Friday paper round-up: HSBC, Scottish & Southern, ITV
5th Mar 2010 06:33
The supertax on bank bonuses will reap more than £2.5bn for the Treasury, giving the UK government an unexpectedly large windfall to spend ahead of the general election, a Financial Times survey of 16 global banks has found. Government insiders predict that the receipts of £2.5bn would exceed by ab
Read moreChairman's wife buys Redrow shares
2nd Mar 2010 16:33
Redrow chairman Steve Morgan's wife has bought 100,000 shares in the housebuilder taking their combined stake to 29.95%. Fiona Morgan paid 131.5p a share for the 100,000 shares. The total cost was £131,500. Morgan founded Redrow in 1974 and floated the company 20 years later. He also owns Wolver
Read moreLondon close: Strong finish for FTSE 100
1st Mar 2010 16:30
The leading share index finished on a strong footing as strength in the mining sector and gains on the back of company updates helped offset a weak performance from financial stocks. Miners were in demand following a rise in copper prices following the earthquake in Chile, the world's number one p
Read moreSector movers: Miners on the march
1st Mar 2010 14:55
Miners are in demand following a rise in copper prices after the earthquake in Chile, the world's number one producer of the red metal. The earthquake shut down up to a fifth of the South American country's copper mining operations, but mines have already resumed operations. Kazakhmys, Fresnillo,
Read moreLondon afternoon: Copper-bottomed advance
1st Mar 2010 14:15
Gains on mining stocks are more than offsetting losses in an insurance sector that has been rocked by the prospect of a huge rights call from Prudential. Confirmation that Pru may pay $35bn (£23bn) for the Asian business of troubled US insurer AIG has unsettled the insurers. Any deal would need to
Read moreRio Tinto ups stake in Ivanhoe Mines
1st Mar 2010 07:07
Mining giant Rio Tinto is buying another slug of shares in Canadian mining company Ivanhoe Mines. Rio is paying C$244.7m for 15 million Ivanhoe shares at C$16.31 each to increase its stake in the company to 22.4% from 19.7%. The transaction is a follow-on from a deal inked in 2008 when Rio Tinto l
Read moreLondon close: Blue chips surge forward
26th Feb 2010 16:52
Footsie surged forward and closed in buoyant mood as buyers returned across a number of sectors despite disappointment with Lloyds Banking's results. Serco remains the best performer among Footsie stocks. The outsourcing group increased the dividend by a quarter as it ramped up profits by almost a
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks belcamed at higher levels
26th Feb 2010 14:23
Leading shares traded sideways over the lunchtime session, lacking any sort of lead from Wall Street, which is expected to open mixed as traders struggle through the snow storm engulfing New York to get into work. Serco remains the best performer among Footsie stocks. The outsourcing group increase
Read moreLondon midday:Stocks off the top
26th Feb 2010 12:22
Hopes that Footsie would claw back all of yesterday's losses look less likely to be realised after share prices came off the top late in the morning, though most stocks are still trading in positive territory. Serco remains the best performer among Footsie stocks. The outsourcing group increased t
Read moreLondon open: Footsie makes bright start
26th Feb 2010 08:50
London's blue chips have made a bright start after the late pick-up on Wall Street overnight, even though there is some disappointment with the figures from Lloyds Banking. The state-controlled bank joined sector peers Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland in reporting better than expected figures.
Read moreLondon close: Overseas concerns sink Footsie
25th Feb 2010 16:28
Blue chips closed sharply lower as fears about Greece resurfaced and US dole claimant figures were worse than expected. On a busy day for big company results RBS hogged the headlines. The part-nationalised bank saw its net attributable loss narrow markedly in 2009 with fourth quarter impairments 5%
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie heads south
25th Feb 2010 14:23
The Footsie sank below last night's closing level over the lunch time session, weighed down by weak miners. On a busy day for big company results RBS continues to hog the headlines. Though off the top, the share price is still sharply higher after the part-nationalised bank saw its net attributable
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie flatlines
25th Feb 2010 11:45
London's top stocks have retreated from the gains sparked by Royal Bank of Scotland's numbers. RBS shares are up by more than 6% after the part-nationalised bank saw its net attributable loss narrow markedly in 2009 with fourth quarter impairments 5% lower than the third quarter. Net attributabl
Read moreLondon open: Miners offset RBS rally
25th Feb 2010 08:12
London's top stocks opened lower despite a set of despite figures from RBS suggesting there is light at the end of the tunnel for the bank. The drop comes even though Royal Bank of Scotland's shares jumped by more than 6% after the open. The part-nationalised bank saw its net attributable loss na
Read moreLondon close: Footsie suffers lack of confidence
23rd Feb 2010 16:21
A terrible report on US consumer confidence sent Wall Street spiralling lower, dragging London's leading index deep into the red late on. UK shares started well enough, but weakened steadily through the morning and spent much of the afternoon dipping in and out of negative territory until the US da
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