London midday: FTSE 100 back above 6,000
26th Jan 2011 12:18
The top share index has moved past the 6,000 point mark again as company updates impress the market. BG Group is going strong after yet another discovery in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil. The latest strike is at Carioca North-East, located in a water depth of 2,151m, approximately 275km off the
Read moreBroker snap: WH Smith sales decline, margins improve
26th Jan 2011 11:14
Trading over the Christmas period at newsagent WH Smith was somewhat weaker than Peel Hunt had been expecting, even after taking into account the effects of snow, which were in keeping with the sort of disruption experienced by the rest of the retail sector. In the 21 weeks to 22 January, the news
Read moreLondon open: Bright start for blue chips
26th Jan 2011 08:52
London has made good ground this morning after a late rally on Wall Street sparked by a stronger than expected US consumer confidence report. BG Group is the best performer after yet another discovery in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil. The latest strike is at Carioca North-East, located in a wate
Read moreWH Smith profits on target
26th Jan 2011 07:38
Newsagent WH Smith's high street stores were hit by tough trading conditions and the winter freeze, but profits met forecasts and gross margin is ahead of plan. In what the newspaper, books and stationery retailer called a "resilient" performance, total sales for the 21 weeks to 22 January fell 4%
Read moreWednesday 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 more