Sunday tips round-up: Lloyds, Standard Chartered, Petra Diamonds
29th Nov 2009 12:08
The option to buy shares at a discount to the market price is extremely tempting. If the economy turns upwards and Lloyds can pull off a successful merger of operations with those of HBOS, then 37p looks like an extremely good deal. But the economic outlook remains uncertain and banks have not prove
Read moreLondon Close: Dubai worries knock market
26th Nov 2009 17:25
The London market wasn't helped by a technical glitch at the London Stock Exchange but it was never going to be a good day due to worries about the debt problems of Dubai. The fact that there was no trading for more than three hours just made investors even more nervous. The FTSE 100 fell by more
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Dubai worries batter stocks
26th Nov 2009 14:26
London Stock Exchange is one of the heaviest fallers in the FTSE 100 after the exchange operator was forced to suspend trading for more than three hours following a technical hiccup this morning. It had already come in for selling ahead of the shutdown as analysts fretted over how the Dubai debt si
Read moreLondon afternoon: Trading resumes .. so does the decline
26th Nov 2009 14:18
Trading resumed on the London Stock Exchange at 2:00pm after the exchange's technical glitch, but prices are not looking any healthier than they were before the trading interruption. Banks are under the cosh on concerns over Dubai's debt situation. The government owned Dubai World, which has debts
Read moreSector movers: Banks and miners bear the brunt
26th Nov 2009 12:16
With no sectors in the blue today amid heavy falls in equity prices, banks and miners are among the worst performers. Banks are under the cosh on concerns over Dubai's debt situation. The government owned Dubai World, which has debts of $59bn, has asked creditors if it can delay debt repayments due
Read moreLondon midday: Trading suspended on LSE
26th Nov 2009 12:07
Banks shares are leading the market lower today as investors fret about the debt situation in Dubai. The government owned Dubai World, which has debts of $59bn, has asked creditors if it can delay debt repayments due next month until May of next year. HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Lloyds
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 closes 32 points lower
24th Nov 2009 16:48
London ended the day in the red as the FTSE 100 lost its earlier gains after Wall Street opened sharply lower. London did not sustain a short-lived rally in the late afternoon. The market seemed to initially ignore Bank of England governor Mervyn King's cautious comments to the House of Commons Tr
Read moreLondon afternoon: Shares still drifting
24th Nov 2009 14:31
London continues to lack direction, with Bank of England governor Mervyn King's comments to the House of Commons Treasury select committee on the state of the economy having more of an effect on sterling than on share prices. With sterling dipping after King's comments, package holiday firms Thomas
Read moreLondon midday: Leading shares mixed
24th Nov 2009 12:10
Footsie has fought its way into positive territory after a dull opening, helped by a recovery by some mining stocks. Anglo American, ENRC and Lonmin are the brightest features of a mining sector that initially opened lower on softer copper prices. Lloyds Banking Group is firmer after it priced i
Read moreSchroders executives pocket option gains
17th Nov 2009 15:51
Two executive directors of asset manager Schroders have taken up options and sold most of them for large profits. Chief executive Michael Dobson took up options over 1,802,033 non-voting shares, of which 906,285 were at nil cost and the rest at prices of 705p, 483p and 398p a share. The total cost
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: Bank bonuses, Regal Petroleum, Lloyds Banking
17th Nov 2009 06:32
Bankers who are not prepared to forgo controversial contracts that flout new rules on bonuses should get out of the mainstream industry, Lord Myners has declared. The City Minister fired a warning shot ahead of the Queen's Speech tomorrow, which will outline plans to forbid guaranteed bonuses and o
Read moreLondon close: Shares end near session high
29th Oct 2009 16:23
London's top stocks closed near its session high on news that the US economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter. Traders loved news that the US economy grew 3.5% annually in the last quarter, more than expected and the fastest rate of increase in two years. Part-nationalised bank Lloyd
Read moreLondon afternoon: Blue chips track US advance
29th Oct 2009 14:55
America's return to growth in the third quarter, stronger UK banks and a better mining sector have propelled London far into the blue Thursday. Traders loved news that the US economy grew 3.5% annually in the last quarter, more than expected and the fastest rate of increase in two years. Part-nati
Read moreLondon midday: Banks shine but Footsie falls
29th Oct 2009 12:05
Shareholders in Royal Dutch Shell are grateful to Lloyds Banking Group for wresting investor attention away from the Anglo-Dutch company's poorly received results, as the part-nationalised bank confirmed it is contemplating digging an escape tunnel from the government's asset protection scheme. Llo
Read moreCredit conditions stabilising, says Standard Chartered
29th Oct 2009 08:36
Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered said its markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East are pulling out of the recession quicker than many markets in the West. The group, which notched up record income and profits in the first half of the year, said it continued to make 'good progress' in the thi
Read more