London close: FTSE sinks 2.5%, extends weekly decline to 6.6%
12th Dec 2014 16:38
UK stocks plummeted to levels not seen in nearly two months on Friday as weak global economic data and an ongoing sell-off of crude oil hammered market sentiment. The FTSE 100 settled at just 6,300.63 by the end of trade, down an eye-watering 2.5% on the day, with just four constituents on the index
Read moreBroker tips: RBS, St James's Place, Supergroup, Henderson
31st Oct 2014 13:03
Third-quarter profits from RBS were well-received by the stock market in London on Friday, though brokers remained divided over how to recommend the stock to investors. Analysts warned that, despite the progress made in the third quarter, one-off costs will continue to be a drag on RBS' bottom line
Read moreSt James's Place shares rise as Barclays names stock as top pick
31st Oct 2014 12:51
St James's Place's (SJP) share price was extending gains on Friday after a strong third-quarter update the previous session, with Barclays Capital providing a boost after naming the wealth manager as its top pick within the European insurance sector. The stock was up nearly 4% at 740.75p by 12:43, a
Read moreFriday broker round-up UPDATE
31st Oct 2014 09:36
Afren: Deutsche Bank lowers target price from 110p to 105p, leaving its hold recommendation unaltered. Aviva: Barclays ups target price from 397p to 420p and reiterates its equal-weight rating. Barclays: Deutsche Bank lowers target price from 300p to 295p and leaves its buy recommendation. Country
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Smith and Nephew rises after first quarter results
30th Oct 2014 16:14
Medical devices maker Smith & Nephew rose strongly after it posted a 3% increase in both revenue and profit for the third quarter, thanks to an improvement in its emerging and international markets units, recent product launches and investment in the sales force. On an underlying basis, turnover cli
Read moreBroker tips: Shell, Barclays, British Land, St James's Place
30th Oct 2014 12:28
Broker Charles Stanley has lifted its recommendation for Royal Dutch Shell from 'accumulate' to 'buy', saying that the company should be resilient to the recent slump in oil prices. The broker said Shell was "well-placed to improve its returns and deliver its objectives" over the medium term in spit
Read moreLondon midday: Miners, oil stocks drag FTSE lower after hawkish Fed
30th Oct 2014 11:33
Heavy falls in the resource sectors on a stronger dollar ensured that London's stock market was firmly in the red on Tuesday, after the withdrawal of stimulus by the Federal Reserve. Blue chips Shell, Barclays and BT Group were also lower after a poor reaction to their latest results, with the FTSE
Read moreSt James's Place shares offer 'growth for free' says Berenberg
30th Oct 2014 11:24
Wealth manager St James's Place (SJP) has delivered "yet another strong quarter", according to Berenberg which repeated its positive stance on the stock on Thursday. The broker, which kept a 'buy' rating, said that with the shares trading at just one times 2015 estimated embedded value, "we believe
Read moreLondon open: Miners drag UK stocks lower, but Barclays gains
30th Oct 2014 08:34
London's stock exchange opened more or less flat on Thursday as heavy falls from mining stocks and BT offset gains from Barclays and St James's Place. The FTSE 100 was trading 0.1% lower at 6,449 in early deals. The subdued start follows a weak performance on Wall Street overnight as investors reac
Read moreSt James's Place reports record FuM on strong ISA demand
30th Oct 2014 07:53
Wealth manager St James's Place saw strong inflows in its third quarter, helped by a big increase in demand for new ISA investments. Funds under management reached a record £49.1bn by 30 September, up 17% on the year before and 11% higher than the start of 2014. Net inflows were up 23% over the qua
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Smiths Group drops after results miss forecasts
17th Sep 2014 14:32
Engineer Smiths Group was leading the fallers on the FTSE 100 on Wednesday after missing expectations with a 5% fall in annual revenues to £2.95bn on the back of foreign exchange headwinds and a small disposal. Analysts at Deutsche Bank had expected a figure closer to £3.05bn. Beverage groups SABMil
Read moreFriday broker round-up UPDATE
15th Aug 2014 09:47
Admiral Group: Berenberg raises target price from 1090p to 1168p, but still recommends selling. Canaccord Genuity reduces target price from 1400p to 1220p keeping a sell recommendation. Centamin: Numis downgrades from buy to hold with a target price of 70p. Direct Line Group: Berenberg shifts targ
Read moreSector movers: Admiral drags non-life insurers lower on subdued premiums
13th Aug 2014 15:31
Poorly-received first-half numbers from Admiral were dragging the non-line insurance sector lower on Wednesday, while life insurers were given a boost by Prudential. Admiral's shares were down 6% at 1,365p in afternoon trade after the car insurance group said that turnover in the first half was dow
Read moreTuesday broker round-up UPDATE
5th Aug 2014 11:02
Acal: FinnCap initiates with a target price of 322p and a buy recommendation. Afren: UBS reduces target price from 200p to 135p and stays with its buy recommendation. Aggreko: WH Ireland ups target price from 1800p to 1850p and stays with a buy recommendation. Alent: Numis increases target price
Read moreWednesday broker round-up UPDATE
30th Jul 2014 09:50
Antofagasta: Westhouse Securities downgrades from add to neutral with a target price of 885p. Investec places its target price (prev.: 690p) under review, while keeping its sell recommendation. Aureus Mining: FinnCap lowers target price from 66p to 62p maintaining a buy recommendation. British Ame
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