London midday: UK stocks drop as Greek negotiations hit rough patch
12th Jun 2015 11:44
The UK stock market was firmly in the red on Friday as jitters about ongoing Greek debt talks continued to weigh on sentiment. The FTSE 100 was down 0.61% at 6,805.13 by midday after the International Monetary Fund's technical team quit discussions due to a lack of progress from Athens. The IMF on
Read moreSevern Trent, United Utilities downgraded to 'market perform' by Bernstein
12th Jun 2015 09:56
Bernstein downgraded Severn Trent and United Utilities to 'market perform' from 'outperform', cutting the price targets to 2,150p from 2,300p and 1,040p from 1,050p, respectively. "In our view the current valuations reflect a significant probability of takeover and we see limited upside to the curre
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Vodafone surges on continued merger speculation, miners higher
22nd May 2015 12:51
UK stocks were buoyed on Friday by higher commodity prices and data revealing the US had remained in deflation last month. Sector-wise gains made by miners, engineers and telecoms stocks outweighed weakness in technology and travel stocks. At 14:00 BST, the FTSE 100 was trading 37 points higher at 7
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks hold on to gains before US CPI, Vodafone continues to rise
22nd May 2015 11:23
UK stocks held on to gains on Friday ahead of some key economic data from the States, which is forecast to show that the US remained in deflation last month. Strong gains from Vodafone, HSBC and a host of stocks in the mining sector were supporting markets in London. The FTSE 100 was up 0.37% at 7,
Read moreLondon open: Vodafone, HSBC and miners lead UK stocks higher
22nd May 2015 08:41
UK stocks opened higher on Friday morning and were on track to hit a two-week high ahead of another busy day for economic data. The FTSE 100 was trading up 0.41% at 7,042.57 early on, helped by decent gains from blue chips Vodafone and HSBC and the heavyweight mining sector. The index has not close
Read moreLondon pre-open: Subdued start expected ahead of economic data
22nd May 2015 07:32
UK stock markets were set for a quiet start on Friday as investors awaited a busy day on the economic data calendar. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open flat on Thursday's close of 7,013.47, its highest close since 11 May. Macro indicators came in mixed the previous session, with manufactur
Read moreSevern Trent's full-year profit drops
22nd May 2015 07:30
London-listed water company Severn Trent posted a 53.5% drop in full-year pre-tax profit, pointing to a fair value loss on financial instruments, largely due to lower expectations for future interest rates, and an exceptional tax credit in the previous year. Pre-tax profit fell 53.5% to £148.2m from
Read moreSevern Trent sells off loss-making water purification unit
13th May 2015 07:03
UK water group Severn Trent is to offload its loss-making water purification business to its joint venture partner Industrie De Nora. The business, which provides disinfection and filtration technology solutions for the energy, marine and municipal markets, has been valued at £61.9m. Severn Trent's
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Lloyds surges on strong first quarter profits, property stock lower
1st May 2015 13:10
Lloyds Banking Group topped the risers after delivering a bigger-than-forecast 21% jump in underlying profits in the first quarter, as impairment charges more than halved. The UK lender also lifted its net interest margin guidance for the full year and improved its capital position. Stimulus hopes w
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise modestly amid Greek talks, UK economic data
17th Apr 2015 08:35
Stocks in London advanced on Friday morning on a quiet day for corporate newsflow, with investors awaiting key employment data from the UK while digesting Greek debt talks. "The FTSE opened the day on the positive side of flat, after yesterday afternoon's [...] declines pulled the index away from it
Read moreSevern Trent shares fall on Morgan Stanley rating cut to 'underweight'
15th Apr 2015 11:59
Shares in UK water utility firm Severn Trent fell 1.6% on Wednesday after getting a cut to its rating to 'underweight' from 'equalweight' by Morgan Stanley on "valuation grounds". The bank said while the company's management was driving improved performance, this is already factored into the share p
Read moreAnglo CEO sells £0.4m of shares to cover tax payment
23rd Feb 2015 16:38
Anglo American's boss offloaded nearly £0.4m-worth of shares in the mining group on Monday, the company said. Some 67,475 shares in Anglo, representing part of a bonus award granted to Mark Cutifani upon his appointment to the board, vested last week. Cutifani, who has been chief executive since Ap
Read moreLondon close: FTSE closing in on record high as commodity stocks rally
13th Feb 2015 16:30
UK stocks jumped on Friday as rising commodity prices lifted shares in the oil and mining sectors, while hopes increased that Europe can come to an agreement over the future of Greece. The FTSE 100 rose 0.7% to 6,873.52 by the end of trade, its best finish since early September 2014. The index is no
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Glaxosmithkline upgraded, miners and oil stocks higher
13th Feb 2015 14:29
Glaxosmithkline's shares were given a boost by UBS which upgraded its rating for the pharmaceutical stock by two notches from 'sell' to 'buy', saying that the business is now at an "inflection point" after a tough few years. The bank hiked its target price for the stock from 1,250p to 1,700p. The sh
Read moreLondon midday: Eurozone GDP data lifts markets as resource stocks rise
13th Feb 2015 11:37
Stronger-than-expected Eurozone growth figures and easing concerns about Ukraine and Greece gave stocks a boost in London on Friday, with resource shares leading the advance. The FTSE 100 was trading 0.6% higher at 6,869 by midday, as metal and oil stocks tracked commodity prices higher. Eurozone g
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