London close: Stocks end with small gains but upside limited
18th May 2015 17:02
London's FTSE 100 managed to finish in the green after a choppy session, though upside was limited by continuing uncertainty in Greece. The Footsie settled 8.38 points higher at 6,968.87, ending well below the intraday high of 7,015.49 but firmly above the intraday low of 6,931.64. While mining sto
Read moreSector movers: BHP Billiton falls, but miners broadly higher
18th May 2015 14:50
Mining stocks were among the best performers of the day on Monday as gains across the wider sector outweighed heavy losses by heavyweight metals producer BHP Billiton. BHP Billiton was trading 4.1% lower after its South32 spin-off was valued at the lower end of market expectations on its debut on th
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Fresnillo surges on strong output guidance, financials lower
18th May 2015 12:34
UK stocks erased early gains as Greek concerns and a lack of economic data stoked investor uncertainty. Sector-wise, financials delivered the biggest drag, while energy stocks and miners provided a welcome boost. As of 13:30, the FTSE 100 was trading flat, just 1 point higher at 6,961 points. Fresn
Read moreLondon midday: Early gains wiped out on Greek uncertainty
18th May 2015 11:54
UK stock markets had erased gains and were trading flat by Monday lunchtime with financial shares providing a drag on concerns about Greece. The FTSE 100 was down 0.08% at 6,955.17 by midday, pulling back after reaching a high of 7,015.49 early on. Financials were trading lower with banking group L
Read moreLondon open: Stocks advance as Aveva and Bwin jump on M&A
18th May 2015 09:13
UK stocks jumped on Monday morning despite ongoing uncertainty about Greece, as the mood on the market was boosted by bid speculation surrounding Aveva and Bwin.party. The FTSE 100 was up 0.56% at 6,999.75 early on, with mining stocks leading the charge, though BHP Billiton was bucking the trend. E
Read moreRio Tinto could sell $1bn of aluminum assets
18th May 2015 07:06
British-Australian multinational metals and mining giant Rio Tinto could sell its Pacific Aluminum (PacAl) business in a deal that could be valued at $1bn, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The same source reported that the company could engage Credit Suisse to find a buyer for PacAl, which co
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Vale, Lonmin
12th May 2015 14:52
Iron ore prices have halved over the last year, notwithstanding a recent bounce, as the main producers - Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Vale - have moved to raise production. Investors should not misread recent hints of future production cuts from the likes of BHP. None of the majors has in fact cut ba
Read moreGlobal copper supply impingement 'severely underestimated', says Citi
12th May 2015 12:17
Missed copper production targets over the first quarter of the year suggest supply impingement has been underestimated, according to analysts at Citigroup. In a note to clients on Tuesday, Citi analysts David Wilson, Nell Agate and Ivan Szpakowski noted: "The full range of first quarter production m
Read moreSector movers: Royal Mail, food reatilers edge higher while property stocks extend gains
11th May 2015 14:19
Spikes in Royal Mail shares, food retail, mining and property companies provided market momentum on Monday, with the FTSE 100 trading marginally down. At 16:33 BST, the blue chip index was down 0.18% or 12.41 points at 7,034.41 points as shares in Royal Mail topped the risers after rival postal f
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Royal Mail surges on Whistl funding crisis
11th May 2015 13:32
Royal Mail topped the risers after rival postal firm Whistl revealed it has halted deliveries because private equity backer LDC had pulled out of funding to help expansion efforts. Whistl said it was reviewing the viability of its London, Manchester and Liverpool due to challenging market conditions
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Aberdeen lower on accelerating outflows, HSBC underwhelms
5th May 2015 13:21
Asset manager Aberdeen led the fallers as it reported an accelerating outflow of funds, with £11.3bn withdrawn by investors in the six months to 31 March. HSBC was trading lower, after underwhelming with its first-quarter results despite profits coming in ahead of expectations. Reported pre-tax prof
Read moreLondon midday: Markets up but gains limited ahead of election
5th May 2015 11:37
Stocks started the shortened trading week positively on Tuesday, taking their cue from gains in Europe and the US the previous day. After being closed on Monday for the bank holiday, the FTSE 100 was up 0.38% at 7,012.52 by midday, rising for the third straight session. However, falls from HSBC, mi
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise, but miners limit upside after RBA rate cut
5th May 2015 09:14
UK stocks opened in the green on Tuesday morning after the long weekend as markets tracked gains in Europe and the US the previous session, though miners were limiting upside. The FTSE 100 was trading 0.5% higher at 7,021.16 early on with gains capped as political uncertainty kicked in ahead of poll
Read moreLondon close: Markets shrug off weak data as Lloyds and miners surge
1st May 2015 16:37
Strong gains from mining stocks and an impressive first-quarter performance from UK lender Lloyds helped UK markets to rise on Friday, as investors shrugged off mostly worse-than-expected economic data. "With Europe mostly out of action for May Day, it was a quiet day in London, but at least the tra
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Lloyds surges on strong first quarter profits, property stock lower
1st May 2015 13:10
Lloyds Banking Group topped the risers after delivering a bigger-than-forecast 21% jump in underlying profits in the first quarter, as impairment charges more than halved. The UK lender also lifted its net interest margin guidance for the full year and improved its capital position. Stimulus hopes w
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