London close: FTSE 100 at three-week high after policy meetings
5th Sep 2013 17:03
A host of central-bank policy meetings, a dovish tone from Mario Draghi and the continued improvement in US economic data helped lift stocks higher on Thursday, with the FTSE 100 closing at levels not seen in three weeks. London's benchmark index ended the day up 57.7 points at 6,532.44, its highes
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: M&S leaps after HSBC upgrade
5th Sep 2013 15:20
High Street department store Marks & Spencer surged today after HSBC upgraded the stock from 'neutral' to 'overweight', saying it is the most operationally geared among its peers to play on the UK consumer recovery. Hotels group IHG was also a high riser after UBS raised its rating from 'neutral to
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks trim gains, BoE holds rates
5th Sep 2013 11:27
After a strong start for UK stocks, the FTSE 100 pared gains by lunchtime as nervousness set in ahead of a number of risk events that have the potential to spark some volatile moves on financial markets. Risk appetite was also scaled back ahead of the G20 meeting which begins in St Petersburg today
Read moreLondon close: Stocks jump on improvement in global data
22nd Aug 2013 17:11
London's FTSE 100 jumped on Thursday as investors temporarily shrugged off an underwhelming set of minutes from the Federal Reserve and instead focused on improving data from across the world which brightened the global economic outlook. The FTSE 100 ended the day at 6,446.87, up 56.03 points on th
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: IMI, Wolseley, Vedanta Resources
22nd Aug 2013 14:01
IMI's shares rallied after the engineering company forecast an improvement in trading for the second half as it takes on higher-margin contracts at its severe service business. Wolseley gained after UBS upgraded its stocks to 'buy' from 'neutral' ahead of its results, saying "our analysis of US pee
Read moreFormer Diageo CEO sells 3.9m-pound stake
1st Aug 2013 15:50
Paul Walsh, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Diageo who now serves on the board as an advisor, sold nearly four million pounds of shares in the drinks giant on Thursday, just one day after the Guinness maker impressed the market with a solid increase in annual net sales. Walsh, who was
Read moreLondon close: Markets shrug off German downgrade rumours to finish higher
24th Jul 2013 16:56
Unconfirmed rumours of a downgrade to Germany's sovereign debt rating rattled markets on Wednesday afternoon, but stocks recovered to register moderate gains by the close of trade. The FTSE 100 finished the session up 23 points at 6,620. Senior Market Analyst Michael Hewson from CMC Markets said:
Read moreLondon midday: Markets boosted by earnings, Eurozone PMIs
24th Jul 2013 11:23
Upbeat corporate earnings from a number of heavyweights and improving data in the Eurozone gave UK markets a boost on Wednesday morning, as traders shrugged off concerns about manufacturing activity in China. easyJet, ARM Holdings, Tate & Lyle, Kingfisher and Compass were all trading firmly higher
Read moreLondon open: Markets rise as earnings impress
24th Jul 2013 08:53
Well-received updates and results from easyJet, ARM Holdings, Tate & Lyle, Compass and Kingfisher pushed the FTSE 100 firmly into positive territory on Wednesday morning, as markets shrugged off disappointing economic data from China. HSBC's flash China manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI
Read moreTate & Lyle maintains outlook despite US softness in Q1
24th Jul 2013 07:53
Food ingredients firm Tate & Lyle said that adjusted profits were in line with expectations in spite of tough weather conditions in the States in the first quarter. The group, well known for its sugar and SPLENDA sweeteners brands, said on Wednesday morning: "Our outlook for the year remains unchan
Read moreLondon close: Stocks slip despite mining strength
16th Jul 2013 16:55
Strong gains in the mining sector weren't enough to lift the FTSE 100 on Tuesday as a number of upcoming 'risk events' prompted investors to pause for breath following a decent performance over recent weeks. The FTSE 100 finished down 30 points at 6,556, a fall of 0.45% on the day. London's benchma
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners track metal prices higher
16th Jul 2013 14:33
Mining stocks were the best performers on Tuesday afternoon, as metals prices rose on the back of a weaker dollar. Precious metal producers Fresnillo and Randgold were among the highest risers as gold and silver futures advanced. Diversified mining group Rio Tinto was also making gains after being
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks flat as markets digest mixed data
16th Jul 2013 11:46
The UK stock market was flat on Tuesday morning, pausing for breath after hitting highs not seen in seven weeks, as investors reacted to a barrage of mixed economic data. The UK annual consumer price index (CPI) hit a 14-month high of 2.9% in June, up from 2.7% in May. While this came in slightly b
Read moreLondon close: Stocks rise on first day of Carney's mandate
1st Jul 2013 17:24
Equities began the third quarter on a strong note, buoyed in part by a bullish note from strategists at JP Morgan on commodity prices. Alongside a slightly better than expected reading on US manufacturing that helped to compensate for a somewhat weak reading on Chinese manufacturing overnight. Coinc
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Smiths Group tops the leaderboard
27th Jun 2013 13:21
Engineering companies Smiths Group and Weir Group were the top gainers on Thursday.UBS upgraded Smith Group's stock to 'buy' from 'neutral', helping to push shares higher. Tate & Lyle advanced as Morgan Stanley rated the sweetener maker's stock for the first time on Thursday, recommending an 'overw
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