London midday:Trade figures derail rally
9th Mar 2010 12:05
Disappointing trade figures announced at 9:30 nipped an attempted rally in the bud and shares spent the rest of the morning in retreat. Data from the Office for National Statistics showed the UK's deficit on trade in goods widened to £7.99bn from £7.01bn the previous month, about £1bn more than ec
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Weir leads the way
9th Mar 2010 11:38
Weir is the top riser in the FTSE 100. The weakness of sterling helped the engineering group Weir grow revenues in 2009 and post a record operating profit. Revenue in 2009 grew 3% to £1,390m from £1,354m in 2008, but was down in 7% in constant currency (CC) terms. The car dealer Inchcape is motorin
Read moreLondon open: Quiet opening for Footsie
9th Mar 2010 08:37
London has opened quietly with buyers content to watch the stream of results from FTSE 350 stalwarts. Shopping centre owner Liberty International is to split into two separate listed businesses, Capital Shopping Centres and Capital & Counties through a demerger. Satellite communications service pr
Read moreLondon pre-open: Hesitant start in store
9th Mar 2010 07:43
Following a mixed performance by US markets yesterday London shares look set for a hesitant opening with the FTSE 100 tipped to ease by 8 points to dip back below the 5600 level. Shopping centre owner Liberty International is to split into two separate listed businesses, Capital Shopping Centres a
Read moreShanks ends takeover talks with Carlyle
9th Mar 2010 07:02
Shanks said it has ended talks with private equity group Carlyle about a possible offer for the waste group. A final price indication of 120p cash per share was proposed by Carlyle, lower than what the group offered last year, but Shanks said it was unwilling to recommend an offer at such a level.
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: BP, Imperial Tobacco, Shanks
3rd Feb 2010 06:56
BP shares are yielding 6.2% in 2010, rising to 6.5% in 2011. Investors should use yesterday's fall in the share price as a buying opportunity. The yield is too impressive to ignore. Trading on a December 2011 earnings multiple of 7.6 times, the stance remains buy says the Telegraph. Whichever way y
Read moreShanks to miss forecasts
2nd Feb 2010 07:59
The recent freezing weather will mean waste group Shanks' results will come in slightly below its targets, though underlying trading remains satisfactory. Bid talks are continuing, it added. Shanks received an approach in December from private equity group Carlyle worth 135p per share. At the time
Read moreLondon close: Footsie at 15-month high
24th Dec 2009 12:28
Miners pushed London sharply higher in a shortened trading session Thursday, getting the leading index up to 5,400 briefly and to its highest close since September 2008. Silver producer Fresnillo is top of the table on stronger metal prices, with BHP Billiton, Vedanta Resources and Rio Tinto also h
Read moreLondon open: Markets move sideways ahead of early close
24th Dec 2009 08:36
London is winding down ahead of the Christmas break with Footsie trading sideways in very light activity. Dismal travelling conditions may have encouraged those going away for the break to leave early, especially as trading finishes at lunchtime today. News is also very thin. US private equity gro
Read moreLondon pre-open: Heading higher again
24th Dec 2009 07:33
London appears determined to enter the Christmas break in festive spirit, with the leading index seen higher at the start after Wall Street eventually shrugged off weak housing data. Futures prices indicate an early gain of about 15 points for the FTSE 100, although trading is expected to be very l
Read moreCarlyle owns up to Shanks approach
24th Dec 2009 07:14
US private equity group Carlyle has finally admitted it is mulling a possible cash offer for waste management firm Shanks and has held preliminary discussions with its bosses. The confirmation comes more than two weeks after UK mid-cap Shanks announced it had received a 135p a share takeover approa
Read moreSunday tips round-up: Antofagasta, Debenhams, Shanks
13th Dec 2009 11:20
Antofagasta's balance sheet remains strong, with cash balances of $2.95bn (£1.8bn) as of September 30 this year. The group's production growth is highlighted in its prospective earnings multiples. The shares are trading on a December 2009 earnings multiple of 22.5, but this falls to 13.3 in 2010 and
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Shanks
8th Dec 2009 06:36
The fundamentals for both BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto look good now their iron ore tie-up in Australia has finally happened. Spot iron ore prices are currently around one-third higher than contract prices, indicating the latter will move in line, and Chinese steel production continues at high level
Read moreLondon close: Lower finish for FTSE 100
7th Dec 2009 16:59
Footsie staged a recovery after a poor start early on and edged into positive territory in the afternoon but closed slightly lower. Rumours of a windfall tax in Wednesday's pre-Budget report rattled the banks. Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking, Barclays and HSBC fell on suggestions that the Ch
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks slide on tax fears
7th Dec 2009 14:39
Leading shares recouped some of their losses over the lunchtime trading session but the Footsie remains in negative territory, largely due to the weakness of banks and miners. Rumours of a windfall tax in Wednesday's pre-Budget report has rattled the banks. Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking, B
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