Swann raises £1.6m from WH Smith sale
17th Feb 2011 16:42
Kate Swann, the boss of WH Smith has raised more than £1.6m from selling shares in the retailer. Swann sold shares in November and the latest sale means that she has raised nearly £3m in three months. On 16 February, Swann sold 345,846 shares at 476.09p each. That raised £1.65m. In November, the
Read moreLondon close: No US jobs lift for FTSE 100
4th Feb 2011 16:40
The top share index finished the week just below 6,000 points after a sluggish day's trading. Traders were unsure how to react to US jobs data. Nonfarm payrolls rose just 36,000 last month, the Labor Department said Friday, well below forecasts of at least 140,000. On the bright side, December's nu
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie recovers from US jobs jolt
4th Feb 2011 14:40
The Footsie kept its head above 6,000 over the lunchtime period despite a negative reaction to US jobless figures at 1:30. Nonfarm payrolls rose just 36,000 last month, the Labor Department said Friday, well below forecasts of at least 140,000. On the bright side, December's number was revised up t
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Utilities strengthen
4th Feb 2011 13:35
Utilities dominate the risers in the Footsie. Severn Trent, United Utilities and the newly enlarged International Power head the risers. BT Group continues to strengthen after yesterday's third quarter figures. International Consolidated Airlines continues to fall. The share price has fallen b
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 in the blue
4th Feb 2011 12:23
The FTSE 100 is still hovering a few points in positive territory on a fairly quiet day on the company news front. Utilities are one bright spot, with United Utilities, Severn Trent and International Power all higher. Wm Morrison has been upgraded to 'buy' from 'neutral' by UBS, which suggests th
Read moreLondon open: Quiet start for blue chips
4th Feb 2011 08:47
Footsie is subdued with the company results schedule a bit threadbare and January non-farm payrolls data from the US due out this afternoon. Utilities are one bright spot, with United Utilities, Severn Trent and International Power all higher. Wm Morrison has been upgraded to 'buy' from 'neutral
Read moreLondon close: GDP contraction casts a shadow
25th Jan 2011 16:38
The leading share index finished in the red on a day that was dominated by grim figures showing an unexpected contraction in the UK economy in the fourth quarter of 2010. Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.5% between October and December according to figures released by the Office for Nat
Read moreLondon midday: Shares stuck lower after shock GDP contraction
25th Jan 2011 12:18
Shares took a dive after figures showed a shock contraction in GDP, but have recovered slightly. Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.5% between October and December according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), having grown by 0.7%. The latest figures are stil
Read moreLondon open: Miners make for dull start
25th Jan 2011 09:03
Miners have pulled Footsie lower in early dealing despite the 100-point plus surge on Wall Street overnight. Kazakhmys and Randgold are the worst affected, but the whole sector has run into a bout of profit taking. BSkyB is higher even though the bid from NewsCorp seems no nearer a conclusion. Cu
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to make modest headway
25th Jan 2011 07:35
Stocks are expected to head higher at the outset but investors have half an eye on the US Federal Reserve's rate setting committee, which meets tomorrow evening, and may therefore be reluctant to over commit. City traders expect the FTSE 100 will open around 15 points higher. Water group Severn Tr
Read moreBad weather slows Severn Trent's capex
25th Jan 2011 07:07
Water group Severn Trent said the recent bad weather in the UK reduced the level of activity in its capital expenditure programme. For the full year 2010/11, the group now expects capital expenditure to be in the range of £400m to £410m, assuming temperatures remain closer to average levels for the
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Cost cutting helps Sage
1st Dec 2010 13:20
Accountancy software provider Sage is the best performer in the Footsie following its full year figures. Sage reported a 14% increase in underlying pre-tax profit thanks to cost-cutting. Profit before tax, adjusted for foreign exchange movements, rose to £355.7m in the year to September 2010, from
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: Severn Trent, Travis Perkins, Renold...
24th Nov 2010 06:48
Behind the as-expected headlines, water firm Severn Trent has a good story to tell. Most importantly, given the new pricing structure, Severn Trent's cost-cutting plans are on track. Operating expenditure is also in line with forecasts, and below the level set by the regulator. With a price-earnin
Read moreLondon close: Miners get a hammering
23rd Nov 2010 16:57
Footsie staved off a triple-digit fall by less than half a point as worries over the situation in Korea and the prospect of other European countries joining Ireland in the queue for a bail-out nagged away at investors all day. Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered was hit by worries over the exch
Read moreLondon afternoon: TUI bid rumour revived
23rd Nov 2010 14:11
With the Dow Jones index expected to register a triple-digit fall when Wall Street opens, sentiment in London has dipped further. Fears of debt contagion in the euro-zone are pushing the banks down, with Barclays, Standard Chartered and Lloyds Banking the hardest hit. Royal Bank of Scotland defies
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