London midday: Stocks rise but gains pared after UK GDP data
23rd Dec 2014 11:56
UK stocks rose again on Tuesday as the pre-Christmas rally continued, though gains were trimmed by lunchtime after some disappointing data. On a day lacking of corporate news, investors were also showing caution ahead of a flurry of economic indicators Stateside. Stock futures on Wall Street were on
Read moreLondon close: UK equities rise to two-week high despite weak commodity stocks
22nd Dec 2014 16:26
Weakness in the resource sectors limited gains in London on Monday, though equity markets still managed to register their fifth straight day of gains as investors readied themselves for the Christmas break. The FTSE 100 finished 0.5% higher at 6,577, but pulled back after reaching a high of 6,620.95
Read moreLondon open: Late Santa Rally puts UK stocks on track for two-week high
22nd Dec 2014 08:48
UK stocks rose for the fifth straight session on Monday and were set to hit a two-week high with the so-called 'Santa Rally' finally taking hold ahead of a shortened trading week. London's FTSE 100 was trading 0.8% higher at 6,598 in early deals. It has not closed above this mark since 8 December.
Read moreLondon close: Stable oil prices and upbeat retail news buoys Santa rally
19th Dec 2014 16:03
The Santa rally continued on its merry way on Friday as oil prices rose and upbeat retail data boosted supermarkets. The FTSE 100 Index closed 79.27 points ahead at 6545.27, its fourth session of gains in a row. Oil heavyweights rose as the price of Brent and US crude recovered from earlier falls t
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Oil stocks gain as crude prices rebound
19th Dec 2014 14:25
Oil and gas stocks were advancing on Friday after a strong rebound in crude prices, with Tullow Oil, BP, Shell and BG Group putting in decent gains. Brent futures were up 2.7% at $60.85 a barrel on the back of optimistic comments about future demand from Saudi Arabia's oil minister. The price droppe
Read moreLondon midday: UK stocks extends gains as markets track Wall Street higher
19th Dec 2014 11:07
UK stocks extended their winning streak into the fourth day on Friday as a welcome, albeit late, Santa Rally kicked in following the recent sell-off. The FTSE 100 was trading 0.3% higher at 6,486 by noon and has now gained nearly 5% since Tuesday. "He left it late this year, but Santa finally provi
Read moreLondon midday: UK stocks back in the red ahead of Fed meeting
17th Dec 2014 12:18
UK stocks were back in the red on Wednesday after their first gain in seven days the previous session, with investors scaling back risk appetite ahead of a number of risk events. Along with a host of economic data due out during the session, markets were keeping an eye out for minutes for the latest
Read moreLondon open: UK stocks extend slide as Chinese data disappoints
16th Dec 2014 08:20
Yet more disappointing economic data from China pushed UK stocks lower for the seventh straight session on Tuesday, with markets extending losses despite plunging to an 18-month low the previous session. Not even the news that the Bank of England (BoE) has given a clean bill of health to seven out o
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners sink while oil companies recover slightly
15th Dec 2014 14:48
Anglo-Australian miner BHP Billiton dipped following a downgrade at RBC Capital Markets to 'underperform' from 'sector-perform'. Other mining companies, including Fresnillo, Randgold Resources and Glencore, were also hit by a forecast of an extended period of low iron ore prices, due to over-supply
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Oil stocks track oil price lower
12th Dec 2014 15:15
Petrofac, Tullow Oil, BP, Shell and a host of stocks exposed to the oil price were suffering heavy losses on Friday. Oil and gas engineer Weir, however, was bouncing back after recent declines following an upgrade by Canaccord Genuity from 'hold' to 'buy'. The broker said the stock's valuation now l
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks tumble as oil prices extend losses, data disappoints
12th Dec 2014 11:36
Weaker-than-expected data from across the globe and a continued plunge in oil prices meant that there was no let-up in the sell-off for UK equity markets on Friday. Stocks were falling for the fifth day straight, with shares in the oil and gas sector faring the worst. London's FTSE 100 was down a s
Read moreLondon open: Sell-off continues as UK resource stocks tank
12th Dec 2014 08:42
The dramatic sell-off on the FTSE 100 continued into its fifth straight day on Friday as a weak finish on Wall Street and disappointing data from China hammered already-fragile sentiment on the market. London's benchmark index was down a staggering 1.3% at 6,377 early on, dropping below the 6,400 le
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rebound from five-week low as energy shares gain
11th Dec 2014 08:21
UK stocks edged higher on Thursday after sinking to a five-week low, though gains were only modest ahead of a data-heavy session. The FTSE 100 was up 0.3% at 6,520 early deals, helped by a small rebound in the energy sector. A three-day sell-off wiped 3.5% off the value of the Footsie and sent the
Read moreLondon close: UK stocks drop to five-week low as oil sinks further
10th Dec 2014 16:40
UK stocks dropped to their lowest levels in five weeks on Wednesday as turmoil in the oil prices intensified with crude prices sinking to a fresh five-year low. The FTSE 100 erased earlier gains to finish down 0.45% at 6,500. It has not closed below this level since 4 November when it settled at 6,4
Read moreSector movers: Energy stocks tank as oil-price plunge intensifies
10th Dec 2014 15:43
Stocks in the oil producing and oil services sectors were hit by renewed selling pressure on Wednesday as crude prices dropped to fresh five-year lows. A weaker demand forecast from OPEC and a surprise increase in US crude inventories were weighing heavily on oil prices in afternoon trade, with Bren
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