London afternoon: Financials drag index lower
11th Nov 2010 14:24
An early three-digit loss on Wall Street has the Footsie near its worst levels of the day, with financials the biggest fallers. Insurers Aviva, L&G and Standard Life are deep in the red, as are and RBS and Barclays on fears about Irish debt. Metal heavyweights are limiting the deficit though. Most
Read moreLondon midday: Mining advance fails to lift Footsie
11th Nov 2010 12:14
Big gains from mining companies have failed to haul Footsie into positive territory. The metals groups have marched higher from the off. Antofagasta, Kazakhmys, Xstrata, Fresnillo and Rio Tinto are in demand, as is oil major BP. Iron specialist Ferrexpo is the best performer. Cash is pouring in, o
Read moreLondon open: Small improvement for Footsie
11th Nov 2010 08:16
Blue chips started pretty much as expected, posting reasonable gains in response to yesterday's steady recovery on Wall Street, with commodity plays leading the pack. The Dow Jones was trading deep in the red when London shut up shop Wednesday, but shed nerves ahead of today's G20 meeting in Seoul
Read moreRestaurant Group sitting comfortably for FY
11th Nov 2010 07:20
Restaurant Group, owner of the Garfunkel's chains, said it is trading in line with management expectations despite the tough economic backdrop and is confident of meeting full year targets. The group, which also owns Frankie & Bennie's and Chiquito chains, said like-for-like sales in the first 45 w
Read moreAppetite grows for restaurateurs
3rd Sep 2010 17:48
Much of Britain's restaurant trade had a tough time of it during the recession, as evidenced by the proliferation of two-for-one dining offers and other promotional inducements, but judging by mergers and acquisitions activity in the sector better times are just around the corner for restaurateurs.
Read moreFriday tips round-up: Go Ahead, Thomas Cook, McBride...
3rd Sep 2010 06:57
Go-Ahead, the bus and train operator, produced a set of full-year results ahead of City forecasts yesterday that showed that many of its cogs are turning rapidly. The road ahead could contain a few potholes, however. For instance, the company's operations rely heavily on commuters in the south-east
Read moreLondon close: Footsie little changed
2nd Sep 2010 16:31
Leading shares struggled for direction all day and closed little changed as most blue chips traded sideways. Wall Street was similarly becalmed with the Dow Jones up just one point in the first few hours. European bourses did better as the ECB upped its forecast for eurozone growth for this year an
Read moreLondon afternoon: Bid talk spices up dull day
2nd Sep 2010 14:28
Leading shares are still lacking direction, a condition matched in the US where shares are expected to open mixed. High-flying computer chip designer ARM Holdings is flying a little lower today after Panmure Gordon reiterated its "sell" recommendation and cut its price target for the stock to 265p
Read moreLondon midday: Profit-takers weaken ARM
2nd Sep 2010 12:07
London completed an indecisive morning with the blue-chip index marginally in the red. Investors have shown little inclination to chase prices higher after yesterday's strong advance and economic data has not been helpful to sentiment. UK construction sector growth slowed for the third month in a
Read moreLondon open: Shaky start for top share index
2nd Sep 2010 08:41
Shares are slightly lower in early dealings as traders pause for breath following yesterday's strong gains. In company news, AstraZeneca has received approval from the European Commission (EC) for its schizophrenia and bipolar drug Seroquel XR as an add-on treatment for major depressive episodes wh
Read moreRestaurant Group profits climb
2nd Sep 2010 07:51
Restaurant Group (TRG), which operates the Chiquito and Frankie and Benny's chains mostly seen in out of town shopping centres and cinemas, posted a rise in profits and revenues in the 27 weeks to 4 July despite tough economic conditions. TRG saw adjusted pre-tax profits rise to £24.6m from £21.7m
Read moreVolcanic ash burns Restaurant Group
6th May 2010 14:52
Frankie & Benny's eateries owner The Restaurant Group said it made a good start to the year despite a negative impact on its airport business due to the flight disruption caused by Iceland's volcano. Total sales for the 18 weeks to 2 May 2010 were 6% ahead of 2009 and like-for-like were sales 0.5%
Read moreLondon close: Volcano disruption holds back shares
19th Apr 2010 16:47
Trading was overshadowed by the volcano cloud that is keeping planes grounded across Europe, with updates on the impact of the disruption appearing throughout the day, but the leading share index finished just a few points lower. British Airways fell after saying it estimates that lost passenger an
Read moreLondon afternoon: RBS defies the trend
19th Apr 2010 14:37
The FTSE 100 briefly dropped below 5700 over the lunchtime session as share prices continued to drift lower. Travel stocks remain the big story as the major players start to count the cost of the disruption from the Icelandic volcano cloud. IATA, the international air transport association, has es
Read moreLondon midday: Shares still under a cloud
19th Apr 2010 12:28
UK shares remain under a cloud, with travel stocks coming under selling pressure as the disruption from the Icelandic volcano cloud continues to disrupt air travel. IATA, the international air transport association, has estimated that the airlines industry has lost $250m per day from the grounding o
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