yields in Portugal and other debt-plagued eurozone coun
Read moreLondon open: Early falls for blue chips
26th Nov 2010 08:47
Losses in Asia, a lack of direction from Wall Street, where traders sat out Thursday's session for Thanksgiving, and little company news have made for a dull start. Power companies are the main point of interest after Ofgem launched a new investigation after fresh data revealed a sharp increase in
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