London 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 moreLondon afternoon: G4S locked out of market rally
16th Mar 2010 14:49
The Footsie stopped just short of dipping into negative territory over the lunchtime session before buyers moved back in just before 2pm. Banks and miners continue to provide many of the bright spots, with the latter benefitting from higher metal prices. In banking, Royal Bank of Scotland is want
Read moreLondon midday: Early gains trimmed
16th Mar 2010 12:03
The FTSE 100 was clinging on to positive territory at the start of the lunchtime session after share prices went into a late morning swoon. Banks and miners continue to provide most of the bright spots, with the latter benefitting from higher metal prices. In banking, Royal Bank of Scotland is wa
Read moreLondon open: US gives Footsie a lift
16th Mar 2010 08:53
Footsie opened higher on the back of a strong performance from US shares late yesterday and strong gains for Royal Bank of Scotland. RBS is mulling a buy back of at least £10bn (€11bn) of the bank's £28bn of debt at a premium to current prices according to the FT. It is one of the best performers t
Read moreLondon pre-open: Strong start expected
16th Mar 2010 07:34
Footsie is expected to open higher on the back of a strong performance from US shares late yesterday. Department store Debenhams said it saw a strong performance in the six months to 27 February as it continues its strategy of lifting margins and expanding market share. Gross transaction value was
Read moreSerco names Alastair Lyons non-executive chairman
16th Mar 2010 07:03
International service company Serco announce the appointment of Alastair Lyons CBE as non-executive chairman. He joins the board of Serco with immediate effect as a non-executive director, and will take up the chairmanship of the company after the Annual General Meeting on 11 May 2010. Lyons, who
Read morePersimmon's Jonathan Davie lays foundations
5th Mar 2010 16:23
Persimmon non-executive Jonathan Davie started building a stake in the housebuilder with the purchase of £42,000 in shares. Davie, who was appointed to the board on January 1, bought 10,000 shares at 419.9p a time. His purchase comes soon after the company said it completed 8,976 house sales last
Read moreLondon close: Blue chips surge forward
26th Feb 2010 16:52
Footsie surged forward and closed in buoyant mood as buyers returned across a number of sectors despite disappointment with Lloyds Banking's results. Serco remains the best performer among Footsie stocks. The outsourcing group increased the dividend by a quarter as it ramped up profits by almost a
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks belcamed at higher levels
26th Feb 2010 14:23
Leading shares traded sideways over the lunchtime session, lacking any sort of lead from Wall Street, which is expected to open mixed as traders struggle through the snow storm engulfing New York to get into work. Serco remains the best performer among Footsie stocks. The outsourcing group increase
Read moreLondon midday:Stocks off the top
26th Feb 2010 12:22
Hopes that Footsie would claw back all of yesterday's losses look less likely to be realised after share prices came off the top late in the morning, though most stocks are still trading in positive territory. Serco remains the best performer among Footsie stocks. The outsourcing group increased t
Read moreLondon open: Footsie makes bright start
26th Feb 2010 08:50
London's blue chips have made a bright start after the late pick-up on Wall Street overnight, even though there is some disappointment with the figures from Lloyds Banking. The state-controlled bank joined sector peers Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland in reporting better than expected figures.
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