London 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 moreSector movers: Housebuilders drop after construction PMI disappoints
4th Apr 2013 13:54
Housebuilding stocks were under pressure on Thursday a day after construction data from the UK came in below the mark. The CIPS/Markit construction purchasing managers' index (PMI), which measures overall output in the sector, rose to 47.2 in March, bouncing off a 40-month low of 46.8 the month bef
Read moreBroker snap: UBS bullish on 'Help to Buy' potential for housebuilders
26th Mar 2013 09:26
UBS has upgraded its ratings for both Redrow and Bovis and now has 'buy' recommendations across the whole UK housebuilding sector, saying that the government's new initiatives should be beneficial for stocks. In spite of a strong sector performance as of late - housebuilders have jumped 58% over th
Read moreLondon close: Markets subdued in Budget aftermath
20th Mar 2013 16:16
Markets on the whole gave a muted reaction to George Osborne's Budget Statement today, in which he warned that Britain would grow less and borrow more than originally estimated, while traders continued to digest developments elsewhere, including the Cypriot bailout and a meeting at the US Federal Re
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Construction and house building groups rise on Budget
20th Mar 2013 16:05
Shares in Barratt Developments, Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon, Bellway, Redrow and Bovis Homes Group all charged higher on Wednesday afternoon after the Chancellor, George Osborne, said in his 2013 Budget speech that the government was launching a programme to help people get on, or move up, the property
Read moreLondon close: Strong US data prompts late rally...again
1st Mar 2013 17:13
For a third day in a row, the FTSE 100 index rallied in afternoon trade on the back of strong economic figures from America, as investors temporarily shrugged off concerns about the automatic spending cuts which kick in later today. US President Barack Obama met with congressional leaders this afte
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Hikma soars on 'unsolicited enquiries'
1st Mar 2013 15:23
Hikma Pharmaceuticals on Friday confirmed that it has received several unsolicited enquiries in its Injectables business and is now undertaking a review of strategic options for its future, prompting a strong rise in the share price. High Street betting shop William Hill jumped after announcing th
Read moreTaylor Wimpey's annual profits soar
1st Mar 2013 10:07
UK housebuilder Taylor Wimpey's profits rocketed in 2012 as the company completed more homes for a higher selling price. Profit before tax soared 106.1% year-on-year to £185.3m as operating profit jumped 44.3% to £230.1m and revenues climbed 11.7% to £2.0bn. UK operating profit margin rose to 11.5
Read moreCrest Nicholson to return to stock market
21st Jan 2013 11:39
Crest Nicholson, the housebuilder which went private in 2007 just before the housing bubble burst, intends to return to the London Stock Exhange. The developer, which operates in the Southern half of England, hopes to raise around £50m through an offer comprising both new and existing shares. Ch
Read moreProfits surge for house builder Taylor Wimpey
14th Jan 2013 07:22
Higher-quality locations combined with an increase in the average selling price underpinned a 40 per cent rise in the group operating profit of house builder Taylor Wimpey in 2012. Average selling prices on private completions increased by 6% to £197,000, according to the group's trading statement
Read moreWeek ahead: Taylor Wimpey, Spirit Pub Company
11th Jan 2013 20:54
Financial markets remain fixated on the US fiscal cliff and its effects on the economy. In the end a solution is expected, but the question remains whether Congress will 'play it to the wire' again, or worse. Simply put, markets do not quite know whether to 'look through' that uncertainty, or not. H
Read moreTaylor Wimpey secures prized London development
3rd Jan 2013 13:12
A London development, once occupied by the Courts and Tribunal Service, will be knocked down to make way for 76 new residential apartments worth 70m pounds. Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has exchanged contracts to acquire St Dunstan's House, a seventies office block in Fetter Lane near Square Mile, f
Read moreCredit Suisse expects another good year for small and mid-caps
29th Dec 2012 17:34
2013 should be a good year for small and mid-capitalisation stocks following a strong 2012. That was the view put forth by analysts at Credit Suisse in a research note published on December 20th. Amongst the factors cited by their analysts were the strong historical track record (10% average re
Read moreLondon close: Stocks end the week in a cautious mood
30th Nov 2012 16:35
- Market pares gains by the close - Bundestag approves Greek aid - Eurozone jobless rate and US consumer spending disappoint UK stocks finished broadly flat on Friday, paring gains by the close of trade as markets headed into the weekend in a cautious mood on the back of uncertainty surrounding the
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Dixons continues to surge
30th Nov 2012 14:30
Electrical retailer Dixons surged today, one day after beating first-half forecasts, after its CEO Sebastian James said expressed optimism that his company can benefit from Comet's demise. James said that its Curry and PC World divisions haven't seen "much disruption" from the fire sale by bankrup
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