SSE profit rises 3%
19th May 2010 07:04
Scottish & Southern Energy has increased full-year underlying profit by 3%, in line with expectations, and added a quarter of a million new energy customers during the period. The UK's second-biggest electricity producer reported adjusted profit before tax rose to £1.29bn in the year ended March 20
Read moreWednesday preview: Mitchells & Butlers, Speedy Hire, ICAP
18th May 2010 16:14
Pub group Mitchells & Butlers recently decided to concentrate on its core food brands after a strategic review. Broker KBC upgraded its FY2010E pre-tax to £155m and EPS to 27p, and FY2011E to £180m/31p on the back of the review. Plant hire specialist Speedy Hire's will report its year-end figures o
Read moreSSE buys 15% BiFab stake
12th Apr 2010 11:18
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), has bought a 15% stake in Burntisland Fabrications (BiFab) for a total consideration of £11m. In addition to the equity stake, SSE's renewable development division has secured an agreement with BiFab for the supply of at least 50 jacket substructures annually t
Read moreLondon close: Footsie bounds ahead
1st Apr 2010 16:57
London's blue chips moved forward again with miners and resource stocks driving the index upwards ahead of the Easter break. Footsie is now up by over 6% since the start of the year and by 45% over the past 12 months. Miners and oil companies were lifted as manufacturing activity accelerated in C
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie rise continues
1st Apr 2010 15:26
London's blue chips are being dragged forward by the US, which has opened very strongly ahead of the Easter break. Miners and oil companies continue to do well after manufacturing activity accelerated in China, while confidence in the Japanese manufacturing sector also improved. Xstrata, Randgold
Read moreSSE buys Hess assets for $423m
1st Apr 2010 07:30
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has agreed to buy the natural gas assets and infrastructure assets of Hess in three regions of the North Sea for $423m. The deal is subject to the receipt of all necessary partner and regulatory approvals. The total gas and liquid resources which SSE is acquirin
Read moreLondon close: Up and down day for London
31st Mar 2010 17:07
The movements of the blue-chip index looked like they were being directed by the grand old Duke of York on Wednesday, with the market finishing neither up nor down. British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) was predictably outraged at the decision by telecoms regulator Ofcom to order it to make its two top
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie slides into negative territory
31st Mar 2010 14:09
After a bright start London has turned lower in the afternoon session in anticipation of a weak start on Wall Street. Televised sport is big news on the trading screens as telecoms regulator Ofcom ordered BSkyB to make its two top sports channels available to rivals at a 23% discount to the curren
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie drifts lower
31st Mar 2010 12:17
Footsie is now flat as investors digest a big morning for company announcements. Televised sport is big news on the trading screens as telecoms regulator Ofcom ordered BSkyB to make its two top sports channels available to rivals at a 23% discount to the current price. This was a bigger cut than
Read moreLondon open: BSkyB shrugs off Ofcom attack
31st Mar 2010 08:49
Footsie is higher in early dealings as investors digest updates from food-related stocks and big news for televised sports. Telecoms regulator Ofcom is on a collision course with BSkyB after it ordered the satellite broadcaster to make its two top sports channels available to rivals at a 23% discou
Read moreLondon pre-open: Slow start expected
31st Mar 2010 07:37
A subdued start is expected from Footsie in early dealings as investors digest updates from food-related stocks. Telecoms regulator Ofcom is on a collision course with BSkyB after it ordered the satellite broadcaster to make its two top sports channels available to rivals at a 23% discount to the c
Read moreSSE secures £400m EIB loan facility
31st Mar 2010 07:11
SSE Renewables, the renewable energy development division of Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has secured a £400m loan facility from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to help finance the development of renewable energy schemes in the UK and Ireland. The EIB funding takes the total funding whic
Read moreLondon afternoon: Sleepwalking lower
26th Mar 2010 14:05
It's been a good week for the Footsie but it looks set to end with a whimper rather than a bang. With corporate news thin on the ground broker commentary is driving much of the action. Unilever is downgraded to neutral from 'overweight' by HSBC on sales volumes concerns. Hi-tech weapons group Qi
Read moreSector movers: Songbird weighs on real estate
26th Mar 2010 14:00
The real estate sector is higher despite weakness in the share price of Songbird Estates. Docklands office complex Canary Wharf's value increased in the second half of 2009, owner Songbird Estates said today, as it recovered from the collapse of Lehman Brothers, a key tenant. Songbird, which had t
Read moreSector movers: Lloyds buoys banking sector
19th Mar 2010 10:52
Lloyds leads the banking sector after giving an impromptu and upbeat trading update ahead of a presentation at the Morgan Stanley european financials conference today. Lloyds will be profitable on a combined businesses basis in 2010, chief executive Eric Daniels claimed Friday. Daniels said trading
Read more