Wednesday preview: Sage, WH Smith, BoE minutes
25th Jan 2011 08:34
Accountancy software group Sage issues its first quarter interim management statement on Wednesday. Panmure Gordon thinks it will be a "steady as she goes" announcement. "The company should make a comment on its financial position, (i.e. the pay down of net debt) and CEO Guy Berruyer is likely to
Read moreLondon close: Footsie clings to lead
9th Dec 2010 16:40
A weak morning session on Wall Street did London no favours Thursday, although the big banks helped the leading index to only its second close above 5,800 in over three weeks. Barclays, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland were top of the pile. HSBC also did well, but fellow Asia-focused player Stand
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks help index advance
9th Dec 2010 14:42
A mostly better banking sector, gains for some of the mining heavyweights and a decent start on Wall Street are offsetting losses among the big retailers. Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays are going well following a good session in overseas markets, though Asia-focused Standard Chartered
Read moreBroker tips: Melrose, WH Smith, Desire
3rd Dec 2010 13:24
Shares in crisis-torn banknote printer De La Rue are down by a third over the year but up by one sixth in the last week, with the recent good run driven, in part, by rumours of a takeover. One company name in the frame to take over De La Rue is turnaround specialist Melrose, but Panmure Gordon thin
Read moreBroker snap: WH Smith a defensive buy
3rd Dec 2010 09:43
It's tough out there for retailers but newsagent WH Smith's dependence on small purchases should mean it is less affected than most of its high street neighbours by customers looking to cut back on spending, finnCap argues. "Its low transaction value should make it more resilient than many retailer
Read moreLondon close: Footsie little changed
11th Nov 2010 16:44
Footsie closed little changed, which wasn't a bad result given a triple-digit loss for the Dow when it opened. Ireland was the story breaking as the trading day closed. Yields on benchmark Irish bonds rose to over 9% on reports that the EU might have step in and bail the country out. José Manuel
Read moreLondon afternoon: Financials drag index lower
11th Nov 2010 14:24
An early three-digit loss on Wall Street has the Footsie near its worst levels of the day, with financials the biggest fallers. Insurers Aviva, L&G and Standard Life are deep in the red, as are and RBS and Barclays on fears about Irish debt. Metal heavyweights are limiting the deficit though. Most
Read moreLondon midday: Mining advance fails to lift Footsie
11th Nov 2010 12:14
Big gains from mining companies have failed to haul Footsie into positive territory. The metals groups have marched higher from the off. Antofagasta, Kazakhmys, Xstrata, Fresnillo and Rio Tinto are in demand, as is oil major BP. Iron specialist Ferrexpo is the best performer. Cash is pouring in, o
Read moreLondon open: Small improvement for Footsie
11th Nov 2010 08:16
Blue chips started pretty much as expected, posting reasonable gains in response to yesterday's steady recovery on Wall Street, with commodity plays leading the pack. The Dow Jones was trading deep in the red when London shut up shop Wednesday, but shed nerves ahead of today's G20 meeting in Seoul
Read moreWH Smith sales fall in line with strategy
11th Nov 2010 08:02
Newsagent chain WH Smith saw lower sales in its High Street and Travel divisions in the period between 1 September and 6 November, though this is in line with expectations as the company has been focusing on margins rather than sales. Total sales were down by 2% compared with the same period the pr
Read moreFriday tips round-up: Mothercare, WH Smith, Standard Chartered...
15th Oct 2010 06:40
Yesterday's second-quarter trading update from Mothercare was rather a mixed bag with the majority of the good news due to the babycare retailer's "rapid" international growth. The UK retail market was still "uncertain" and the City was taking a guarded view of the company's prospects. The retailer
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: HSBC, Dollar, Equitable Life...
15th Oct 2010 06:31
HSBC is close to walking away from a £5bn ($8bn) plan to buy Nedbank in South Africa, after a two-month period of exclusive talks with majority owner Old Mutual expires this weekend. The bank is not in a position to make an offer for Nedbank before the period of exclusivity finishes, according to p
Read moreLondon close: Weak end to dull day
14th Oct 2010 16:35
Leading shares closed lower on a poor day for the banks and a tumble for African Barrick. Fears that Standard Chartered's rights issue yesterday could be the start of a flood of cash calls unsettled Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays. Metal prices are back on the rise as the dollar heads
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie bottoms out
14th Oct 2010 14:17
Leading shares trod water over the lunchtime session, leaving Footsie still stranded in the red. Banks remain in the doldrums. Fears that Standard Chartered's rights issue yesterday could be the start of a flood of cash calls has unsettled Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays. Metal prices
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Mixed bag from retailers
14th Oct 2010 14:04
Retail-related stocks are mixed today after updates. Cash and carry group Booker is higher after it posted a sharp rise in interim profits and reported strong turnover so far in the second half. So is WH Smith. The newsagent and bookshop operator posted a strong rise in profits and upped its fina
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