London close: Greece pulls Footsie down again
6th May 2010 16:43
Footsie ended the day sharply lower as Greece's problems reared up again and investors fretted about the outcome of today's election. Banks were hit hard as ratings agency Moody's warned that the UK lenders are "at risk of Greek contagion". Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and even Asia-foc
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Banks lead market down
6th May 2010 15:33
Banks are leading Footsie downwards after ratings agency Moody's warned that the UK lenders are "at risk of Greek contagion". Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds, HSBC and even Asia-focused Standard Chartered fell sharply after Moody's said banks in the UK, as well as in Ireland, Italy, Portu
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks throw a Moody
6th May 2010 14:16
Footsie's morning gains evaporated over the lunch time session as fears over the debt crisis spreading from Greece reared up again. Banks were hit hard as ratings agency Moody's warned that the UK lenders are "at risk of Greek contagion". Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and even Asia-focus
Read moreLondon midday: Modest gains for Footsie
6th May 2010 12:19
Footsie finished the morning in positive territory after a nervous start, with those looking for an excuse to buy finding plenty of reasons to do so from some of the big companies declaring results today. Fund manager Schroders is top of the tree after it said the momentum built up in 2009 has cont
Read moreLondon open: Footsie adds to losses
6th May 2010 08:20
London's top stocks are continuing this week's downward trend as the economic turmoil in Greece is still worrying investors. The European Central Bank is meeting this morning to discuss how to protect the Euro and calm down fears of a contagion. Wm Morrison is one of this morning's fallers after t
Read moreInstitutional demand spurs Schroders
6th May 2010 07:47
Fund manager Schroders said the momentum built up in 2009 has continued into 2010 with high levels of new business. Total funds under management (FUM) climbed to £167.9bn at the end of March from £148.4bn at the end of 2009. Net inflows in the quarter totalled £9.7bn, compared to net outflows of £
Read moreLondon close: Late rally pares losses
5th May 2010 17:16
Though tomorrow is the day of the UK General Election all eyes were on Greece today, as at least three people were reported dead as violent protests erupted in central Athens against the planned introduction of austerity measures. Stocks came off the bottom towards the end of the session, though th
Read moreThursday preview: Cobham, Smith & Nephew, UK election
5th May 2010 17:14
Thursday is the date of the general election in the UK and also a busy day for company announcements, with heavy hitters such as Cobham, Morrisons, RSA Insurance, Schroders, Smith & Nephew and Vedanta releasing trading updates. The futures markets in bonds and sterling will be up and running overni
Read moreHome Retail boss opens Hammerson account
1st Apr 2010 11:20
Terry Duddy, chief executive of Argos and Homebase owner Home Retail Group, has opened his account at Hammerson having joined the board of the shopping centre operator in December. He took 20,000 shares at 394p a time in his first purchase of shares in the company, paying a total of £78,800. In a
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Footsie ahead despite ex-dividends
10th Mar 2010 16:19
Resources companies and banks are heading the risers on the Footsie, while the forward momentum has been held back by a raft of companies going ex-dividend. Rising copper prices have boosted the shares of Fresnillo, Eurasian Natural Resources and Xstrata. RBS upgraded oil services provider Petro
Read moreLondon close: Footsie hits 18-month high
5th Mar 2010 17:00
Strong economic data from the US sent Footsie to its highest levels since late 2008. The leading share index closed a whisker shy of the 5,600 point mark. A much better than feared read on US non-payrolls sparked the surge. The US jobs figures showed 36,000 jobs were lost in February, compared wit
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie through 5,600, 18-month high
5th Mar 2010 16:07
London's blue-chips have surged forward to an 18-month high and climbed above 5,600 for the first time since late 2008. A much better than feared read on US non-payrolls has spaeked today's surge, with the Dow adding 100 points and miners surging higher alongside bank shares. The US jobs figures s
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Xstrata leads miners advance
5th Mar 2010 14:43
Blue chips had another strong day, with the index closing at an 18-month high driven by banks and miners. Xstrata was the stand-out performer as major shareholder Glencore exercised its option to acquire the Prodeco coking coal operations in Colombia. Under the option agreement, Glencore will pay
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie powers on
5th Mar 2010 11:58
London's blue-chips are nearing a 52-week high on renewed optimism over the banks, a good morning for miners and despite a mixed read on UK factory gate inflation. The cost of goods at the factory gates in February was 4.1% higher than a year earlier, a tad above the 4% annual gain expected by eco
Read moreLondon open: Footsie rising again
5th Mar 2010 08:47
UK equities have opened firmly helped by another good session on Wall St and more gains for the banks. Schroders, Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and Standard Chartered lead the financials higher, while Fresnillo, Lonmin and Xstrata are strong among the miners. Swiss group Glencore International
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