FTSE 100 movers: BP continues to slide
30th Apr 2010 15:34
Resources companies are pulling down the FTSE 100 index. Oil giant BP continues to slide on the back of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Shrimpers in Louisiana and Alabama are suing for economic loss. BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are lower ahead of the release over the weekend of the Australian govern
Read moreLondon afternoon: Miners nervous ahead of Aussie tax review
30th Apr 2010 14:17
An attempt at a rally midway through the lunch time session had fizzled out before traders had finished digesting their midday repast, despite expectations of a firmer start on Wall Street. Mining stocks are proving a drag on the index with BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto lower ahead of the release ove
Read moreLondon close: Footsie slumps on eventful day
27th Apr 2010 16:31
Footsie was deep in the red at trading's close after credit rating downgrades for Greece and Portugal added to already substantial losses, with miners among the stocks posting heavy falls. With oil and metals prices in retreat as fears grow about potential delays in financial aid reaching Greece re
Read moreLondon afternoon: Reckitt fails to cut the mustard
27th Apr 2010 14:35
Footsie drifted lower over the lunch time session, not helped by disappointing results from household goods maker Reckitt Benckiser. Shares in Reckitt sank to the bottom of the FTSE 100 despite the French's mustard maker posting a rise in earnings and sales for the first quarter. The firm said oper
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie slides below 5700
27th Apr 2010 12:04
Footsie has given up all of yesterday's gains and more and has dipped below the 5700 level. Barely a dozen of the blue-chip index's constituents are in the blue, with miners featuring prominently among the laggards. Vedanta, Rio Tinto, Kazakhmys and Xstrata are the worst performers in the mining s
Read moreSector movers: Housebuilders move ahead
22nd Apr 2010 12:35
Investors have given housebuilder Persimmon's trading update a warm reception, helping lift the home construction sector higher. Persimmon said sales have remained consistent since it last updated the market on March 2, despite uncertainty over the state of the economy and the coming general elect
Read moreLondon midday: Miners drag Footsie down
21st Apr 2010 12:04
After a hesitant start Footsie fell steadily throughout the morning session, largely because of the weakness of mining stocks, which are reacting to softer industrial metals prices. BHP Billiton is lower after a statement this morning that it may have broken US anti-corruption laws in some of its
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Banks push Footsie up
16th Apr 2010 10:07
London's leading shares have moved into the blue thanks to good performance from the banking sector. Royal Bank of Scotland is leading after broker BofA Merrill Lynch said the bank could benefit from the economic recovery. Merrill raised its 12-month price target for the shares to 65p from 45p. Llo
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: BT, Asda, Prudential
16th Apr 2010 06:20
Orange has opened up a new front in the fight for broadband customers after abandoning its fixed-line network and cutting a deal with BT to offer better high-speed internet. The move is Tom Alexander's first significant strategic decision as chief executive since Orange and T-Mobile merged last mont
Read moreLondon close: Footsie at 22-month high
15th Apr 2010 17:12
The afternoon saw many leading shares consolidate or extend the morning's gains, solidifying the Footsie's position above 5800. Banks led the advance after better than expected results from US investment bank JP Morgan yesterday. Barclays received a boost from Execution Noble, which raised its targ
Read moreLondon afternoon: Brokers boost banks
15th Apr 2010 14:25
Footsie is keeping its head above 5800, climbing a bit further over the lunch time session despite expectations of a soft start on Wall Street. After better than expected results from US investment bank JP Morgan yesterday investors are keen on UK banks such as Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and
Read moreLondon midday: Flat Footsie
15th Apr 2010 11:50
Leading shares remain mixed , with laggards among FTSE 100 constituents now marginally outnumbering leaders. Experian is the worst performing blue-chip. The credit checking firm saw revenues from continuing operations rise for the six months to March but revenues at its UK operations fell in the pe
Read moreLondon open: Modest gains
15th Apr 2010 08:43
London's benchmark index has kicked off with modest gains with banks proving popular early on. Investors are keen on the likes of Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC Holdings But they seem unsure about Rio Tinto, which released a first quarter update. The group said its operation continued
Read moreRio benefits from China demand
15th Apr 2010 07:49
Miner Rio Tinto said in the first quarter most of its operation continued to run at capacity with Chinese demand growing strongly and recovery in the West but it was still cautious about short term volatility. Rio Tinto's global iron ore production was up 39% on the first quarter of 2009. Pilbara
Read moreLondon close: Footsie ends week higher
9th Apr 2010 16:58
Footsie bounced back from Thursday's decline and ended the week strongly. The index is nearly 0.5% higher over the week as a whole. Resource stocks were a positive influence in the Footsie with silver miner Fresnillo top of the tree. Xstrata ended the week well following reports in the Australian
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