London open: German GDP gives sentiment a boost as UK stocks rise
13th Feb 2015 09:13
Strong gains in the mining and oil sectors pushed UK stocks higher on Friday, as investors showed optimism after much better-than-expected growth figures from Germany. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.75% at 6,879 early on, as resource shares tracked commodity prices higher. German gross domestic product
Read moreSevern Trent on track to hit full-year forecasts, but costs rise
13th Feb 2015 07:02
Water and sewerage services company Severn Trent said in a third-quarter update that it is on track to hit expectations this financial year, though inflation and taxes will lead to higher operating costs. In line with its previous guidance for its regulated business, the company said consumption acr
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to rise as German growth accelerates
13th Feb 2015 06:55
Strong data from Germany is expected to give UK stocks a boost on Friday, while concerns about Greece and Ukraine continue to ease. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open 28 points higher than Thursday's close of 6,828.11. German economic growth picked up to 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2014
Read moreSunday share tips: Smith & Nephew, Severn Trent, Grainger
1st Feb 2015 13:01
Buy shares of Smith & Nephew, Danny Fortson advised in the Sunday Times. The Inside the City columnist said shares of the maker of artificial hips and knees had surged after US rival Stryker said it was considering a bid. Smith & Nephew releases annual results on February 5th and the numbers are lik
Read moreSevern Trent chairman increases stake after dividend cut
30th Jan 2015 16:12
Non-executive chairman in Severn Trent bought same shares showing confidence in the water company after it announced this week it would cut its dividend to shareholders in order to reduce household bills. Andrew Duff spent £99,109 buying 4,684 shares for an individual price of 2,115.9p. After the tr
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks rise ahead of FOMC meeting
28th Jan 2015 08:26
Strong results from US blue chips Apple and Yahoo after the closing bell on Wall Street led to a higher open in London on Wednesday, as investors took an optimistic approach ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting. The FTSE 100 was up 0.2% at 6,827 in early deals. US markets finished with sharp losses
Read moreSevern Trent reveals new dividend policy, cuts payout for next year
28th Jan 2015 07:07
In accepting the final determination from the water industry regulator, Severn Trent has cut its dividend for next financial year but plans a £100m share buy-back programme to reduce its gearing ratio. For the 2015/16 financial year, the company's board has agreed to set its dividend at 80.66p, whic
Read moreLondon pre-open: Strong start expected after Apple and Yahoo impress
28th Jan 2015 07:01
A strong showing by US tech giant Apple and internet titan Yahoo after the closing bell on Wall Street is expected to filter into a positive open in London on Wednesday. City sources expect the FTSE 100 to open 50 points higher than Tuesday's close of 6,811.61. Apple's shares jumped after the close
Read moreLondon 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 moreFTSE 100 movers: Oil stocks track oil price lower
12th Dec 2014 15:15
Petrofac, Tullow Oil, BP, Shell and a host of stocks exposed to the oil price were suffering heavy losses on Friday. Oil and gas engineer Weir, however, was bouncing back after recent declines following an upgrade by Canaccord Genuity from 'hold' to 'buy'. The broker said the stock's valuation now l
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks tumble as oil prices extend losses, data disappoints
12th Dec 2014 11:36
Weaker-than-expected data from across the globe and a continued plunge in oil prices meant that there was no let-up in the sell-off for UK equity markets on Friday. Stocks were falling for the fifth day straight, with shares in the oil and gas sector faring the worst. London's FTSE 100 was down a s
Read moreLondon open: Sell-off continues as UK resource stocks tank
12th Dec 2014 08:42
The dramatic sell-off on the FTSE 100 continued into its fifth straight day on Friday as a weak finish on Wall Street and disappointing data from China hammered already-fragile sentiment on the market. London's benchmark index was down a staggering 1.3% at 6,377 early on, dropping below the 6,400 le
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: BP, Sainsbury, Premier Foods
7th Dec 2014 17:59
BP will shed middle managers and put projects on hold as it deals with the falling price of oil, the Sunday Times reported. Finance Director Brian Gilvary told the paper headcounts were falling across all operations and that it would cut the estimated price of oil it uses for budgeting. Gilvary said
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks tread water ahead of BoE, ECB policy meetings
4th Dec 2014 08:38
The UK stock market opened more or less unchanged on Thursday as investors scaled back their risk appetite ahead of a busy day, with central bank meetings lying ahead in the UK and Europe. While both the Bank of England and European Central Bank are expected to leave monetary policy unchanged, all e
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Severn Trent, Mitchells&Butlers
26th Nov 2014 19:27
The latest figures from quoted water utility Severn Trent revealed a company in healthy shape, with pre-tax profits 10% ahead at £155.8m. Critically, it no longer seems to be the case that the company's future dividend growth will be hurt by the looming settlement with its regulator, Ofwat. Indeed,
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