UK summer bookings fall 33% at Thomas Cook
23rd Jan 2012 11:32
British tour operator Thomas Cook saw summer bookings by British customers fall 33% in the first two weeks of 2012, according to an industry leisure monitor reviewed by Financial Times. The start of January is a key period for tour operators with around 15% of summer bookings usually made in the fi
Read moreThursday broker round-up - UPDATE
12th Jan 2012 09:08
Reckitt Benckiser: J.P. Morgan Cazenove downgrades to neutral from overweight. Tesco: Nomura reiterates buy rating and 500p target; Panmure Gordon cuts target from 500p to 440p, buy rating unchanged. Royal Bank of Scotland: Shore Capital reiterates sell. Tesco: Shore Capital downgrades to hold fr
Read moreLondon close: Footsie follows Wall Street lower
4th Jan 2012 17:12
Having spent most of the day seeking direction, UK investors took the hint from their US counterparts and banked some of yesterday's heavy gains. Fashion chain Next was one of the day's biggest fallers, after a cautious trading statement. The company said "despite a good final week before Christma
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie back to square one
4th Jan 2012 10:38
UK equities are seeking direction after a morning in which the Footsie moved in a narrow band ranging from 5689 to 5720. Fashion chain Next is a drag on the index, after a cautious trading statement. The company said "despite a good final week before Christmas, November and December sales were disa
Read moreThomas Cook non-execs exit stage left
4th Jan 2012 10:00
Thomas Cook shares dropped following an announcement that three of the firm's non-executive directors are to leave in February. It is the latest worrying episode in what has been a traumatic period for the company. In November last year the travel firm had to negotiate a new £200m banking facility
Read moreLondon close: Flat finish as Italian optimism fades
28th Dec 2011 17:41
London's blue chip index finished flat after initial optimism surrounding an Italian bond auction faded. After a foray into the blue by midday, most European stock markets finished the day firmly lower . Italy managed to borrow over €10bn on international debt markets today at interest rates sharpl
Read moreSmall disposal by cash-strapped Thomas Cook
28th Dec 2011 14:41
Thomas Cook, the travel firm which came perilously close to bankruptcy earlier this month, has sold a property in the Netherlands to boost its cash flow. The building is located in the town of Hoofddorp in the north of the country and will give Thomas Cook €18m in much needed cash. The property is
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie up after Italian auction
28th Dec 2011 13:06
After a subdued start, London's FTSE 100 index jumped higher in morning trade, helped by a strong Italian bond auction. YIELDS PLUNGE AT ITALIAN AUCTION Italy managed to borrow over €10bn on international debt markets today at interest rates sharply lower than recent times. The yield on €9bn wor
Read moreFTSE 250 Movers: International Personal Finance in last place
15th Dec 2011 15:07
Doorstep lending firm International Personal Finance (IPF) was in the bottom spot of the FTSE 250 index after it revealed that global economic volatility has taken its toll on the firm's profit and loss account in 2011. The group highlights the significant unpredictability in foreign exchange (FX)
Read moreLondon close: Miners drag Footsie down 2.3%
14th Dec 2011 16:42
The FTSE 100 index finished at its lowest levels of the day on Wednesday, closing over 100 points down from Tuesday's close of 5,490. Just one stock in London, Morrison, finished in the blue, while the heavyweight mining sector dominated the downward direction. Markets remain concerned with the ong
Read moreBroker tips: IAG, Thomas Cook, LSE
14th Dec 2011 12:50
Galvan Research and Trading has given airline International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) a sell rating, saying that recent forecasts are "now unrealistic". Last week, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced revisions to its industry outlook, downgrading its predictions for 2012.
Read moreBroker snap: Credit Suisse slashes its price target on Thomas Cook
14th Dec 2011 12:07
In a research note published this morning, analysts at Credit Suisse are highlighting the "soft winter (trading) picture" for package tour operator Thomas Cook. In their opinion it is so weak that, despite the company's management having "fleshed out" its turnaround plan and that a strategic review
Read moreLondon midday: Resource stocks pull Footsie to daily lows
14th Dec 2011 12:00
There were just seven risers on London's FTSE 100 at midday, as miners and oil stocks pulled the blue chip index to its daily low of 5,438, a fall of around 1%. In economic news, UK unemployment rose by 128,00 in the three months to October to a reach a total of 2.64m, according to the Office for
Read moreWednesday broker round-up - UPDATE
14th Dec 2011 10:09
Tesco: ING downgrades to sell from buy. Marks&Spencer: ING downgrades to sell from hold. Morrison: ING upgrades from hold to buy. Rio Tinto: Credit Suisse reiterates outperform recommendation and 5,000p target. London Stock Exchange: Credit Suisse upgrades from underperform to neutral, 850p tar
Read moreLondon open: Miners follow gold price lower
14th Dec 2011 08:15
Mining stocks are dragging London lower after the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, decided yesterday not to pump more funds into its quantitative easing programme. Silver and gold miner Fresnillo leads the mining sector lower, while fellow precious metals miner Randgold is also in the dog-hous
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