London close: Strong finish to bad month
31st Aug 2011 16:39
The top share index finished the worst month since the financial crisis broke out in late 2008 with strong gains as strong economic data in the US whetted investors' appetite for battered shares. The purchasing managers' index, which measures industrial sentiment for the Chicago area, came in ahead
Read moreLondon midday: Smith & Nephew leads rally
31st Aug 2011 12:01
Shares have built on their earlier gains, though the rally is unlikely to be enough to prevent the biggest monthly fall since the beginning of the financial crisis in 2008. Among today's big gainers is bid rumour-mongers' favourite Smith & Nephew. Latest talk has it that peer Stryker could be inter
Read moreLondon open: Bwin, 888 lead the rise
31st Aug 2011 08:48
The Footsie edged higher in early trading on the back of a rally in New York last night after minutes from the last meeting of the Federal Reserve showed policymakers considered stimulus measures to kickstart the world's biggest economy. In London, online gaming firm bwin.party surged higher on the
Read moreWH Smith to buy-back another £50m
31st Aug 2011 07:06
Books and stationary retailer WH Smith has announced plans to buy-back another round of shares in 2012, following the £55m repurchased this year. In October, the FTSE 250 firm announced a share repurchase programme for the 12 months ended 31 August 2011 of £50m, which was then extended by a further
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie bandwagon rolls on
24th Aug 2011 07:18
Encouraged by Wall Street's solid showing overnight, UK shares are set to continue their recent revival, with City traders predicting the top-share index will open at around 5,174, up 45 points from last night's close. Car insurer Admiral announced record half-year figures, with profit before tax 2
Read moreWH Smith Travel boss to retire
24th Aug 2011 07:01
WH Smith is to bid farewell to Simon Marinker, managing director of the Travel Retail arm of the business, at the end of the year. The newsagent said Marinker will retire "after 34 years of outstanding service to the group". He will continue to remain involved with the business as a consultant. Si
Read moreLondon close: Stocks rally after strong start in US
11th Aug 2011 16:30
The volatile trading continued on Thursday as losses were turned into gains in London on the back of a rally on Wall Street. A steep rise was seen after midday erased earlier losses and helped the Footsie to finish near its highs for the day. Equities were on the rise in morning trade in New York a
Read moreFriday tips round-up: Lookers, Babcock, NCC...
8th Jul 2011 06:58
A consortium made a tentative approach for car dealer Lookers at 80p a share, sought due diligence, reckoned the company had a couple of issues that made it worth less than that and offered 70p, we learnt yesterday from Lookers. The company rejected this, and the consortium said it would not bid. Th
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks keep gains
7th Jul 2011 12:05
Stocks remain slightly in the blue although the calm masks some big moves in both directions after a stream of company updates Man Group is setting the pace in the FTSE 100. Funds under management (FUM) at the hedge fund manager rose to $71bn at the end of June from $69.1bn at the end of March as t
Read moreLondon open: Man leads FTSE 100 higher
7th Jul 2011 08:27
Stocks have got off to a decent start as expected, with hedge fund Man Group leading the way in the FTSE 100. Funds under management (FUM) at the hedge fund manager rose to $71bn at the end of June from $69.1bn at the end of March as the group racked up record sales in the quarter of $9.0bn, to pos
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks on the front foot
7th Jul 2011 07:45
Taking its lead from Wall Street, which edged higher yesterday despite some indifferent economic data, UK stocks are set to open firmer, with City traders predicting the Footsie will open at around 6,026, up 23 points from last night's close. Funds under management (FUM) at hedge fund manager Man G
Read moreMargins keep growing at WH Smith
7th Jul 2011 07:05
WH Smith reported a fall in sales in the 18 weeks to 27 July, but the newsagent and bookshop chain said it is continuing to grow margins. Total sales were down by 1% from the same period the previous year, or by 4% on a like-for-like basis, excluding the impact of new openings. In the travel divi
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: Brown at IMF, Food prices, Google
15th Apr 2011 06:23
Glencore's plans for a $60bn (£37bn) flotation have been clouded by controversy after shareholders raised fears about disclosure at the commodities giant and criticised its approach to corporate governance, reports The Telegraph. The idea that Gordon Brown should be the next managing director of t
Read moreLondon close: Retail rise fails to boost Footsie
14th Apr 2011 16:40
There were big movements in both directions on Thursday, but stocks finished lower in spite of a strong showing from the retail sector. Shares in Reckitt Benckiser took a sharp dive after the FTSE 100-listed maker of household products announced the retirement of its chief executive Bart Becht. The
Read moreFTSE 250 Movers: Challenging outlook for PZ Cussons
14th Apr 2011 13:02
Interim results from newsagent WH Smith, a strong riser today, were in line with expectations, with like for like sales down 6% on the high street and 3% lower in the group's travel outlets. Profit before tax edged up to £64m from £62m the year before, despite the fall in group revenue to £686m from
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