London open: Water groups fall
23rd Jul 2009 08:17
London's top stocks have opened slightly lower, with utilities among the main fallers after Ofwat called for lower water bills. The water regulator outlined proposals that would see the average water bill fall by £14 to £330 before inflation between 2010 and 2015. United Utilities is leading the fa
Read moreOFT issues supplementary dairy price collusion report
23rd Jul 2009 07:57
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has issued a supplementary statement of objections in relation to its investigation into dairy prices. The supplementary statement provides additional support to the OFT's provisional finding that a number of parties colluded to increase the retail prices of various
Read moreStobart bags £25m-a-year Tesco deal
22nd Jul 2009 08:54
Transport and logistics group Stobart has bagged a distribution contract for Tesco's new 1.2m sq ft import centre in Middlesbrough worth about £25m a year. The company's Eddie Stobart business will take non-food products from the import centre at Teesport and distribute them countrywide. The operat
Read moreLondon close: Rally continues
21st Jul 2009 16:44
Footsie finished just shy of the 4,500 mark after another day of gains as the rally continues. Wm Morrison led the way after saying it is confident full year results will be ahead of its earlier expectations due to continuing customer growth and the successful implementation of its cost cutting pla
Read moreLondon afternoon: Advance gathers speed
21st Jul 2009 14:11
London kicked on over the lunchtime session, with risers outnumbering fallers by four to one among FTSE 100 constituents. Wm Morrison leads the way after saying it is confident full year results will be ahead of its earlier expectations due to continuing customer growth and the successful implement
Read moreLondon midday: Morrisons leads advance
21st Jul 2009 11:57
Retail stocks dominate proceedings in London following trading updates from Morrisons and Next. Wm Morrison leads the risers in the FTSE 100 after saying it is confident full year results will be ahead of its earlier expectations due to continuing customer growth and the successful implementation o
Read moreSector movers: Mixed day for retailers
21st Jul 2009 10:44
On a mixed day for retailers, Wm Morrison lifts supermarket groups higher, but Next is proving a drag on general retailers. Wm Morrison climbs nearly 10% after it said full year results are expected to beat previous forecasts due to continuing customer growth and cost cutting measures. Peers Sain
Read moreLondon open: Gains continue for Footsie
21st Jul 2009 08:42
London's blue chips have started another day in positive territory with Footsie more than 15 points higher. The blue chip index has now risen by about 7% in the past few days. Supermarket chain Wm Morrison is confident full year results will be ahead of its earlier expectations due to continuing cu
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Bank regulation, Swine flu, Tesco
20th Jul 2009 06:16
The Bank of England would be given sweeping new powers by a Conservative government to prevent another financial crisis, in a regulatory shake-up that would rip up Gordon Brown's 12-year-old tripartite system, the FT reports. George Osborne, shadow chancellor, will retreat from previous suggestions
Read moreTesco disputes competition test proposal
16th Jul 2009 08:12
Supermarket giant Tesco has voiced its opposition to a Competition Commission (CC) proposal that would block supermarket developments by retailers already powerful in a local area. The CC said today that a test to prevent this from happening 'is likely to have a positive effect over time for consum
Read moreLondon close: Stocks pull out of tailspin
14th Jul 2009 17:09
Indecision on Wall Street prompted a spell of profit taking in the UK in the middle of the afternoon session which threatened to wipe out the morning's gains, but London's blue-chips rallied at the death to keep the Footsie in the blue. Mining stocks were the best performers with silver miner Fresn
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie climbs despite weak retailers
14th Jul 2009 14:10
London's leading shares continue to edge higher, with sentiment given a boost in the afternoon by expectations of a moderately firm start on Wall Street and a strong set of second quarter results from US bank Goldman Sachs, which announced record revenues. Mobile phone giant Vodafone, the third lar
Read moreLondon close: Footsie falls for fourth week
10th Jul 2009 17:04
London's blue-chip index fell for the fourth week in succession, with insurance and resource stocks the major fallers today. Aviva was the biggest casualty as fears resurfaced about the future of the company's dividend but its fellow life assurance stocks Prudential, Standard Life, Legal & General
Read moreLondon afternoon: Equities drift down in quiet trading
10th Jul 2009 14:06
London equities are sleepwalking to a dull end to a dull week. Life assurance stocks feature among the weakest performers as global markets continue to drift lower. Aviva, Prudential and Standard Life suffer the biggest falls in the sector. In the mining sector Rio Tinto is still under a cloud aft
Read moreLondon midday: Downward drift continues
10th Jul 2009 12:23
Equities continue to drift lower with blue-chips faring worse than second-liners. Better than expected Producer Prices data has limited the falls in London but expectations of a weak opening on Wall Street has not helped matters. UK producer output prices in June fell 0.2%, after rising 0.4% in May
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