Severn Trent surges on Borealis bid reports
22nd Jun 2015 09:42
Shares in UK water company Severn Trent surged 5% on Monday following a report in the Sunday Times suggesting that Canadian infrastructure investor Borealis was once again considering a bid for the company. Two years ago, Borealis bid for the company as part of a consortium with Kuwait Investment Of
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: Severn Trent, M&S, Greece
21st Jun 2015 14:11
Severn Trent is reportedly set to receive a second takeover bid from Borealis Infrastructure, two years after the Canadian investment company approached the water giant as part of a consortium. It is understood the £5bn offer has been discussed by the two groups in early stage talks that opened in M
Read moreLondon close: Late rally helps UK stocks bounce off five-month low as US markets jump
18th Jun 2015 17:01
After an earlier fall, UK stock markets rallied into the afternoon, snapping a four-day losing streak and bouncing off a five-month low as a strong start on Wall Street outweighed ongoing concerns about Greece. The FTSE 100, which dipped to a low of 6,625.16 in morning trade, finished 27.33 points h
Read moreLondon open: Stocks fall for fifth day ahead of Eurogroup meeting on Greece
18th Jun 2015 09:06
Decent gains in the mining sector weren't enough to lift UK stocks on Thursday morning, with markets extending a five-month low on concerns over Greece. The FTSE 100, which fell to its lowest since January on Wednesday, was down a further 0.11% at 6,672.96 early on, marking the fifth consecutive ses
Read moreSevern Trent and National Grid outperform during corrections
17th Jun 2015 13:42
Past performance is no guarantee of futures returns, but it may nevertheless pay to be aware of certain typical trading patterns, especially if you happen to own shares in Severn Trent or National Grid. Given the recent price action in financial markets - with the FTSE 100 down 6% from its peak and
Read moreLondon 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
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