FTSE 100 movers: Imperial Tobacco beats expectations
2nd Nov 2010 12:54
Cigarettes maker Imperial Tobacco topped market forecasts with its full year profits, and sharply reduced its debt. Adjusted profit before tax in the year to 30 September rose 10% to £2,467m from £2,233m the year before. The market had pencilled in a figure of £2.320m. Net debt was reduced by £1.5
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie builds on gains
2nd Nov 2010 12:15
Footsie has built on its earlier gains as investors react positively to updates. Beleaguered oil giant BP comfortably beat third quarter profit forecasts though it has had to take an additional $7.7bn charge in respect of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The market had been expecting underlying net in
Read moreLondon close: US breathes life back into Footsie
1st Nov 2010 16:42
A good early performance from Wall Street helped Footsie snap out of a weak spell to close in positive territory. US shares were boosted by a bigger than expected rise in factory output in October. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index rose to 56.9 last month. Analysts thought
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks and miners lead advance
1st Nov 2010 15:14
Footsie pulled out of its late morning slump over the lunch time session to move firmly back into positive territory, though investors are still reluctant to commit too heavily ahead of tomorrow's mid-term US elections, and the quantitative easing decisions expected this week from the Bank of Englan
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie subdued after buoyant start
1st Nov 2010 12:02
Footsie has failed to rediscover its early-morning buoyancy and sits in the blue by a few points. Among the laggards is Serco. The company, which carries out work for the government such as operating prisons and London's Docklands Light Railway, has taken a knock after it was forced to make a grove
Read moreSerco backtracks on rebate demand
1st Nov 2010 11:08
Pressure from ministers has forced outsourcing group Serco to scrap its demand that suppliers pay it a 2.5% rebate to help cover the cost of coalition spending cuts. The company, which runs prisons, nuclear facilities, schools and ports for the government, sent a letter to about 200 businesses requ
Read moreLondon open: Footsie charges higher
1st Nov 2010 08:32
High demand for banks and miners got the week off to a good start, offsetting weakness in the outsourcing sector. Banks are going well as trading updates loom. Lloyds Banking Group is getting ready for tomorrow's statement with a 2% jump, while Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC are also making up gr
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Royal Bank of Scotland, Serco, BHP Billiton...
31st Oct 2010 10:42
Royal Bank of Scotland is poised to reignite the row over banker pay by hiring a City dealmaker who sued his last employer for refusing to pay him a bonus. A new hiring spree in the group's controversial investment bank has led to the appointment of John McIntyre, the former head of global strategi
Read moreSunday tips round-up: Serco, EasyDate, Vitec, Smiths
17th Oct 2010 14:01
When the coalition Government unveils its Comprehensive Spending Review on Wednesday following weeks of speculation, outsourcing companies will be watching particularly closely where the axe falls on public spending. Support services companies, such as Serco, have stressed that the spending cuts sho
Read moreLondon close: Footsie turns lower as US nerves kick in
21st Sep 2010 16:33
Footsie fell into the red in late trading as nervousness kicked in on Wall Street ahead of the Federal Reserve's statement on the outlook for the US economy this evening. The Fed will also make its rate decision. In company news here, Cairn Energy was a strong performer after an update of drillin
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie cruises higher
21st Sep 2010 14:27
The blue-chip index edged a little higher over the lunch time session but traders are reluctant to go too far out on a limb prior to the Federal Reserve's rate decision, due to be announced this evening. Dual-listed cruise operator Carnival said third quarter revenues rose to $4.4bn from $4.1bn th
Read moreLondon midday: Slick gains from oil companies
21st Sep 2010 12:04
Footsie has recovered its poise after taking a bit of a knock following disturbing public sector borrowing figures. The measure of public sector net borrowing came in at £15.302bn, up from £14.1bn in August last year, and well ahead of forecasts of £12.51bn. Cairn Energy is the best performer after
Read moreLondon open: Footsie makes small gains
21st Sep 2010 08:54
Footsie has opened higher encouraged by yesterday's 145-point surge on Wall Street and some bullish company news. Online betting exchange Betfair must think the recent rally is sustainable. It is to take a punt on the market's appetite for new issues and float in London. No pricing details accompan
Read moreLondon pre-open: Indecisive start in store
21st Sep 2010 07:37
In keeping with the other major European indices the Footsie is expected to open barely changed from last night's close, with traders keeping their powder dry ahead of this evening's announcement from the US Federal Reserve about its interest rate policy and, more importantly, its stance on further
Read moreSerco adds partner to pathology JV
21st Sep 2010 07:15
Outsourcing giant Serco said a leading National Health Service (NHS) foundation trust is joining its pathology joint venture to form the UK's largest provider of pathology services. King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has joined GSTS Pathology, the joint venture between Guy's & St Thomas's
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