London close: Stocks higher as focus shifts towards Greece
19th Mar 2015 17:30
UK equities registered slight gains as traders digested the policy announcement issued by the US Federal Reserve overnight and despite the renewed tensions evident in Greek funding markets. The Footsie ended the day 17 points higher at 6,962.32, with some effects from Wednesday's Budget from Chancel
Read moreSector Movers: Real estate and housebuilders in the green, but tobacco takes a hit
19th Mar 2015 14:35
The UK 2015 Budget continues to impact market sentiment as real estate and housebuilding stocks followed oil and gas services companies in posting an uptick in performance. In his final budget before the General Election on May 7, Chancellor George Osborne announced a series of measures considered t
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE crawling higher as Fed and Budget digested
19th Mar 2015 11:48
Come midday on Thursday, stocks were registering slight gains as traders digested the policy announcement issued by the US Federal Reserve overnight, but volatility was still evident in other asset classes such as foreign exchange and commodities. At 12.25 the top flight index was 5.8 points higher
Read moreLondon open: Footsie edges higher after Fed decision
19th Mar 2015 08:49
The Footsie began the morning higher as traders digested a surprisingly dovish set of macroeconomic projections from the US Federal Reserve overnight which set off sharp moves in all asset classes. At 09:15 the top flight index was 16 points higher at 6,961.30. As expected, the US central bank omit
Read moreSavills annual profit rises on strong US and UK performances, dividend hiked
19th Mar 2015 08:00
Strong performances in its UK and US business saw real estate provider Savills post higher annual pre-tax profit, on the back of an increase in revenue. The FTSE 250 group reported a 21% increase in pre-tax profit to £84.7m, as revenue rose 19% to £1.08bn driven by a 38% increase in transaction advi
Read moreLondon close: FTSE jumps 1.6% after business-friendly Budget, Fed meeting ahead
18th Mar 2015 16:41
Those expecting little market reaction to the Budget on Wednesday were probably left surprised, with stocks in the energy, financial, housing and consumer staples sectors leading the surge in London following George Osborne's statement. Dovish comments from Bank of England policymakers were also buo
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Property and energy stock higher, Esure hit by downgrade
18th Mar 2015 12:59
Property service group Countrywide and estate agent Savills were trading higher after George Osborne announced his approval of a series of new housing zones in the Budget, including Plymouth and Blackpool. Spire Healthcare Group was also among the risers after JPMorgan raised their price target on t
Read moreLondon close: Stocks rally strongly after Swiss move as ECB stimulus hopes rise
15th Jan 2015 16:36
A surprise policy move by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) resulted in a choppy day for UK markets on Thursday, though stocks were able to regain their composure and rally strongly as the dust settled. The FTSE 100 finished the session 110.32 points higher at 6,498.78, up 1.7% on the day due to increas
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Oil stocks gain, Bovis Homes falls despite profit gains
15th Jan 2015 15:05
The energy sector was dominating the risers list on Thursday as oil prices began to rebound slightly. Afren, Premier Oil, Soco International and Cairn Energy were all on the incline. Savills was also increasing after the estate agency said revenues and profits in December had "significantly exceed[e
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rebound after sell-off as earnings impress
15th Jan 2015 08:25
UK stocks advanced on Thursday morning but only partly clawed back losses after a heavy sell-off the previous session. The FTSE 100 was up 1.1% at 6,458 early on, with updates from blue chips Experian, Associated British Foods and Tullow Oil being well-received by the market. The index had dropped
Read moreSavills lifts forecasts after strong December
15th Jan 2015 07:55
Strong performances across its businesses in December saw real estate advisor Savills revise its full year estimates upward. The group said that it now anticipated its underlying results for the calendar year to be "well ahead of our previous expectations", after revenue and profits for December sig
Read moreSavills trading in line amid good European and Japanese trading
18th Nov 2014 08:00
Upmarket estate agent Savills reported good trading since July with improvements in Europe, Japan and other Asia Pacific markets making up for a continued fall in commercial trading volumes in Hong Kong. Savills said commercial property investment markets in Hong Kong had stayed very subdued, but le
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Just Eat extends gains, shares now close to offer price
13th Aug 2014 15:00
The share price of Just Eat pushed even higher on Wednesday after the company said the previous day that profits trebled in the first half. The online takeaway marketplace said pre-tax profit was up 200% to £6m on revenues that jumped by 58% to £69.8m. The newly-listed stock has now jumped over 15
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Drax sinks on court decision, Henderson drops
7th Aug 2014 15:31
Shares in energy group Drax sank over 8% on Thursday after a UK court said one of its power-generating units wasn't eligible for a government incentive. Drax said the ruling meant the second unit conversion at its power station is "no longer eligible for an investment contract" that pays guaranteed
Read moreSector movers: Savills boosts estate agents, while homebuilders rise
7th Aug 2014 13:47
The real estate investment and services sector was on the rise on Thursday on the back of upbeat results from Savills, while homebuilders gained after data showed that house-price inflation rose to seven-year high in July. Savills, which earns money mainly through transaction fees, consultancy and
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