New Serco chairman opens account
12th May 2010 17:27
The wife of Serco's new chairman Alastair Lyons has opened the couple's account in the firm with the purchase of nearly £100,000 worth of shares. Shauneen Lyons bought 15,000 shares in the company, paying 632.97p a time. The purchase comes the day after Serco, whose activities include operating Lo
Read moreLondon close: Shares rise as government takes shape
12th May 2010 16:45
Markets started indecisively with attention focused on the trickle of news of cabinet appointments followed by the first performance of the Cameron-Clegg double act in the garden of 10 Downing Street, but shares later picked up and closed with good gains. Cameron and Clegg were given an indication
Read moreLondon afternoon: Coalition hopes lift Footsie
12th May 2010 15:07
Investors' attention remains firmly focused on the assembly of prime minister David Cameron's new government and his first press conference with new partner Nick Clegg. The pair seemed indistinguishable as they stood on the lawns of No 10 Downing St, but they were given an indication of the econom
Read moreLondon midday: Shares seeking direction
12th May 2010 12:04
With much of traders' attention focused on the assembly of prime minister David Cameron's new government, shares are little changed. Cameron, the country's youngest prime minister for almost 200 years, will head a coalition government of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Lib Dem leader Nick
Read moreLondon close: Deficit narrows
11th May 2010 16:34
Losses halved during the afternoon session as it looked increasingly likely the Liberal Democrats will jump into bed with the Conservative party and form a coalition government. Buyers nibbled at weak miners and banks, down sharply earlier on doubts about the €750bn Eurozone bailout plan. Kazakhmy
Read moreLondon afternoon: Political indecision weighs
11th May 2010 15:33
With still no decision on who's running the country and Wall Street deep in the red, London's FTSE 100 is nursing triple digit losses. Concerns about the €750bn bailout agreed by European governments to prevent economic collapse in the Eurozone also continue to weigh. Banks remain among the worst
Read moreLondon midday: Shares drift lower on bail-out doubts
11th May 2010 12:16
The leading share index is posting triple-digit losses as nerves set in over the prospects for the €750bn bailout agreed by European governments to prevent economic collapse in countries that use the euro. Banks are among the worst performers, most notably part-nationalised Royal Bank of Scotland.
Read moreLondon open: Blue chips retreat as uncertainty returns
11th May 2010 08:40
Footsie has given back some of the strong gains posted yesterday on the back of the euro bail-out. Uncertainty over who will govern the UK is to blame but there are also growing doubts over the substance of the euro plan. A string of company announcements is helping to deflect attention away from
Read moreSerco on track as 2010 starts well
11th May 2010 07:01
Service company Serco said it is on track to meet its financial guidance for 2010 after a strong performance in the first half of the year so far. The company, whose activities include operating London's Docklands Light Railway and prison vans, entered 2010 with a record order book of £17.1bn. It h
Read moreLondon close: Shares slide after election
7th May 2010 16:48
Shares continued sliding on Friday as the European debt crisis rumbled on and after the previous day's election failed to produce a decisive result. Germany's parliament has approved a rescue package for Greece, but traders are still worried that the debt problems could spread to other countries, i
Read moreLondon afternoon: RBS leads retreat
7th May 2010 14:35
The market rally seen towards the end of the morning session fizzled out over lunch as London joined other European markets in retreat. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has moved into line with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and agreed that the Conservative party, which won the most seats in yesterd
Read moreLondon midday: Clegg statement calms markets
7th May 2010 12:10
After initially reacting negatively to the prospect of a hung parliament London's leading shares have rallied after Liberal Democratic party leader Nick Clegg said he is sticking with his pre-election view that the party with the most votes - in this case the Conservatives - should have first crack
Read moreUnilever boss Paul Polman takes another bite
30th Mar 2010 15:14
Paul Polman, chief executive at Unilever, has been stocking up on shares in the Anglo-Dutch food and household goods giant, spending more than £360,000. He took 19,000 shares at 1,898.9p a time. A spokesperson for the company said this takes his holding to 54,448 shares. Polman was appointed as Un
Read moreChairman-elect buys Collins Stewart shares
22nd Mar 2010 16:39
Chairman-elect Tim Ingram has acquired 250,000 shares in broker Collins Stewart. Ingram has been a non-exec on the broker's board for 10 weeks and the share purchase at 77.69p a share represents an investment of £194,225. The purchase takes his stake to 285,000 shares. Ingram takes over as chair
Read moreDeparting Serco chairman sells most of his stake
18th Mar 2010 16:37
Departing chairman Kevin Beeston has sold nearly all his remaining shares in outsourcing group Serco. Alastair Lyons will take up the chairmanship of the company after the Annual General Meeting on 11 May. Lyons has been non-executive chairman of Admiral Group since 2000. Beeston's departure mark
Read more