Hika Pharma promoted to FTSE 100 but Tullow Oil gets kicked out
5th Mar 2015 15:01
Hika Pharmaceuticals and Tullow Oil are switching places at start of the second quarter of this year as the FTSE Group reshuffles components across its leading London benchmarks. In its quarterly review, the FTSE Group have outlined which companies have been promoted or demoted from its indices. The
Read moreLondon close: FTSE pulls back from record as miners dip into the red
2nd Mar 2015 16:37
UK stocks inched lower on Monday after hitting a new intraday record high during the session as markets were underwhelmed by a raft of positive manufacturing data and a rate cut in China. London's FTSE 100, which rose to a new all-time peak of 6,974.26 early on, finished 6.02 points lower (-0.09%) a
Read moreLondon midday: Investors take profits after FTSE hits fresh intraday record
2nd Mar 2015 11:41
After a bright start, UK stocks dropped into the red by Monday lunchtime as investors assessed a raft of economic data and took profits after markets reached new record highs. The FTSE 100 was down 0.01% at 6,945.68 by midday, erasing gains after rising to a new intraday all-time high of 6,974.26 in
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks hit new record high on China rate cut
2nd Mar 2015 08:52
UK stocks rose modestly to a new record high on Monday morning on the back of gains in the banking and mining sectors, tracking a strong performance on Asian markets overnight after a rate cut in China. The FTSE 100 was up 0.3% at 6,969.46 within the opening hour, having risen as high as 6,972.01 in
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: HSBC lower on tax scandal fines, LSE boosted by higher price target
23rd Feb 2015 14:59
HSBC was among the fallers after reporting a 17% drop in pre-tax annual profit to $18.68bn, as the lender was hit by fines for its involvement in the foreign exchange rigging scandal. Chief executive Stuart Gulliver said 2014 was a "challenging year in which we continued to work hard to improve busi
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Standard Life lifted by results, IAG down with a bump
20th Feb 2015 13:59
Insurance giant Standard Life surged after beating forecasts with a 19% increase in annual operating profit before tax from continuing operations to £604m, while the total dividend was lifted 7.8% to 17.03p per share. The recent acquisition of Ignis also helped it to increase assets under administra
Read moreLondon midday: Eurozone data and Greek optimism push UK stocks higher
20th Feb 2015 11:43
UK stocks neared an all-time high on Friday morning after upbeat data on the Eurozone economy, as investors showed optimism ahead of an emergency meeting about Greek debt. Markets mostly shrugged off weak economic data from the UK, where retail sales fell more than expected in January. London's FTS
Read moreLondon open: Standard Life, energy stocks support markets ahead of Greek meeting
20th Feb 2015 08:42
UK stocks edged higher on Friday morning on the back of well-received results from Standard Life and gains in the oil sector as investors awaited a pivotal meeting about Greek debt later on. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.06% at 6,892.72 early on. The index has remained broadly flat over the last three
Read moreSector movers: Oil stocks track crude prices lower ahead of stockpile data
19th Feb 2015 15:41
Oil producers and energy services stocks were hit on Thursday by a tumble in the price of crude on the back of speculation that US government data will show that oil stockpiles rose to a record high last week. Industry group, The American Petroleum Institute, said on Wednesday that stockpiles of cru
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Centrica drops, oil and gas stocks lower
19th Feb 2015 14:14
With oil and gas prices plummeting, Centrica took dramatic action by slashing its dividend and future payout policy, warning that earnings for next year will be lower than expected too. Shares in the British Gas owner dropped sharply the company cut its dividend 21% to 19.2p, which will be a "major
Read morePanmure Gordon picks out "most vulnerable" UK dividends
18th Feb 2015 13:27
Panmure Gordon has warned of "storm clouds on the horizon" for income investors as corporate payouts reach "unsustainable" levels and has picked out several FTSE 350 companies where dividends appear particularly vulnerable. Although the UK economy has begun 2015 in rude health, the broker pointed ou
Read moreSector movers: Analysts warm to Oil&Gas sector
16th Feb 2015 17:39
Shares in select Oil&Gas and oil service sector names led gains on Monday as analysts weighed in with positive views. In a research note e-mailed to clients first thing in the morning a team at Morgan Stanley headed by Martjin Rats wrote that: "A strong [Oil&Gas] industry response to the fall in oil
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Astrazeneca lower as patent rejected, BHP boosted by Pakistan disposal
16th Feb 2015 14:11
Astrazeneca was trading lower after its patent on its Pulmicort Respules treatment for asthma was ruled by a US court as invalid. The US District Court of New Jersey ruling paves the way for generic versions of the lung drug to be released into the market. Actavis said it released a version of the d
Read moreLondon midday: Markets remain slightly in the red
16th Feb 2015 12:28
UK stocks were still slightly lower come midday on the heels of weaker than forecast Japanese growth domestic product (GDP) figures, overnight, and ahead of a critical meeting of Eurozone finance ministers scheduled for the evening. Traders were watching to see if Greece's new government and the Eur
Read moreLondon close: FTSE closing in on record high as commodity stocks rally
13th Feb 2015 16:30
UK stocks jumped on Friday as rising commodity prices lifted shares in the oil and mining sectors, while hopes increased that Europe can come to an agreement over the future of Greece. The FTSE 100 rose 0.7% to 6,873.52 by the end of trade, its best finish since early September 2014. The index is no
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