London close: Footsie tumbles over 2%
2nd Sep 2011 16:30
The Footsie finished over 2% down on Friday, as London was not immune from the global sell-off, meaning that just eight out of the 100 blue chips stocks closed in the blue. After a poor start in early trade, sentiment was dampened after a worse-than-expected jobs report in the US which showed that n
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks stuck lower ahead of jobs data
2nd Sep 2011 12:27
London's leading share index is firmly in the red now, giving up gains from earlier this week ahead of the big US jobs report due this afternoon. The eagerly awaited headline results from a clinical trial comparing AstraZeneca's cholesterol treatment Crestor to Pfizer's Lipitor have been released,
Read moreLondon open: Stocks give up gains ahead of US jobs report
2nd Sep 2011 08:26
Stocks have given up some of their recent gains amid nervousness ahead of this afternoon's big US jobs report. Among the fallers is drugs behemoth AstraZeneca, which has announced generally favourable results of tests of its cholesterol treatment, CRESTOR, though not the knock-out blow versus LIPIT
Read moreLondon pre-open: Heavy falls anticipated
2nd Sep 2011 07:18
Taking their lead from Wall Street, which closed lower ahead of today's August jobs data, London' leading shares are set to open well in the red, with City traders predicting the Footsie will open 82 points down from yesterday's close of 5,419. Drugs behemoth AstraZeneca has announced generally fav
Read moreSmiths Group buys Power Holdings for $235m
2nd Sep 2011 07:06
Medical devices and airport scanners maker Smiths Group announced its Smiths Interconnect division has purchased Power Holdings (PDI), a designer and manufacturer of specialist power systems. The purchase is expected to cost the group around $235m and will be subject to post-closing adjustments in
Read moreLondon close: Triple-digit losses as fightback fails
5th Aug 2011 17:06
The top share index closed deep in the red after giving up an afternoon rally that came on the back of heartening job figures in the US. RBS was one of the main casualties, though it bounced off its earlier lows to close down about 7%.Exposure to Greek government bonds and a charge for mis-selling
Read moreLondon midday: Triple-digit losses despite fightback
5th Aug 2011 12:32
Stocks are still posting nasty losses after resuming the slide this morning, though the top share index has come off earlier lows, with Royal Bank of Scotland in particular staging a strong recovery. The stock is down about 5% now, having previously been 20% lower. Exposure to Greek government bond
Read moreLondon open: Royal Bank of Scotland leads the slide
5th Aug 2011 08:23
Stocks are on the slide following the rout in Wall Street last night, with Royal Bank of Scotland in the eye of the storm after exposure to Greece pushed the bank into losses in the second quarter. Exposure to Greek government bonds and a charge for mis-selling of Payment Protection Insurance (PPI
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Johnson Matthey, Smiths Group, Headlam...
20th Jul 2011 06:49
Johnson Matthey's investors have become accustomed to the company making all the right noises when it updates the market. And yesterday it did not disappoint, writes the Independent. The speciality chemicals operation, which refines platinum and is the world's biggest maker of catalytic converters,
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Smiths Group, Gooch & Housego, SThree...
9th Jun 2011 07:15
Smiths shares, down 24p at £11.76½p after yesterday's trading statement, are now back to about where they were before the bid speculation began. The statement is short on detail, but underlying sales at the end of May, ten months into the financial year, were ahead of a year before. John Crane, abou
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 slides as worries persist
8th Jun 2011 16:38
Stocks finished firmly in negative territory as worries over the state of the global economy continued. Stocks finished lower in the US last night after downbeat comments from Federal Reserve president Ben Bernanke on US economic prospects. After a hesitant start, London's leading share index took
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Sharp drop for Antofagasta
8th Jun 2011 15:14
Antofagasta is heading the fallers, losing more than 5%, after warning that the ramp-up of the Esperanza plant in northern Chile is taking longer than expected, causing the group to scale back its total copper production guidance for 2011. Group copper production for 2011 is expected to be between
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks dive as worries grip markets
8th Jun 2011 12:13
The top share index is deep in the red now as global economic worries continue to overshadow trading. Stocks finished lower in the US last night after downbeat comments from Federal Reserve president Ben Bernanke on US economic prospects. After a hesitant start, London's leading share index took a
Read moreLondon open: FTSE 100 edges lower
8th Jun 2011 08:29
Stocks have retreated slightly after last night's comments from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke failed to lift US stocks into the blue ahead of the close. In stocks news, the spell of unusually hot weather over spring had drinkers queuing up at Punch Taverns, a top riser today, helping Britai
Read moreLondon pre-open: Lower start envisaged after US retreat
8th Jun 2011 07:42
A slightly lower start looks to be on the cards after US stocks finished in the red last night following Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's speech on the economy. In stocks news, the spell of unusually hot weather over spring had drinkers queuing up at Punch Taverns, helping Britain's biggest
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