London midday: Tobacco, housing stocks limit gains on FTSE
28th Nov 2013 11:42
- Thanksgiving keeps trading volumes low - Tobacco, housing stocks drop on government policy - German unemployment climbs for fourth straight month techMARK 2,668.59 +0.37% FTSE 100 6,658.85 +0.14% FTSE 250 15,434.40 +0.18% UK investors were treading water on Thursday morning as risk appetite rema
Read moreHelp to Buy boosts housing demand at Taylor Wimpey in Q3
14th Nov 2013 07:26
- Government measures boost demand - Housing markets remains 'healthy' - Company confident of hitting full-year targets Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey said it is 'well positioned in an improving market' as sales rates were boosted by rising consumer confidence and government stimulus measures in the th
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: UBM sinks on profit plunge
22nd Oct 2013 15:34
Shares in media company UBM sank today after the company posted a decline in operating profit, hit by softening conditions in certain markets and a slower summer period, and warned on its full-year underlying revenue growth. The figure is now expected to be at or slightly below the bottom of its gu
Read moreLondon close: Footsie continues orderly retreat
9th Oct 2013 16:10
The ongoing debt-ceiling debate saw the Footsie slip moderately lower on Wednesday, with the nomination of arch-dove Janet Yellen to the Chair of the US Federal Reserve doing little to assuage market worries. London's benchmark FTSE 100 index ended Wednesday's session at 6,337.91, a level not seen
Read moreBroker tips: Housebuilders, M&S, BSkyB, Greggs
9th Oct 2013 11:52
As part of an upbeat review of the UK housing market, Goldman Sachs has added Taylor Wimpey to its 'conviction buy' list and upgraded its ratings for Bovis Homes and Barratt Developments from 'neutral' to 'buy'. "Partly stimulated by the Help To Buy shared equity scheme, lead indicators such as UK
Read moreLondon midday: Markets pause at three-month low as UK data disappoints
9th Oct 2013 11:19
Disappointing UK production figures and the ongoing political deadlock in the US weighed on market sentiment on Wednesday morning, with the FTSE 100 subdued after hitting a three-month low the day before. London's benchmark FTSE 100 index was trading broadly flat by midday, erasing earlier losses,
Read moreBroker snap: Housebuilders rise after Goldman comments
9th Oct 2013 11:03
Housebuilding stocks were performing well on Wednesday after upbeat comments from Goldman Sachs over the outlook for the market, driven in part by 'Help to Buy'. This comes just days after the government launched the second phase of the mortgage guarantee scheme three months earlier than planned.
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: House builders given boost
30th Sep 2013 15:54
Bellway, Barratt Development, and Taylor Wimpey were among the best performing stocks on the FTSE 250 this afternoon as the outlook for the UK housing market continues to brighten. JPMorgan upgraded its rating for Barratt today to 'overweight', although cut Bovis Homes to 'underweight'. Keller Grou
Read moreSector movers: Housebuilders boosted by 'Help to Buy', economic data
30th Sep 2013 14:28
An improving outlook for the UK housing market gave stocks in the home construction sector a bit of a boost on Monday, one of the few categories immune to the wider market sell-off. Stocks were lifted by the weekend's news that the second phase of the government's housing stimulus scheme, 'Help to
Read moreLondon midday: Miners drag FTSE 100 to one-month low
30th Sep 2013 11:42
Concerns over a potential government shutdown in the US, political chaos in Italy and disappointing economic figures from China sparked steep falls on equity markets across Europe on Monday morning, with the FTSE 100 slipping to levels not seen in a month. The FTSE 100 was trading around 0.85% lowe
Read moreLondon open: US and Italian politics weigh on risk appetite
30th Sep 2013 08:44
Political uncertainty in the US and Italy along with disappointing economic figures from China weighed heavily on risk appetite on Monday morning with mining stocks bearing the brunt of the selling. The FTSE 100 opened around 0.8% lower at 6,458.29 in early trading; the last time it closed lower wa
Read moreLondon close: Stocks sink to three-week low on policy uncertainty
27th Sep 2013 16:32
A cautious start turned into a market-wide sell-off by the close of trade on Friday as nervous investors booked profits ahead of the weekend. The UK's benchmark FTSE 100 index finished 52.93 points lower at 6,512.66, its worst closing level in three weeks. The last time it closed lower was on Septe
Read moreSector movers: Housebuilders gain on construction data
13th Sep 2013 14:51
The household goods and home construction sector was the best-performing category on Friday, extending its impressive surge over the last year. Investors seemed to be shrugging off heightened fears of a 'bubble' in the UK housing market and instead are focusing on a continuing improvement in econom
Read moreSector movers: Mining, housing stocks making gains
16th Aug 2013 14:56
Gold and silver prices cemented recent gains on Friday due to safe-haven demand, pushing shares prices in the mining sector higher in afternoon trade. Precious metals peers Randgold Resources and Fresnillo were standout performers as gold edged closer to a two-month high while silver stayed close
Read moreLondon close: Stocks sold off on concerns over QE taper, Egypt
15th Aug 2013 16:34
Markets largely shrugged off a strong set of UK retail sales figures today, instead choosing to focus on economic data from the States which continues to throw more weight behind the argument to taper quantitative easing. The ongoing violence in Egypt also continues to be a worry for markets after
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