Tullow Oil shares boosted by Citigroup upgrade to 'buy'
14th Apr 2015 09:03
Tullow Oil's share price surged on Tuesday after Citigroup raised its rating on the stock from 'neutral' to 'buy', saying that the oil group's portfolio quality is "undervalued" by the market. The bank highlighted the "quality and defensiveness" of Tullow's portfolio, and said concerns about its bal
Read moreLondon open: Stocks inch higher ahead of data, but Greek worries persist
14th Apr 2015 08:19
After an initial drop, London's Footsie bounced into positive territory on Tuesday morning, though gains were only modest as investors awaited key economic data and reacted to uncertainty in Greece. Reports that Athens is preparing for a debt default if it can't reach a deal with its creditors were
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Oil stocks rise on M&A hopes, Go-Ahead upgraded
8th Apr 2015 15:34
A host of stocks in the oil sector were performing well on Wednesday after a £47bn takeover of BG Group by Shell sparked hopes it will trigger a new wave of industry consolidation. Larger players have held up well amid the oil crisis compared with their smaller peers and could now look to snap up st
Read moreSector Movers: M&A chatter perks up oil and gas, tech stocks
8th Apr 2015 13:21
M&A chatter dominated trading in London, with oil and gas shares rising on the back of blue chip Royal Dutch Shell's successful bid for smaller FTSE 100 rival BG Group. At 15:40 BST on Wednesday, the FTSE 100 was marginally down 7.35 points or 0.11% at 6954.42 as the market soaked in news of BG Grou
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks rise as BG Group takeover sparks M&A hopes
8th Apr 2015 11:54
London's FTSE 100 was fluctuating around the 7,000 level by Wednesday lunchtime as M&A activity gave sentiment a lift, with BG Group soaring as much as 40% after a takeover offer from Shell. Stocks across the oil and gas sector were rising strongly on speculation that Shell's move may spark a fresh
Read moreShell-BG Group takeover expected to spark M&A fever in oil sector
8th Apr 2015 09:37
Shell's £47bn takeover offer for BG Group not only sent shares in the natural gas outfit soaring on Wednesday, but gave other stocks in the sector a big boost. The deal sparked speculation that it may mark the start of a new round of industry consolidation, not seen since the late 1990s, as business
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Oil stocks higher as Saudi Arabia boosts prices
7th Apr 2015 16:53
Oil stocks were in demand on Tuesday as traders played catch-up with gains in crude futures over the last few days. During the weekend Saudi Arabia increased its official price for Asian oil buyers, which markets interpreted as a sign of improving demand. The battered shares prices of energy and exp
Read moreSector Movers: Mining, oil stocks recover from pre-Easter slump
7th Apr 2015 12:51
Natural resources shares led the London market with mining companies reversing pre-Easter declines in the first day of trading after the festive period. At 15:55 BST on Tuesday, the FTSE 100 was trading up 1.93% or 131.79 points at 6965.25. Mining companies lifted the market, being among the best pe
Read moreTuesday broker round-up
7th Apr 2015 11:59
Antofagasta: Jefferies reiterates buy. GlaxoSmithKline: Credit Suisse reiterates underperform and 1440p target. Micro Focus Intl.: Numis reiterates add and ups target price to 1,310p from 1,240p. Rockhopper Exploration: Canaccord Genuity starts coverage at buy and raises target to 190p from 180p.
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks surge on Fed rate-hike delay speculation
7th Apr 2015 08:42
UK stock markets were doing their best to play catch-up on Tuesday morning as investor risk appetite returned after the four-day weekend. London's FTSE 100 was up 1.15% at 6,911.92 in early trading. The Easter weekend has worked wonders for the markets, with the European indices looking reinvigorat
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Homeserve higher on strong winter trading, oil stocks and miners lower
27th Mar 2015 13:13
Homeserve was trading higher after a reassuring trading statement that revealed trading in its busy winter period had been "good" and in line with its full-year targets. Management was also pleased with levels of customer growth across the international businesses, having reported good customer numb
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: IPF higher on upgrade, oil stocks and miners lower
24th Mar 2015 14:15
Shares in International Personal Finance shot up after Berenberg Bank upgraded its rating on the stock to 'buy' from 'hold'. "While FX and regulatory fears are weighing on the shares, IPF is exposed to significant long-term growth opportunities," said Berenberg. Hospital group Spire Healthcare saw i
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 books new all-time highs to close above 7000
20th Mar 2015 16:52
Dovish central banks and fading worries about Greece exiting the Eurozone propelled the London market to record fresh all-time highs on Friday. At Friday's close, the FTSE 100 index stood strong at 7022.51, up 0.8% on the day, off a touch from its session high of 7024.21. "The FTSE 100's landmark m
Read moreFriday broker round-up
20th Mar 2015 15:33
Asos: Citi reiterates neutral. TSB Banking: Numis reiterates hold and 340p target. Aviva: Nomura reiterates buy and lifts target to 690p from 650p. WPP: Morgan Stanley reiterates buy and raises target to 1,625p from 1,400p. Tullow Oil: Barclays reiterates overweight and 550p target. William Hill
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: CRH higher on merger agreement, Next hit by downgrade
20th Mar 2015 12:53
CRH was the biggest gainer on the Footsie after building materials giants Lafarge and Holcim agreed upon terms for a merger. Shares in Tullow Oil surged after the West Africa-focused exploration outfit announced it had successfully negotiated for access to £450m in fresh financing. Morrison was als
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