FTSE 100 movers: Standard Life soars after beating analyst expectations
24th Apr 2013 15:09
Insurance giant Standard Life was a strong riser after beating analysts' predictions in the first quarter after delivering strong sales and group assets under administration. The group recorded a 24% increase in long-term savings sales to £6.3bn and a 26% increase in long-term savings net flows to
Read moreLondon close: ENRC and miners give markets a boost
19th Apr 2013 16:33
London's stock markets ended the week on a positive note, finishing with decent gains following a five-day losing streak, with mining stocks doing their best to recover after the recent sell-off. ENRC was a standout performer in the sector, surging by over a quarter by the close on the back of repo
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Hargreaves Lansdown, Tesco, Smiths News
18th Apr 2013 08:37
Hargreaves Lansdown stands to benefit from the Retail Distribution Review which came into effect this year. As well, the company's business model is structured in such a manner that it gains more through management charges as its clients do so. Further, it is more of a retail supermarket than a fund
Read moreThursday broker round-up UPDATE
18th Apr 2013 07:16
African Barrick Gold: Investec reduces target price from 315p to 286p keeping a hold recommendation. BHP Billiton: JP Morgan cuts target price from 2380p to 2330p, while leaving its neutral rating unchanged. Deutsche Bank lowers target price from 2350p to 2334p keeping a buy recommendation. Big Ye
Read moreLondon close: Stocks hit by fears over growth, US earnings
17th Apr 2013 16:50
Fears over economic growth and a raft of disappointing earnings in the States weighed heavily on global markets on Wednesday, while a number of heavyweight stocks going ex-dividend dampened the FTSE 100 in London. Bank of America (BofA) was the first major US bank to miss forecasts this earnings se
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Tullow Oil dives on drilling plans
17th Apr 2013 14:47
Tullow Oil saw its shares drop significantly after its joints venture partner Northern Petroleum gave an update on one of its wells at its joint venture project in French Guiana. Following an announcement by Northern Petroleum, the company confirmed that the GM-ES-3 well, which to-date has had no si
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 on track for fourth straight loss
17th Apr 2013 11:39
A number of heavyweight stocks going ex-dividend assured that London's FTSE 100 index was in the red for a fourth consecutive day on Wednesday, while concerns over the global economy continued to weigh on sentiment. Global growth fears have hit markets over the last few days after a surprise slowdo
Read moreBroker tips: Tesco, Burberry, Hikma
17th Apr 2013 11:24
Panmure Gordon has maintained its 'buy' rating and 440p target price for supermarket group Tesco, highlighting a 'welcome shift in strategy' following the firm's full-year results. Panmure reckons that Tesco is on track in the UK and expects the recovery to "slowly emerge" this year and said that i
Read moreBroker snap: Tesco's UK recovery on track, says Panmure
17th Apr 2013 10:57
Panmure Gordon has maintained its 'buy' rating and 440p target price for supermarket group Tesco, highlighting a 'welcome shift in strategy' following the firm's full-year results. Underlying profit before tax (PBT) fell by 14.5% to £3,549m, but this was after treating the US as a discontinued busi
Read moreLondon open: Ex-div stocks sink markets early on
17th Apr 2013 08:47
The FTSE 100 was in the red for the fourth straight day on Wednesday as a number of ex-dividend stocks provided a drag on London's benchmark index. Global growth concerns have weighed on markets over the last few days after a surprise slowdown was reported in China in the first quarter. These fears
Read moreLondon pre-open: FTSE to track US stocks higher
17th Apr 2013 07:41
City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open up 16 points from yesterday's close of 6,305, tracking gains seen in the US overnight. Across the Atlantic, both corporate news and macroeconomic releases were generally positive, with the 'forward-looking' housing starts numbers undershooting expectatio
Read moreTesco posts first annual profit decline in two decades
17th Apr 2013 07:06
Tesco reported its first decline in annual profits in two decades Wednesday, reflecting the costs of a turnaround plan. The British supermarket posted an underlying pre-tax profit of £3.5bn in the year to February 23rd 2013, a 10.7% fall from the £3.92bn the previous year, and in line with the for
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 falls for third day straight despite mining strength
16th Apr 2013 16:33
The resource-heavy FTSE 100 finished Tuesday's session in the red despite some big gains in the mining sector, as concerns about global growth and a disappointing reading of German sentiment provided a drag on sentiment. This marks the third consecutive decline for London's benchmark index. Market
Read moreWednesday preview: Tesco and Burberry to post fall in earnings
16th Apr 2013 15:14
Tesco and Burberry Group will be the centre of attention Wednesday as the FTSE 100 companies unveil their latest trading results. British supermarket Tesco is expected to report its first fall in underlying annual profits in two decades. Analysts at Vuma Consensus predict an underlying pre-tax pr
Read moreLondon midday: Markets extend losses after Boston tragedy, German ZEW survey
16th Apr 2013 11:33
The FTSE 100 looked set to register its third straight decline by Tuesday lunchtime, extending heavy losses made the day before as mining stocks were hammered by slowing growth in China. While miners were doing their best to rebound this morning, markets on the whole were on the cautious side as i
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