Wednesday paper round-up: Euro, BP, Google
19th May 2010 06:23
The euro hit a new low against the dollar yesterday after Germany announced a surprise ban on naked short selling and a new tax on banks, fuelling fears that European leaders were mismanaging their sovereign debt crisis. The euro, which had already hit a four-year low against the dollar on Monday,
Read moreNew Serco chairman opens account
12th May 2010 17:27
The wife of Serco's new chairman Alastair Lyons has opened the couple's account in the firm with the purchase of nearly £100,000 worth of shares. Shauneen Lyons bought 15,000 shares in the company, paying 632.97p a time. The purchase comes the day after Serco, whose activities include operating Lo
Read moreLondon close: S&P puts spanner in the works
28th Apr 2010 17:09
For the second day in a row the debt ratings agency Standard & Poor's has sent markets into a late swoon, this time with a downgrade on Spanish sovereign debt. Standard & Poor's (S&P) cut its long-term sovereign credit rating on Spain, saying the country is likely to see an extended period of subd
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie in positive territory
28th Apr 2010 14:40
The FTSE 100 is now in positive territory as heavily weighted index constituents such as Shell, BP, HSBC and Glaxo make headway, but the FTSE 250 index remains in the red. Higher oil prices helped Royal Dutch Shell post a sharp rise in earnings in the first quarter of 2010. Profit jumped to $4.9bn
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks off the bottom
28th Apr 2010 12:13
Blue-chips are beginning to recover their poise, helped by demand for heavyweight oil stocks in the wake of better than expected results from Shell, and a positive reaction to results from Glaxo, released at noon. Higher oil prices helped Royal Dutch Shell post a sharp rise in earnings in the first
Read moreLondon open: Footsie heading lower
28th Apr 2010 08:51
Footsie has opened lower though losses so far are not anywhere near the scale seen on Wall Street and Asia overnight. Concern over the state of the eurozone economy may mean more weakness later but for now investors seem happy to wade through an avalanche of results and trading updates. Oil groups
Read moreLondon pre-open: Prepare for weak start
28th Apr 2010 07:36
Further losses are predicted for Wednesday as investors continue to fret about the state of the eurozone economy, although an avalanche of results may prove a distraction. London fell 2.6% on Tuesday after Standard & Poor's decided to cut its credit rating on Greece to junk status and lowering its
Read moreRolls-Royce still on course
28th Apr 2010 07:17
Rolls-Royce remains on track for the full-year after trading in line with expectations since the start of 2010, although business is still challenging and the volcanic eruptions in Iceland haven't helped. The aircraft engine maker's chief executive John Rose will tell shareholders at today's AGM he
Read moreLondon close: Footsie retreats from 21-month high
7th Apr 2010 17:18
An attempted rally by blue-chip stocks petered out in the final hour of trading and the Footsie finished close to its low for the day. Miners were a drag on the index throughout the day though gold miner Randgold Resources was a bright spot. Hedge fund giant Man was the best performer. Last night
Read moreMOD extends Rolls-Royce Tornado contract
7th Apr 2010 16:14
Rolls-Royce has won a £690m service contract with the UK Ministry of Defence to support the Royal Air Force's fleet of Tornado jet fighters. The new RB199 Operational Contract for Engine Transformation (ROCET2) contract will run until 2025 and replaces the existing contract that has been in place s
Read moreLondon close: Weak finish as banks retreat
18th Mar 2010 16:35
London closed in the red after a mixed opening on Wall Street as banks and miners ran into profit taking. Among the big caps, GlaxoSmithKline was the best performer, after rival drug group, Switzerland's Novartis, had to hand back US rights of a drug widely considered a generic copy of Glaxo's top
Read moreLondon afternoon: Back to square one
18th Mar 2010 15:19
A mixed opening on Wall Street has provided no guidance for a similarly rudderless London market. Among the big caps, GlaxoSmithKline is the best performer, after rival drug group, Switzerland's Novartis, had to hand back US rights of a drug widely considered a generic copy of Glaxo's top selling
Read moreLondon midday: Second liners hog the limelight
18th Mar 2010 11:54
While the FTSE 100 is becalmed most of the action is taking place in the FTSE 250 today, where a mixed bag of announcements has prompted varied share price reactions. Electronic components distributor Premier Farnell powered ahead after reporting full year sales and underlying profits for fiscal 20
Read moreLondon open: Banks lead decline
18th Mar 2010 08:26
London's top stocks have slipped back in early dealings on Thursday, with banks leading the index lower. Lloyds Banking, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland are the three worst performers on the Footsie, closely followed by HSBC. Bakery and sandwich chain Greggs saw full-year profits come in sligh
Read moreLondon pre-open: Early dip expected
18th Mar 2010 07:44
Footsie is expected to slip back even after the Dow Jones in the US closed at an 18-month high. Bakery and sandwich chain Greggs saw full-year profits come in slightly better than expected and said it is well placed to achieve a year of further progress in 2010. Pre-tax profit came to £48.8m the 53
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