London pre-open: Equities on the back foot
4th May 2011 07:42
Leading stocks are set to open lower, with City traders suggesting the blue-chip index may take a 40 point tumble at the outset, though corporate news flow should provide some bright spots. Asian markets-focused banking group Standard Chartered released an upbeat trading statement in which it said
Read moreStandard Chartered keeping lid on costs
4th May 2011 07:07
Asian markets-focused banking group Standard Chartered released an upbeat trading statement covering the first quarter in which it said its Consumer and Wholesale banking divisions had started the year in fine form. The group is seeing double digit income growth in comparison with the first quarter
Read moreWednesday preview: Sage, Standard Chartered, L&G
3rd May 2011 17:38
Accountancy software firm Sage releases its interim results on Wednesday amid slight concerns that small to medium sized enterprises might be taking longer to upgrade their Sage products than has been the case in the past, as they wait to see whether the economic recovery is sustained. Matrix Group
Read moreStandard Chartered finance boss withdraws £170,000
11th Apr 2011 15:47
Standard Chartered's finance boss Richard Meddings has pocketed more than £170,000 from the sale of shares in the Asia-focused bank. He disposed of 10,159 shares at 1,691p a time, reducing his stake to 120,000 shares. The sale comes soon after chief executive Peter Sands offloaded 13,391 shares a
Read moreLondon close: Shares in late dive
7th Apr 2011 16:43
Shares were little changed for much of the day as central banks in London and Frankfurt acted as expected, but another earthquake in Japan sent jitters through markets ahead of the close. The Bank of England kept its key lending rate unchanged. The European Central Bank, however, stuck to its scrip
Read moreLondon afternoon: FTSE 250 stocks take a bashing
7th Apr 2011 15:12
The blue-chip index moved into positive territory over the lunch time trading session as the Bank of England removed all doubt about its current focus on the health of the economy, rather than the inflation risk, and kept its key lending rate unchanged. The European Central Bank, however, stuck to
Read moreSector movers: Talvivaara weighs down industrial metals stocks
7th Apr 2011 14:43
The industrial metals and mining sector is the worst performing sector today, led lower by Finnish miner Talvivaara. The company lowered annual production guidance to take into account longer than previously anticipated maintenance breaks, and believes it realistic to anticipate a production shortf
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Banks dominate risers
7th Apr 2011 14:12
The banking sector is making ground, offsetting losses by miners. Blue chip lenders are firmer in London after the Bank of England resisted calls to raise interest rates. The benchmark rate is unchanged at a record low of 0.5% and the quantitative easing programme has been maintained at £200bn. H
Read moreSector movers: Alternative energy is wanted as nuclear crisis continues
16th Mar 2011 15:43
The alternative energy sector is the best performing sector for the third consecutive day, as the problems in Japan continue to have a positive effect on shares. The sector has risen almost 14% over the last week. Workers had to be evacuated from the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant after
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Financial dividend payers head decline
16th Mar 2011 13:11
Financials are heading the fallers in the Footsie today. The two biggest fallers in the FTSE 100 index have gone ex-dividend. HSBC has fallen by more than double its dividend of 7.66p a share. Standard Life has not declined quite as much as its final dividend payment of 8.65p a share. HSBC and S
Read moreFidessa chairman reinvests past sale proceeds
10th Mar 2011 17:04
Fidessa chairman John Hamer has invested £327,000 in the financial software provider having sold shares last June for more than £3 a share less than his latest buying price. Hamer bought 20,000 shares at £16.35 each. This takes his stake to 35,594 shares. He has bought these shares early enough to
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Ex-dividend declines fuel index fall
9th Mar 2011 15:26
Shares going ex-dividend dominate the fallers in the Footsie today. British American Tobacco is the biggest faller but the share price has declined by slightly less than the 81p a share final dividend. Standard Chartered has fallen by more than its 29.8p a share dividend. Miner BHP Billiton has
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: ECB, BP, Glencore...
4th Mar 2011 06:37
The European Central Bank stunned markets yesterday as it warned that it may raise interest rates from emergency levels as soon as next month to combat inflation. Jean-Claude Trichet, its president, effectively called time on almost two years of ultra-loose policy, saying that an "increase of inte
Read moreBroker tips: Standard Chartered, Cairn, Rotork
3rd Mar 2011 13:10
Nomura has upgraded its recommendation for Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered following the lender's confident reiteration of a target of double-digit revenue growth in 2011. The broker ups the rating to 'neutral', from 'reduce', but queries the profitability of Standard Chartered's growth and th
Read moreBroker snap: Standard Chartered upgraded
3rd Mar 2011 11:03
Nomura has upgraded its recommendation for Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered following the lender's confident reiteration of a target of double-digit revenue growth in 2011. The broker ups the rating to 'neutral', from 'reduce', but queries the profitability of Standard Chartered's growth and th
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