London midday: Miners drive Footsie higher
1st Apr 2010 11:59
Resource stocks drove Footsie higher this morning ahead of the Easter break as commodity prices advance. Manufacturing activity has accelerated in China, while confidence in the Japanese manufacturing sector also improved. Xstrata, Randgold Resources, Rio Tinto and Vedanta Resources are the best p
Read moreLondon open: Miners and retailers in focus
1st Apr 2010 08:13
Miners are leading London's top stocks higher in early dealings, while investors also ponder a mixed bag of retail-related updates. Xstrata, Randgold Resources, Rio Tinto and Vedanta Resources are the best performers in the mining sector. The cold snap in the early part of the year and tougher com
Read moreRio Tinto sells another chunk of Alcan
31st Mar 2010 14:44
Rio Tinto's debt reduction programme continues in full swing with the miner announcing it has received a binding offer for its Alcan Beauty Packaging business, though it declined to reveal the sale price. The business is being acquired by Sun European Partners, the European adviser to Sun Capital P
Read moreLondon close: Footsie takes a late tumble
30th Mar 2010 16:55
A late dive in line with a slide into the red on Wall Street sent shares lower ahead of the close. US stocks were hit by worries over the sovereign debt situation. The retreat came as rating agency Standard & Poors cut Iceland's rating and after subdued demand for an auction of 12-year Greek debt.
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie seeking direction
30th Mar 2010 14:20
Footsie is still marking time as gains in the mining sector struggle to offset losses among banking stocks. Mining giant BHP Billiton is higher after saying it has successfully persuaded several of its iron ore customers in Asia to move to shorter term contracts. The renegotiated contracts cover th
Read moreLondon open: Miners push Footsie higher
30th Mar 2010 08:55
London has started on a firm footing and is heading for its best month in decades with mining stocks in focus with BHP Billiton and Kazakhmys both making announcements. Mining giant BHP Billiton has successfully persuaded several of its iron ore customers in Asia to move to shorter term contracts.
Read moreUpdate: Shorter contracts victory for miners
30th Mar 2010 07:15
Mining giant BHP Billiton has successfully persuaded several of its iron ore customers in Asia to move to shorter term contracts. The group said it has reached agreement with a significant number of customers throughout Asia to move existing iron ore contracts to a shorter term landed price equival
Read moreTuesday paper round-up: BHP Billiton, ITV, Lloyds Banking
30th Mar 2010 06:34
Global miners have passed a milestone in their efforts to change the way iron ore benchmark prices are set by convincing major steelmakers to adopt prices more closely linked to the spot market. BHP Billiton said on Tuesday that a "significant number" of Asian steelmakers had agreed to move from th
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners move ahead
29th Mar 2010 15:52
Miners are moving higher on the back of rising metal prices but they can't stop the Footsie falling slightly on the day. Even Rio Tinto shares are rising following the miner's attempts to distance itself from executive Stern Hu, who was sentenced to 12 years in jail in China on charges of bribery
Read moreLondon afternoon: Into the red
29th Mar 2010 14:23
All of Footsie's early gains have now been pulled back despite futures pointing to a decent start on Wall Street. Banks are dragging the index lower with losses now for both state-controlled banks, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland. Vodafone is higher on reports over the weekend it is in talks a
Read moreLondon midday: Hanging onto gains
29th Mar 2010 12:33
Telecoms firms and miners are just about keeping blue chips in the blue, though most of the early gains have now been given back. Vodafone is higher on reports over the weekend it is in talks about resolving the future of its US mobile phone joint venture, Verizon Wireless. Several options are bei
Read moreUpdate: Rio deplores conduct of disgraced executives
29th Mar 2010 09:13
Mining giant Rio Tinto has terminated the employment of the four employees who have been found guilty by a Chinese court of taking bribes and stealing business secrets, and described the behaviour of the convicted men as 'deplorable'. 'Receiving bribes is a clear violation of Chinese law and Rio Ti
Read moreLondon open: Footsie starts brightly
29th Mar 2010 08:50
London has opened the shortened week on the front foot with telecoms and miners leading the index higher. Vodafone is higher on reports over the weekend it is in talks about resolving the future of its US mobile phone joint venture, Verizon Wireless. Several options are being discussed including a
Read moreAustralian Rio Tinto executive pleads guilty
22nd Mar 2010 10:45
Stern Hu, the Australian Rio Tinto executive facing bribery charges in China, has pleaded guilty according to the lawyer for one of his co-accused. Hu, the Anglo-Australian mining giant's iron ore chief executive in China until his arrest, and three Chinese colleagues are accused of illegally obtai
Read moreMonday paper round-up: US healthcare, Shell, Rio Tinto
22nd Mar 2010 06:38
After more than a year of sweating blood, Barack Obama and his Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill have emerged victorious with the enactment of the most significant piece of US domestic social reform in more than 40 years. Declaring "this is what change looks like", Mr Obama on Sunday night hail
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