Friday 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
Read moreLondon midday: Downward drift quickens
14th Oct 2010 11:56
US markets may be expected to open firmer but London is determined to go its own way today, heading lower, despite a buoyant mining sector. Metal prices are back on the rise as the dollar heads in the opposite direction. That is not enough to prevent gold miner African Barrick Gold taking a tumble,
Read moreLondon open: Footsie builds on gains
14th Oct 2010 08:24
London has crept higher following yesterday's gains, with a stream of updates giving investors plenty to ponder. Starting with the bad news, African Barrick Gold has suspended 40% of the mining department at its Buzwagi mine in Tanzania following a fuel theft it suspects was an inside job. The shar
Read moreLondon pre-open: Advance expected to continue
14th Oct 2010 07:35
London is expected to pick up where it left off yesterday with solid gains foreseen. City traders think the FTSE 100 index will open about 17 points firmer. Mining stocks are in focus early on. The third quarter was more of the same for mining giant Rio Tinto with operations running at or close to
Read moreRecord year at WH Smith travel division
14th Oct 2010 07:03
Newsagent and bookshop WH Smith posted a strong rise in profits and upped its final dividend by a fifth after a record year from its outlets in railway stations and airports. It also announced a return of up to £50m to shareholders through a rolling share buyback. Pre-tax profits in the year to Au
Read moreCashbox signs hospitals deal with WH Smith
14th Sep 2010 16:25
Cash machine operator Cashbox has signed a five year deal with UNS Hopsitals, the hospital shops subsidiary of newsagent chain WH Smith, to provide automated teller machines. The company also announced that it expects to report a loss before tax of less than £2.4m and negative earnings before inte
Read moreM&S makes ex-WH Smith man finance chief
3rd Aug 2010 09:48
Marks and Spencer has chosen the former finance boss of books and stationery retailer WH Smith to replace Ian Dyson who's off to take the top job at Punch Taverns. Alan Stewart, chief number cruncher at Smiths between 2005 and 2008, will join M&S by the end of October. Dyson steps down on 31 August
Read moreUK MARKET TALK ROUNDUP: BROKERS COMMENTS
25th Jun 2010 08:20
Broker comments in the UK today. Compiled by Dow Jones Newswires Markets Desk, [email protected] Contact us in London. +44-20-7842-9464 [email protected] 0720 GMT [Dow Jones] Morgan Stanley downgrades Halfords (HFD.LN) and Kingfisher (KGF.LN) to equalweight from overweight; it k
Read moreMARKET TALK: M Stanley Revises UK Retail Sector Views >KGF.LN
25th Jun 2010 08:20
0720 GMT [Dow Jones] Morgan Stanley downgrades Halfords (HFD.LN) and Kingfisher (KGF.LN) to equalweight from overweight; it keeps its Halfords target at 540p but cuts Kingfisher to 225p from 240p. Even before the budget, there were signs UK consumer spending was under pressure, notes Morgan Stanley.
Read moreMARKET TALK: Goldman Sachs Cuts WH Smith Price Target
17th Jun 2010 11:43
1043 GMT [Dow Jones] Goldman Sachs cuts WH Smith (SMWH.LN) price target to 530p from 560p, after reporting continued weakness in like-for-like sales for 3Q '10. Says both the high street and travel divisions are down by 4%. But continues to expect positive growth from FY '11 in the travel business a
Read moreUK MARKET TALK ROUNDUP: SHARES GAINING
17th Jun 2010 11:43
Stocks on the rise in the UK today. Compiled by Dow Jones Newswires Markets Desk, [email protected] Contact us in London. +44-20-7842-9464 [email protected] 1043 GMT [Dow Jones] Goldman Sachs cuts WH Smith (SMWH.LN) price target to 530p from 560p, after reporting continued weakn
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Tesco, WH Smith, Aggreko
9th Jun 2010 07:00
Tesco faces challenges in the current market. Sales growth in the UK is unlikely to be spectacular and the improvement in its global operations will be slow and steady, tied into the economic recovery. Also, Fresh 'n' Easy in the US is yet to make a profit. However, retiring chief executive Sir Te
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