London close: S&P scares off investors
18th Apr 2011 17:02
Having started the day with hopes of rising back above 6,000, the top share index hurtled in the opposite direction to fall below 5,900 after debt ratings firm Standard & Poor's (S&P) put the cat among the pigeons by downgrading the outlook for US sovereign debt. Though S&P affirmed the USA´s 'AAA'
Read moreSector movers: Reckitt recovers
18th Apr 2011 14:09
Reckitt Benckiser is boosting the household goods sector higher, recovering from last week's sell-off. The group - which owns the Cillit Bang brand - saw its share price take a beating on Thursday after it announced the retirement of chief executive officer Bart Becht. Meanwhile, the health care
Read moreLondon midday: Desire subsides after well wash-out
18th Apr 2011 12:18
Bright spots are hard to find on the first trading days of the shortened week, and far from bursting through the 6,000 barrier Footsie heads at pace in the opposite direction. Insurer Resolution leads the blue-chip index lower after UBS downgraded the stock from "buy" to "neutral". Bid hopes for
Read moreLondon open: S&N unnerved by rivals' bid talks
18th Apr 2011 09:06
Expectations of a flat start proved wide of the mark as financial stocks lead the market lower. Banks such as Barclays, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland are off the pace, as are insurers such as Resolution, Standard Life, Aviva and Old Mutual. Medical devices maker Smith & Nephew is the worst pe
Read moreSunday tips round-up: Smith & Nephew, RPC, Ferrexpo...
27th Mar 2011 15:00
Last week, BlackRock - the world's largest asset management firm - increased its position in medical device group Smith & Nephew to almost 45m shares, representing 5.02% of the company, good news for a company consistently at the centre of takeover speculation. Shares in the artificial joint maker
Read moreLondon close: Footsie lower as results disappoint
10th Feb 2011 16:29
Footsie staged a late rally to climb back over 6,000, but still ended the day lower amid a very mixed bag of company results. It was a day for corporates to keep their head down as even those companies posting good numbers got whacked. Miner Rio Tinto fell after record full-year profits, a $5bn sha
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie hovers around 6,000
10th Feb 2011 15:18
Footsie has slumped below 6,000 with insurers and miners featuring prominently among the laggards. Miner Rio Tinto is lower even though it had plenty to please shareholders, with record full-year profits, a $5bn share buyback and 20% increase in the dividend. The Anglo-Australian group made a net
Read moreBroker snap: Positive 2011 outlook for S&N
10th Feb 2011 13:14
Financial services firm Matrix has maintained its positive stance on Smith & Nephew (S&N), despite the departure of boss David Illingworth, as the broker expects to see strong growth in both S&N's Endoscopy and Advanced Would Management (AWM) divisions. "The retirement of the current chief executiv
Read moreBroker tips: BG, Autonomy, Smith & Nephew
10th Feb 2011 13:04
Even though RBS has raised its production forecasts for BG Group, the broker downgrades the oil titan to a 'hold' on the back of an upward revision to assumed capital expenditure (capex). To reflect revised guidance about Brazilian and US production, RBS has raised its 2015 and 2020 production fore
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Smith & Nephew bucks trend
10th Feb 2011 12:37
Medical products supplier Smith & Nephew reported a strong rise in 2010 profit as well as the departure of its boss. Smith & Nephew saw revenue in the final quarter of 2010 remain more or less unchanged from a year earlier at $1,066m. That brought full year revenue up to $3,962m, up 4% from $3,772
Read moreLondon midday: Shares stuck lower after Bank holds rates
10th Feb 2011 12:29
Shares remain firmly in the red following the Bank of England's decision to leave interest rates and quantitative easing unchanged. The Bank has kept interest rates on hold at a record low of 0.5% Mixed results have added to the unsettled mood. Drinks giant Diageo raised revenues in the six months
Read moreTechMARK movers: Smith & Nephew results please market
10th Feb 2011 12:19
Medical products supplier Smith & Nephew reported a strong rise in 2010 profit as well as the departure of its boss. Smith & Nephew saw revenue in the final quarter of 2010 remain more or less unchanged from a year earlier at $1,066m. That brought full year revenue up to $3,962m, up 4% from $3,772
Read moreLondon open: FTSE 100 lower after mixed updates
10th Feb 2011 08:29
Shares are moving in both directions after updates, but the FTSE 100 is lower overall. Price rises and improved volumes in North America and continuing growth in emerging markets helped drinks giant Diageo lift revenues in the six months to December 31, but weakness in Europe resulted in profits m
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks set for modest retreat
10th Feb 2011 07:41
It's looking like a weaker start for London Thursday as small gains in the US overnight fail to offset losses in the Far East. Engine maker Rolls-Royce made slightly more money than expected in 2010 and predicts good profit growth this year despite government spending squeezing customers in the def
Read moreS&N expects to grow share, announces new CEO
10th Feb 2011 07:10
David Illingworth, chief executive officer of Smith & Nephew, is to bid farewell to the company but is leaving on an optimistic note as the artificial joint specialist expects to make market share gains in most parts of the business this year. Illingworth will relinquish the role of chief executiv
Read more