London close: Astrazeneca leads FTSE higher on bid speculation
21st Aug 2014 17:42
- Healthcare stocks lift FTSE - German PMI data drives sentiment - Investors look ahead to Draghi speech - UK retail sales disappoint techMARK 2,819.77 +0.82% FTSE 100 6,777.66 +0.33% FTSE 250 15,838.57 +0.57% London's blue chips ended Thursday's session on a positive note, led by Astrazeneca. Inc
Read moreSector movers: Admiral drags non-life insurers lower on subdued premiums
13th Aug 2014 15:31
Poorly-received first-half numbers from Admiral were dragging the non-line insurance sector lower on Wednesday, while life insurers were given a boost by Prudential. Admiral's shares were down 6% at 1,365p in afternoon trade after the car insurance group said that turnover in the first half was dow
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Meggitt disappoints with falling profits, airlines drop
5th Aug 2014 14:50
Shares in Meggitt dropped sharply after it said profits dropped in the first half, reflecting the impact of currency headwinds and disposals on revenue. Underlying pre-tax profit sank 21% to £143.8m, well below analysts' forecasts. Airline peers IAG and Easyjet were reeling in afternoon trade on ru
Read moreLondon midday: UK stocks bounce despite mixed earnings
5th Aug 2014 11:57
- Aggreko, Standard Life, Old Mutual rise after results - Meggitt, IHG and Fresnillo disappoint - UK services PMI, Eurozone retail sales beat forecasts - Chinese services PMI drops to key 50-point mark techMARK 2,734.64 -0.25% FTSE 100 6,702.33 +0.37% FTSE 250 15,370.24 +0.05% UK stocks advanced o
Read moreLondon open: Stocks snap four-day losing streak despite weak Chinese data
5th Aug 2014 09:07
- Aggreko, Standard Life and Old Mutual impress with results - Meggitt, IHG and Fresnillo disappoint - Chinese services sector stagnates techMARK 2,742.52 +0.04% FTSE 100 6,708.32 +0.46% FTSE 250 15,415.40 +0.34% Strong gains from Aggreko, Standard Life and Old Mutual helped the FTSE 100 higher on
Read moreStandard Life enjoying inflows and strong corporate demand in H1
5th Aug 2014 08:03
- AuM up 4% to £254bn - Operating profit up 12% to £339m - Dividend up 7.3% to 5.6p Strong net inflows helped Standard Life grow assets under administration (AUM) 4% to £254.1bn in the first half of the year, with revenues, profits and cash all increasing as the investment group's core UK and Euro
Read moreLondon pre-open: Gains expected, but Chinese services data weak
5th Aug 2014 07:48
UK stocks are expected to register small gains on Tuesday morning following four consecutive declines, though upside is likely to be limited following a deterioration in Chinese economic data overnight. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around 11 points higher than Monday's close of 6,677
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Carillion-Balfour, share sell-off, Lloyds Banking
3rd Aug 2014 18:04
Carillion plans to put Balfour Beatty in a "bear hug" to tempt Balfour's shareholders to support its attempted takeover, the Sunday Times said. Carillion last week scuppered a planned all-share merger when it backtracked on the agreed sale of Balfour's Parsons Brinckerhoff US design consultancy. Wit
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Booker Group, Aviva
10th Jul 2014 09:52
Shares of Booker Group, which supplies convenience stores, have re-rated to a price-to-earnings multiple of 20 times, versus the high 20's in the not so distant past. Curiously, that comes, in part, as a result of investors - somewhat oddly - perceiving it as an online retailer. More justifiably,
Read moreSector movers: Insurers drop as Admiral and Aviva disappoint
9th Jul 2014 14:43
Sinking share prices of Admiral and Aviva ensured that the insurance sector was firmly in the red on Wednesday afternoon. "Insurers are feeling the brunt of the bearishness today," said Will Hedden, Premium Client Manager at IG. Motor insurance group Admiral disappointed the market with a gloomy o
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 extends losses as insurers and retailers fall
9th Jul 2014 12:03
- Admiral, Aviva lead markets lower - FTSE 100 on track for worst finish since late April - Retailers fall as UK retail prices fall 1.8% - Investors nervous ahead of Fed minutes techMARK 2,777.53 -0.59% FTSE 100 6,708.55 -0.44% FTSE 250 15,526.79 -0.80% UK stocks were heading for their worst finis
Read moreLondon open: Admiral leads markets lower as investors await Fed minutes
9th Jul 2014 09:00
- Admiral shares drop as H1 revenues fall - Markets await FOMC minutes for rate-hike clues - Chinese inflation eases - Alcoa beats forecasts as Q2 earnings season gets underway techMARK 2,783.11 -0.39% FTSE 100 6,721.47 -0.25% FTSE 250 15,601.53 -0.33% UK stocks fell for a third straight day on We
Read moreLondon pre-open: Chinese PMI to give FTSE lift early on
1st Jul 2014 07:40
Buoyed by a positive set of Chinese manufacturing figures out overnight, London stocks are set to register decent gains this morning. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around 17 points above yesterday's close of 6,743.94. Wall Street finished yesterday on a mixed note, matching the pic
Read moreStandard Life completes £390m Ignis acquisition
1st Jul 2014 07:35
Standard Life has completed the £390m purchase of Ignis Asset Management from insurance peer Phoenix Group. The deal, which has now received approval from the Financial Conduct Authority, was first announced in March and was a move by Standard Life to bolster its investment management division. "T
Read moreLondon open: Stocks near 14-year high after upbeat Asian data
9th Jun 2014 08:33
- China trade surplus doubles as exports rise - Japanese consumer confidence improves, GDP revised higher - Rio gains on Credit Suisse comments - Lloyds fall after pricing TSB IPO techMARK 2,852.63 +0.04% FTSE 100 6,872.71 +0.21% FTSE 250 16,239.01 +0.04% Yet another record close on Wall Street fe
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